Gora Khumbhar was a saint who was a contemporary of Namdev, Jnandev, Muktabai. He was a potter by profession and the word Khumbhar, meaning potter, stuck to his name.
Profile
There is no record of the birth or lineage of Gora Khumbhar. But the folklore says he lived between 1267 and 1317. Whatever was known was that he was a potter by profession and he married a girl called Santhi and had a son. The most striking aspect of Gora Khumbhar’s life was that he loved his Lord Panduranga and was always singing his songs, every time of the day. The story goes that one day his wife left the child under his care and went out. Gora Khumbhar was so involved in his work, and in a trance singing the glories of the Lord that he did not see his child fall into the ditch of mud. He took the mud and began stamping it, getting it ready for the pot, unknowing that he was trampling his son to death. When his wife came and found out the truth she was enraged and cursed the Lord for taking away her child. This enraged Gora and he went to thrash her and she stopped him by reminding him of his oath not to touch her. Gora left his wife alone, since then there was no physical contact between the husband and wife. Santhi now realised her folly that the family lineage would come to an end. So she got her sister married to Gora. But Santhi’s father inadvertently asked Gora to treat both the wives in the same manner. So there it was- he refused to touch santhi’s sister too. The two sisters then planned to get him to touch them in his sleep and placed his hands on their breasts. Totally aghast Gora cut off both his hands which according to him did not keep his word. The wives now understood the devotion and love Gora had for the Lord. On one occasion Gora and his wives went to Pandharipur and there they were blessed to hear the keertans of Namdev. During the course of singing, Namdev asked all the devotees to raise their hands and clap. Gora also lifted his stump of a hand and to his and everyone’s surprise his hands grew back. Santhi’s belief in her husband’s faith increased and cried out to the Lord to bring back her son and there he was! The little baby came crawling towards the mother all smiling and gurgling. Gora Khumbhar’s fame spread and the saints of that time like Namdev, Muktabi, Jnandev and others visited him. It is believed he died in the year 1317 but how and where is not known. His Samadhi sthal is found in Terdhoki.
Philosophy Propounded
Devotion to Lord Panduranga was all that Gora Khumbhar knew and he did nothing to spread it. He just lived the life of an ardent devotee.
Work Done to Spread the Philosophy
Gora Khumbar’s work were his songs. Some of the Abhangs of the Varkari tradition is believed to have been written or rather sung by Gora Khumbhar. He was a saint who proved that one need not be born into a family with some status to become a devotee or a saint.
