SEVAGAD: A HOLY LAND OF SEVABHAYA'S BIRTH

SEVAGAD: A HOLY LAND OF SEVABHAYA'S BIRTH
Sant Shree Sevalal Maharaj was born on 15.02.1739, on this Holy Land, to parents Shree Bhima Nayak and Dharmini Yaadi (Mother). At this time this location was popularly known as Ramagundam or Ramji Nayak Tanda (Ramji Nayak is Grand-father of SevaBhaya Ji, who came to this location with 360 families of his                          Tanda and about 4000 loaded cattles).Ramji Nayak Tanda when deserted, by end of 18th century the local population built a village known as Chennarayani Palle. This land now falls in the revenue village of Peddadoddi, Taluk/Mandal: Gooty, District Anantapur (A.P.).

   Sevabhaya lived with his parents, at this place, upto the age of 12. He bathed in KALO KUNDO (transparent clean water of natural spring water pond), Worshipped in Chanakeshva (Shiva) Temple on the top of Chandrayana Gutta (Hill), near Ramji Nayak Tanda grazed his cattles in ZOOMRI/ZHANDA JHOL (forest of Palms). All these relics and monuments are existing even today. Banjaras and Non- Banjaras in the locality hold Bhima Nayak Katta (platform) inhigh esteem. Since residue (ORE) from the womb of Sevabhaya's Mother is buried below this Katta (burying ORE under the ground is the tradition of Banjaras, after child's birth). Therefore Banjara people hold this Katta with high reverence. Shri Bhima Nayak (father of Sevabhaya Ji) delivered his judgements to Banjaras of his and neighboring Tandas from this Katta.

There is a piece of land of 18 acres, next to dilapidated Ramji Nayak Tanda and the same is shown in revenue records as NAYAKUNI BHOOMI (Land of Nayak).

After lot of research works and explorations by many research scholars, linguists, historians, particularly by Banjara Dharmik Parishad of Bangalore, as well as found from Banjara folk songs and folk lores sung and oral histoy as told by Banjara, for the last 200 years, in narration and in praise of Sevabhaya's life and deeds. It is mentioned that GOOTY-BELLARY MA JANMO SEVABHAYA (meaning: Sevabhaya was born at GOOTY-BELLARY). Gooty Taluka was in the then Bellary District of then Madras Province of British Raj. During that period there was no separate District called Anantapur - as the Anantpur town was part of Bellary District. It is abundantly clear and proved that Sevabhaya's Birth Place is identified to this location, in Peddadoddi Revenue Village. It is also mentioned in the book "Sevadas Leelamrut", authered by Sant Shree Ramrao Maharaj of Pohragad (Sevabhaya's Samadhi Place), Gooty-Bellary as birth place of Sevabhaya. Sant Shri Ramrao ji Maharaj is living saint of seventh generation of Shri Sevabhaya's family. Even well known auther, poet and Banjara folk Singer Shri Atmaram Rathod of Yevatmal District (Maharashtra) has also established the same location in his popular book "Shree Sant Sevadas Leela Charitra" as Sevabhaya's Birth place.

After identifying this birth place, first time, Banjaras of Country celebrated Sevabhaya's 262nd Janmotsav, at this holy land on 15.02.2001 and sanctified it and named this land as "SEVAGAD", at the hands of Shri Ranjit Naik, President of All India Banjara Seva Sangh (AIBSS).

Address of Sevagad Asthan: Sevagad, Near Charlopalli, Via: Gollala Doddi Crossing, On Gooti - Guntakal Road, Mandal/Taluka: Gooty, District: Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh.