2003 - Sant Tukaram | Commemorative Coin

The first commemorative coin for the year 2003 was released in remembrance of 'Jagatguru Sant Tukaram'.

Sant Tukaram (1608–1650) emerged as a prominent Varkari Sant and spiritual poet during the Bhakti movement in India, leaving an enduring legacy of devotion and poetic expression.

Born and primarily residing in Dehu, a town near Pune city, Sant Tukaram bore the family name Tukaram Vhilhoba Aambe, although traditional nomenclature often eschewed his family name. Embracing the tradition of assigning the honorific "sant" to those deemed profoundly saintly, he is more commonly recognized as Sant Tukaram.

Scholars offer varying birth years for Sant Tukaram, with suggested dates including 1577, 1598, 1608, and 1609 CE. However, the year of his death, 1650 CE, stands as a more certain historical marker.

Devoted to the deity Vitthala or Vithoba, a manifestation of Lord Krishna, Sant Tukaram represents the apex of the Bhagabata Hindu tradition. This tradition is believed to have originated in Maharashtra with Namdev, and subsequent luminaries such as Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Janabai, Eknath, and Tukaram are venerated, particularly within the Varkari sect in Maharashtra. Information about the lives of these saints primarily comes from the works Bhakti-Wijay and Bhakti-Leelāmrut, authored by Mahipati, born 65 years after Tukaram's demise. These saints, including Sant Tukaram, played a pivotal role in shaping the spiritual landscape of Maharashtra through their profound devotion and poetic expression.

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