Sant Shree SevalalMaharaj was born on 15.2.1739 to parents Smt. DharmaniYaadi (mother) and ShriRamavathBhimaNaik on this holy land around 275 years back. At that time this location was popularly known as Ramagundam or RamjiNaikTanda (RamjiNaik is grand father of Sevabhaya, who come to the location with 360 families of his Tanda and about 4000 loaded catties). RamjiNaikTanda when deserted by the end of 18lh century, the local people built a village known as Chennarayanipalle. This land now falls in the revenue village of Peddadoddi, Taluk / Mandal -Gooty, Dist. Anandpur, Andhra Pradesh.
Sevabhaya lived with his parents at this place upto the age of 12. He bathed in “KaloKundo” (transparent clean water of natural spring water pond),worshipped in Chennakesava (Shiva) temple on the top of the Chandrayanagutta (hill) nearby RamjiNaikTanda and grazed his cattle in “ZhoomriJhol” (Forest of Palms). All the relics and monuments are existings even today. Banjaras and non-Banjaras in the locality hold BhimaNaikKatta (platform) in high esteem and reverence since the “ORE” (residue) of Sant Shree SevalalMaharaj is buried under the ground of this platform which is the tradition of the Banjaras to bury the residue after the delivery of the baby. ShriBhimaNaik delivered his judgements to Banjaras of his and neighbouringTandas from this Katta.
In narration and in praise of sevabhaya’s life and deeds, there are abundant folk songs and folklores sung and oral history is also told by Banjaras for last 250 years. It is mentioned that “Gooty – Bellary – Ma – Janam lido Sevabhaya” (meaning :Sevabhaya was born at Gooty -Bellary).
Gootytaluka was in the then Bellary district of the then Madras province of Bri
Sevagad Temple, Gooty, A.P.tish Raj. During that period there was no separate District called Anantapur as the Anantapur town was part of Bellary District. In Peddadoddi revenue village there is a piece of land of 18 acres next to dilapidated RamjiNaikTanda and the same is shown in revenue records as “NayakuniBhoomi” (land of Nayak). It is also mentioned in the book “SevadasLeelamrut” authored by SantShri Ramrao Maharaj of Pohragad (Sevabhaya’s Samadhi place) that Gooty Bellary was birth place of Sevabhaya. Sant Shree RamraoMaharaj is living Sant of Seventh generation of ShriSevabhaya family.
Even well known author, poet and Banjara folk singer Shri Atmaram Rathod of Yevatmal(Maharashtra) has also established the same location in his popular book “ShriSantSevadasLeelaCharitra” as Sevabhaya’s birth place. After lot of research works and explorations by many research scholar, linguistics, historians particularly BanjaraDharmikParishad of Bangalore have identified and proved this location as sevabhaya’s birth place.
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