Saints

SAINTS
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.
saints across various cultures and religions have the following family resemblances:
  1. exemplary model;
  2. extraordinary teacher;
  3. wonder worker
  4. A life often refusing material attachments or comforts;
  5. possession of a special relation to the holy.[6]
In the Upanishadic times, there have been women sages like Gargi and Maitreyi who could strip off men seers of a lesser calibre and attainments.

SAINTS IN MAHARASHTRA
Maharashtra has produced many saints throughout its history. Some of the very revered examples   of the saints in the medieval times are Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Namdev, sant Gora Kumbhar, Samarth Ramdas, Chokhamela, and Savta Mali.  
These persons highly devoted to God irrespective of their caste, were recognised as saints and history has given them an honourable position among the saints of Maharashtra. For example there is a bramhin like Dnyaneshwar,a tailor like Namdeo, a gardener like Savta Mali, a barber like Sena Maharaj, an untouchable   like Chokha Mela and a potter like Gora Kumbhar in the galaxy of Maharashtrian saints.

The wellknown female poet-saints within the Bhakti movement are Sant Janabai,SANT BAHINABAI AND sant sakhubai. Some of them rejected the social norms and left   families behind while worshiping God.   All wrote exquisite poetry that has been passed on through bards and singers throughout India.

Janābāi
Janabai was born in the 13th century in Maharashtra to a low-caste family.She was sent to Pandharpur   as domestic servants, at age 7. The household she was sent to was unusual, for it belonged to the parents of much-revered poet Namdev in Pandharpur. It was in this household that Janabai spent the rest of her life as a servant and as Namdeo’s devotee.
Due to the religious environment around her and her innate inclination, Janabai was all along an ardent devotee of Lord...