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Kanhopatra

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Kanhopatra was a 15th-century Marathi poet. She was born in the 15th century in Mangalvedha, Maharashtra, India. She was the daughter of a rich prostitute and courtesan named Shama or Shyama, who lived in the town of Mangalvedha, near Pandharpur. Due to her mother’s profession, her social status was demeaningly low. She wrote Marathi ovi and abhanga poetry. She was a trained dancer and singer. Her beauty was compared to the apsara Menaka. She died in the central shrine of Vithoba in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India. She was buried near the southern part of the Vithoba temple, following her last wishes. Kanhopatra is formally included in the list of Saints, in the text Bhaktavijaya.

Mahipati, a traditional biographer of Marathi saints, refers to Kanhopatra as one of the saints who sit surrounding Krishna. She is still considered unique since she rose to fame without a traditional family backing. She was the only woman Varkari saint, who is not associated with any male Varkari saint. She attained sainthood exclusively based on her devotion to Vithoba. A Marathi film ‘Kanhopatra’ was released in 1937, written and directed by Bhalji Pendharkar Bhalji Pendharkar was an Indian film director who >> Read More... , to recount her life. She was also the subject of the Marathi drama ‘Sant Kanhopatra’ in 1931. A small shrine is also dedicated to her in her home town Mangalvedhe.