Vinayak Narahari Bhave better known as Vinoba Bhave is regarded as the National Teacher of India. An ardent advocate of human rights and non-violence, he is considered the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi. Widely referred to as Acharya Vinoba Bhave, he is most known as the originator of the Bhoodan Movement. Bhave was fluent in multiple languages including Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi, English, Urdu and Sanskrit.

He translated The Gita into Marathi and named it as Geetai. He refused to consume food for days by accepting Samadhi-Maran. Bhave left for his heavenly abode on November 15, 1982.

In commemoration of Acharya Bhave’s birth anniversary, here is a look at some lesser-known facts about him:

• Bhave was fondly called Vinya in his family and was the eldest of the five siblings.
• His mother, who hailed from Karnataka, had a major influence on him. He was inspired by her to read The Gita.
• Instead of appearing for an exam in Bombay in 1918, Bhave threw away his books in the fire. This happened after he read an article by Mahatma Gandhi.
• Bhave wrote a letter to Gandhi and received an invitation to participate in a meeting in Ahmedabad.
• Bhave became an active participant in many activities like spinning, teaching, studying in the Ashram and improving the lives of the community.
• On the behest of Gandhi, Bhave took charge of the Ashram in Wardha on 8 April 1921.
• He began publishing Maharashtra Dharma in 1923. It was initially a monthly magazine detailing the teachings of Upanishads.
• Between 20s and 30s, Bhave got arrested multiple times for engaging in a non-violence resistance against the British Raj. He was in jail during the 40s for five years.
• He would stay in one of the huts of Sabarmati Ashram known as ‘Vinoba Kutir’ and from there give discourses on Gita.
• In 1940, Bhave was selected as the ‘First Individual Satyagrahi’ against the British Raj by Gandhi in India.
• Bhave played an important role in the Quit India Movement.
• The Bhoodan Movement grew in a village known as Bhoodan Pochampally in Telangana.
• From 1951 to 1964, Bhave walked across the whole nation for 13 years.
• In 1965, Bhave started the Toofan Yatra which continued for four years.
• Bhave took the vow for celibacy and followed it all his life. He dedicated his life to religious work and freedom struggle.

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