Patit Pavan Mandir

Patit Pawan Mandir:
The name speaks for itself. Patit in Marathi is the lowest, humblest, downtrodden man in the society. Pawan is purified, enlightened, awakened, fulfillment. The temple which transforms the downtrodden to the pure form, which restores his rights as a human being. The place where he (the untouchable, dalit) can perform the puja, worship his god as everyone else does.The entry of untouchables in a temple was unthinkable at that time. Even if the shadow of a untouchable fell on a upper caste man he would bathe again. Such was the social fabric of India and it was taken to advantage by the then British rule in India as the policy of Britishers was divide and rule. The caste system and discretion in the society was fully exploited by the British.

One man who saw this and thought that this was wrong and devoted a great part of his life to fight against it was Vinayak Damodar Sawarkar. By establishing the Patit Pawan Mandir in Ratnagiri he created a storm in the society.

A Hindi film by Sudhir Phadke on the life of Savarkar was shot in Ratnagiri and has scenes shot in Patit Pawan Mandir. This film was in fact the last film for which Babuji last sang and composed music.

Films

Veer Sawarkar by Sudhir Phadke (Babuji)

Further reading

*Kane, Pandurang Vaman: "History of Dharmasastra: (ancient and mediaeval, religious and civil law)" — Poona : Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1962-1975

External links

* "Articles on Caste by Koenraad Elst:" [http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/books/wiah/ch1.htm#16a Caste in India] , [http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/books/wiah/ch11.htm#49a Buddhism and Caste] , [http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/books/wiah/ch9.htm#78a Indian tribals and Caste] , [http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/books/ait/ch49.htm Physical anthropology and Caste] , [http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/books/ait/ch48.htm#68a Etymology of Varna]