Who was Guru Ravidas?

About Guru Ravidas:

• Guru Ravidas (1377-1528E.) was a renowned saint known for his contributions to the Bhakti movement.
• His devotional songs and verses made a lasting impact upon the Bhakti Movement.
• Guru Ravidas is also known as Raidas, Rohidas, and Ruhidas.
• He was born in a small village called Seer Govardhanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
  • His birthplace is now known as Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan, and it is a major place of pilgrimage for the followers of Guru Ravidas.
• Even though he was born into a poor family, Ravidas became well-known for his teachings about human rights and equality.
• He was the disciple of the revered Brahmin bhakti poet Ramananda.
• He abandoned the saguna (with attributes, image) forms of supreme beings and focussed on the nirguna(without attributes, abstract) form of supreme beings.
• Guru Ravidas was a social reformer, and his teachings were based on gender equality, the abolition of the caste system, social justice, and equality.
• He also became a symbol of opposition to untouchability in society by the higher caste people for the lower caste people.
• He emphasised the philosophy of spiritual freedom.
• He was a well-known poet. 41 of his devotional songs and poems are included in the Sikh Scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib.
• Meera Bai, a revered figure in Hindu spiritualism, is said to have considered Guru Ravidas as her spiritual Guru. 
• The Guru's teachings now form the basis of the Ravidassia sect. Ravidassis believe that Guru Ravidas should be treated as a saint just like the other gurus, as he lived before the first Sikh Guru and his teachings were studied by the Sikh Gurus.
• Guru Ravidas Jayanti is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas.