KANHOPATRA WAS A 15TH CENTURY MARATHI SAINT- POET, VENERATED BY THE VARKARI SECT OF HINDUISM. SHE IS A DAUGHTER OF A RICH PROSTITUTE AND COURTESAN NAMED SHAMA, WHO LIVED IN THE TOWN OF MANGALWEDHA, NEAR PANDHARPUR THE SIGHT OF VITHOBAS CHIEF TEMPLE. SHAMA WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE IDENTIFY OF KANHOPATRAS FATHER, BUT SUSPECTED THAT IT WAS THE TOWNS HEAD-MAN SADASHIVA MALAGUJAR. KANHOPATRA SPENT HER CHILDHOOD IN THE PALATIAL HOUSE OF HER MOTHER, SERVED BY SEVERAL MAIDS, BUT BECASUE OF HER MOTHERS PROFESSION KANHOPATRAS SOCIAL STATUS WAS DEMEANINGLY LOW. KANHOPATRA WAS TRAINED IN DANCE AND SONG FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD SO THAT SHE COULD JOIN HER MOTHERS PROFESSION. HER BEAUTY WAS COMPARED TO THE APSARA. AS IN AGE OF FIFTEEN KANHOPATRA WAS FORCED INTO THE COURTEASANS LIFE, THOUGH SHE DETESTED. ONE DAY THE VARKARI PILGRIMS WHO PASSED KANHOPATRAS HOUSE OF THEIR WAY TO THE TEMPLE OF VITHOBA IN PANDHARPUR. SHE ASKED A PASSING VARKARI ABOUT VITHOBA. THE VARKARI SAID THAT VITHOBA IS GENEROUS WISE, BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT. HIS GLORY IS BEYOND AND HIS BEAUTY SURPASSES THAT OF ANY GOD, KANHOPATRA FURTHER ASKED IF VITHOBA WOULD ACCEPT HER AS A DEVOTEE. कान्होपात्रा ही पंधराव्या शतकातली स्त्री संत होय. मंगळवेढा इथं राहणाNया श्यामा नावाच्या श्रीमंत नायकिणीची अत्यंत देखणी मुलगी कान्होपात्रा. लहानपण थाटात गेलेलं. नृत्य आणि गायन या कलेत तिच्या आईनं तिला तरबेज केलं कारण तिच्या पारंपरिक व्यवसायाच्या दृष्टीनं ते आवश्यक होतं. आपल्या देखण्या लेकीनं आपला पारंपरिक व्यवसाय पुढे चालवावा ज्यामुळे तिचं आयुष्य आरामात जाईल आणि एखादा श्रीमंत सरदार भुलवण्यासाठी तिचं देखणं रूप उपयोगी ठरेल, अशी कान्होपात्राच्या आईची धारणा होती. पण तो व्यवसाय करण्यासाठी कान्होपात्रानं नकार दिला. तिची दासी वारकरी होती. तिच्यामुळे कान्होपात्राला भक्तिमार्ग समजला. एके दिवशी वारकरी तिच्या घराजवळून पंढरपूरला निघाले असता कान्होपात्राने त्यांना 'कुठे चाललात' असे विचारले. 'पंढरपूरला विठोबाच्या दर्शनाला'असे त्यांना सांगताच, तिने 'तुमचा विठोबा कसा आहे?' असे विचारले. तशी विठोबा अत्यंत देखणा अस&
