Janardan Bapurao Bothe
A follower of Sant Tukdoji Maharaj who set up 11 schools for tribal and poor children, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
Janardan Bapurao Bothe has spent his life in the movement started by Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of social work, from Maharashtra [1].
Secretary to the saint
Bothe was born on 25 November 1939 in Gogari village, Washim district [2]. He came to Tukdoji Maharaj’s Gurukunj Ashram as a student and stayed on as a volunteer [2]. After finishing school in 1958 he learned photography, music, shorthand and typing [2].
In 1960 he became Tukdoji Maharaj’s full-time personal secretary, handling his letters, tours, recordings, appointments and health [2]. He travelled with him across India, including to Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kumbh Melas, the Pandharpur wari, and a 1962 bhajan programme for soldiers on the NEFA border [2].
Schools for the poor
He founded an education trust in 1972, the Rashtra Sant Shri Tukdoji Maharaj Shikshan Sanstha. It set up eleven schools and hostels in tribal and poor areas [2]. Thousands of Dalit, Adivasi and poor students have studied there for free [2]. He is known as “Dalit Mitra” and has run de-addiction drives and health camps [2].
Since 2001 he has been general secretary of the All India Shri Gurudev Seva Mandal, which works through more than 10,000 rural branches and women’s and youth groups [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for Janardan Bapurao Bothe — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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