Rangbal was born on the 29th of March 1954 (Fagan Vad Nom) to mother P.P. Premilaben Soni and father P.P. Kantilal Soni, He was given name “Jagdish” by his Dadaji (Grandfather). His mother passed away at the age of eighteen months and his father fulfilled his mother’s responsibilities too. From a very young age, Jagdish had a deep interest in music. He woke up early in the morning and performed Prabhat-Feri in the street of Kapadvanj with the chanting of “Shree Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram” dhoon. Due to his ability to play various instruments, local Bhajan Mandali picked up him straight from the school to perform in various spiritual functions. He happily did so and received extra prasadi as his reward !
In April 1962, Rajubhai (Rajnikantbhai Dave) took Jagdish to the holy place of Nareshwar for the first time. There was a tradition of taking bath in the river of Narmada before going for the darshan of Pujya Bapji. They went to the bank of river and Rajubhai splashed Jagdish’s body with the holy water of Narmada and afterwards went straight to the Shanti-nikunj, where peacocks were making sweet sounds and monkeys were jumping in the joy from one branch of the tree to the other. The divine atmosphere was full of Bapaji’s presence and there was only anandam everywhere! As eight year old Jagdish sat in front Pujya Bapji, who was sitting in muktasana, Bapaji immediately asked to Rajubhai, “When did you come here, who is this child?”
Rajubhai replied, “ Bapaji, He is son of my neighbour, Kantibhai Soni”.
Looking at Jagdish, Bapji asked him “Boy, what is your name?”
Jagdish replied “Jagdish…”
Bapji asked “Do you know singing?” (Antaryami Bapaji knew that Jagdish was singing dhoon and bhajans from very young age).
“Yes, I know singing” Jagdish replied.
Then Bapji chanted “Om” and blessed him. Jagdish also chanted “Om” loudly.
Hearing Jagdish’s chanting Bapji said to Rajubhai “This boy is chanting Om correctly”.
Bapji then took an apple from the fruit basket which kept next to his seat and gave to it Jagdish. As an innocent child, Jagdish started to eat apple immediately and finished it in front of Bapji. After spending night in the Nareshwar, next morning, Rajubhai & Jagdish went for Bapji’s darshan before their departure to Kapadvanj. Looking at Jagdish, Bapji said “Whenever there is a school vacation, come to Nareshwar!” After reaching home in Kapadvanj Jagdish told his father “Motabhai, I don’t want to stay here. I want to go back to Nareshwar.” This was first Guru-Shishya milan !
It was clear that from the very young age, Jagdish had a strong desire to be Shree Rang Avadhoot’s disciple and attain a self-realization. In October 1968 during the festival of Diwali, after visiting Nadiad and Arera, Shree Rang Avadhoot visited the town of Kapadvanj before his departure to Haridwar. After Bapji’s arrival in Kapadvanj, child Jagdish went up to meet him but other elder devotees didn’t allow him to go close to Bapji.
Shortly after, Bapji’s Shobha-yatra began in silver rath (chariot). Young Jagdish was very eager to meet him and he decided to jump off the chabutra (a tower-like structure with octagonal or pentagonal shaped enclosures at the top) to fall in his lap. To his luck, it was full and other people forced him to go down.
Finally after three days, he got a chance to go to Meghdoot Banglow, where Bapji was staying. As he was entering the room, other devotees stopped him and told him to go away to perform other seva. Jagdish replied to them “Bapaji is not just yours, he is everyone’s, let me have his darshan now”. Hearing this Bapaji said “who is he, let him come in”. Jagdish entered the room and Bapji asked him “what the matter”. Jagdish replied “Bapji, why we need to keep performing seva only, why don’t they allow us to have your darshan ?” Bapji said “Stand in that area and have a darshan” Quickly Bapji questioned him further “Why you wanted to jump off the chabutra, why you wanted to take such a mad action ?” Antaryami Bapji knew about Jagdish’s earlier intentions of jumping off the chabutra to meet him. Then he gave Jagdish an apple and told him “go and keep singing bhajans! ”
During Bapji’s eight days stay from dhanteras to labh pancham, Kapadvanj truly turned into the heaven. During his stay, Jagdish completely surrendered to him for Bapji seva. On the last night before Bapji’s departure from Kapadvanj, Jagdish kept crying and couldn’t sleep and he composed the bhajan of “Ghadi ghadi Ranga tari yad satave…”
Next day morning he ran to see Bapaji. Pujya Bapji was sitting with Modidada, Sumanlal Master, Rajanikant Dave and few other devotees. Looking at Jagdish, he asked “Boy, what did you bring?” Jagdish handed over a paper to Bapji on which he written the bhajan. After reading it Bapji responded in joy “Did you write this ? Did you ?” Then he blessed Jagdish by tapping his head & shoulder three times. Then he said “Keep singing bhajans, if no one listen them then this Avadhoot will come to listen to your bhajans“. Bapaji looked at the Sumanlal Master and told him “Master, Give my prasadi to this boy”. Pujya Bapji was referring to his aasan, topi, langot, pillow cover and bed sheet as his prasadi . Hearing this Jagdish said “Bapji, if you want to give me your prasadi then give me with your hands”. Bapji smiled and gave his prasadi to Jagdish. It felt that Pujya Bapji accepted Jagdish as his disciple at very young age and he came to Kapadvanj to give Rangbal Jagdish a yogik diksha.
During school vacations, Jagdish continued to visit Nareshwar to provide his services and deeply got involved in Rang bhakti. Immediately after passing his matric exam, he decided to leave his home to become Sadhu. He met his father, bow down to his feet and said to him “Motabhai, I passed the exam and now I want to become Sadhu and leave this home. Hearing this his father became very sad and tried to stop him but Jagdish left the home with small bag which is carried him regularly. Bag had a langot, dhoti, two zabhbha (full size kafani looking cloth), Avadhooti Anand and a writing book.
From childhood, he was engaged in many activities including painting which allow him to earn some money which he spent on buying food & clothes for poor. He instructed the shop owner to provide free food all Sadhu –Sanyasi and any less-privileged people and agreed to settled the bill monthly. As he was leaving Kapadvanj, he realised that he need to settle his monthly account at local snack shop called Satyanaryan Khaman House. Jagdish went to the shop met shop owner Shivakaka and apologised to him for not paying this month’s bill. He told him that he is leaving Kapadvanj to become sadhu. As Shivakaka was scolding him for his leaving his Father, a Sadhu in white cloth, white beard and a stick in his hand, came to the scene from nowhere. He gently slapped Jagdish on his right chick and said “go back to your home and perform bhakti and sadhana by staying in this sansar.” Soon after, sadhu disappeared and could not be found anywhere. This was turning point in his life. After that Jagdish went back to his home and hugged his father and promised him that he will never leave him again. His father said “As as soon as you left the home, I started praying Rang Avdhoot Bapaji to send you back and he listen to my pray !”
During one of his visit to Nareshwar, one man from Kapadvanj came and told him “what are you doing here in Nareshwar? You should go back to Kapadvanj to see your father. I saw him sitting outside Shree Hanumanji temple”. After having Shree Rang Bapaji’s darshan, he immediately left for Kapadvanj and met his father outside the temple. After talking with him, Rangbal found that his father left everything behind him and left the home due to dispute with other family member. He immediately decided to stood with his father and not to return to his home. His family was rich but he dared to leave everything and supported his father. He had great faith in his Guru Maharaj and never worried about anything. On the same evening, a friend saw them sitting outside the temple and offered a shelter in his house. Despite taking all such problems and hardship, his social work didn’t stop.
After completing his studies, Rangbal Jagdishbhai accepted the position of music and drawing teacher at Shree Sharda Mandir School in Kapadvanj. He spent most of his school salary buying meals, clothes and medicines to those in need. He also regularly bought books for many students and paid their school tuition fees. He respected all religions equally. On some days, Rangbal put on taqiyah (cap worn by Muslims) while fulfilling his duties at the school. One of the trustees from the school complained against it and instructed him to stop doing so. Rangbal replied “Are you going to stop Muslims students from wearing it? Even if you do, they will stop coming to school but will not stop wearing it. For me, all are one”. If not allowed to wear the taqiyah, he was happy to leave the job. Later trustee realised is mistake and apologised to him. He also participated in many music, writing, singing and drama competitions and won many awards at state and higher levels.
Rangbal gave supreme importance to cleanliness. He often visited nearby slums and bathed poor children. He provided them new clothes and biscuits. He bought everything from his salary. Eventually his aim was to make them self-sufficient. On some days, when the cleaner didn’t turn up to school for work, he cleaned school toilets himself. Rangbal also cleaned the shmashan (Cremation ground) regularly. He woke at 3 am & went there to clean the place. He made sure that he burnt the semi-burnt corpse(s) and disposed the remains to keep place ready for use again and turned the shmashan into a garden. He felt that this was also a kind of service to the society.
In 1978, he married to Manorama. A day before their marriage, a robbery took place at his home and everything including ornaments that were saved for the marriage were stolen. The same night, Rangbal visited the bride’s father by taking a lift from a passing transport truck. Rangbal said to Manorama’s father that he had lost everything and it is not appropriate for him to marry his daughter anymore. For which Manorama’s father said, “It is not your wealth, but your character that is most important to me”.
Manorama (Ramabaa) played a huge role in helping Jagdishbhai to perform samaj seva (service to society). People came to see him at all times including late at night but she always welcomed and looked after them very well. Together they started a “Ram Roti” to distribute food to the poor. They prepared food for about 250-300 people daily and cleaned everything themselves to get it ready for the next day. Their son Shreerang also played a very active part in helping them.
With P.P. Kevalanandji Paramhansa & Narayandasji Maharaji”s inspiration, Jagdishbhai began to perform Datta Katha and Parayan. Apart from his extraordinary talent in singing and music, his heart & soul were deeply reflected in his exceptional deliveries. In particularly, his katha in Girnar was a very special. At the end of the katha, people said it was “Na bhuto, Na bhavishya” (Never before and never again). Many Yogis and Sadhus from nearby caves came to listen to his discourse. During Durvasha Rishi’s kathan, one mystic yogi came to listen his discourse. His appearance was very similar to Durvasha Rishi. He had very bright face and very long eyelashes, which covered his whole eyes. As kathan finished, people started to watch him and he quickly disappeared.
Since 1989, Rangbal has been performing Yagna (fire ceremony) every Thursday and he hasn’t missed one since then. It was also a Thursday that his father left this world. On that day while giving a fire to his body, Rangbal also gave ahuti (offering) and completed his yagna and liberated his father. On the 13th day of his father’s demise, a Rang katha was scheduled in the city of Godhra. The people of Godhra were not sure if the event will go ahead. But per his promised, Rangbal performed the katha at the set time.
During his visit to Narsobawadi, he sang few bhajans there. It created such a divine atmosphere that the priest from the temple came out and told him, “You have pleased my Swami, looks like he is going to leave this place to come with you”. Shree Nrusimha Saraswati Swami Maharaj liked music very much. A similar incident happened in Mahurgadh at Atri Anusuya Ashram. After listening to Rangbal’s bhajans, the priest said “You are yogi purush!”
While full filling his family duties and services to the society, Rangbal Jagdishbhai also focused on performing various sadhanas. He came into contact with many great masters and saints including Shree Narayandasji Maharaj, Shree Savliwala Swamiji, Shree Kevalanandaji Paramhansa and Shree Vishvanath Avadhoot. With Guru upasana (worship), his own efforts and blessing from various masters, he moved toward attaining highest level of spiritual enlightenment.
In the year 2000, Rangbal visited Nasik-Trimbakeshwar where he took the deeksha. After doing his mundan (tonsure) there, Pujya Kevalanandaji and Pujya Narayandasji gave him a folded paper. When Jagdishbhai opened the paper, it had “Jagdishanandaji” written on it. Since then, he became Shree Jagdishanandaji.
Different casts, genders and religions are all one for him. He has many Muslim followers and he often goes to mosque. During one of this visit to mosque, he chanted Datta Bavani in there. Jagdishanandji Rangbal also visited many places outside India and ignited the mission of Shree Rang Avadhoot. During these visits, many devotees had some astonishing experiences related to him.
He is always available to everyone and no appointment is required to meet him. He often says that his Darbar (his place) is open 24 hours and everyone is welcome. People experienced him in many different forms and accordingly they gave him various names including Guruji, Baba, Bapji, Babaji, Swamiji, Avadhoota and Maharaj. But for him, he is an ardent disciple of Shree Rang Avadhoot Bapji and will always remain as his Rangbal (Child of Shree Rang Avadhoot).
Shree Gurudev Datt !
