Vithamata Chavan (Mother)

Vithamata was Yashwantrao Chavan’s mother and was originally from Devrashtra. She was Dajiba Ghatge’s sister. Although she did not go to school, Vithamata was passionate about education and ensured that her children received a good education by working hard. Yashwantrao Chavan has written about his mother in his memoir ‘Runanubandh’ depicting her strong personality and how she supported the family during difficult times. Those memories reflect her greatness and importance. She gave strength to overcome poverty and adversities that came their way.

Vithamata wrote and composed small Marathi poems - Ovees through which she instilled optimism in Yashwantrao Chavan. She sung Ovees while grinding grain into flour on a traditional stone mill. Yashwantrao was thus introduced to poetry in his childhood through these Ovees. Her verses like - ‘My dear children, don’t quiver, the clouds over the sun and the moon will disappear’ reassured the children in the darkness of poverty and instilled in them a fighting spirit to face whatever adversity that befell upon them.

Vithamata was a simple and a pure-hearted person. She was an extremely humble and innocent woman and these qualities remained with her throughout her life. She realized that her son had become a great person but couldn’t grasp how great and the reason was her innocence. She was widowed, when her children were still young but the courageous mother fought the situation. Illiterate in the worldview but a genius in reality, Vithamata had realized that the only path to progress for her children is education. Vithamata’s name has been carved in the history of Maharashtra as a great mother who gave birth to a great son like Yashwantrao Chavan.