Sant Surdas (1478-1581 C.E.) was a great poet and musician known for his devotional songs dedicated to Lord Krishna. There is disagreement regarding the exact birth year of Sur, with the general consensus among scholars holding it to be between the years 1478 and 1483. Surdas was born blind and because of that he was neglected by his family. As a result, he left his home at the tender age of six and started praising Lord Krishna at a very young age.

According to historians Sant Surdas was born on 1478 C.E. in village Sihi, Faridabad, Haryana. However some claims that he was born at Runkta near Agra. The birth anniversary of Sant Surdas is observed as per Hindu lunar calendar and falls on Shukla Paksha, Panchami in Vaishakha month.

The Vallabhite story states that Surdas was blind from birth and neglected by his family, forcing him to leave his home at the age of six and live on the banks of Yamuna river. It states that he met Vallabha Acharya and became his disciple while going on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan. However, the authenticity of this legend is disputed due to the absence of Vallabha Acharya from early poems of Sur and the awkward logic of the story. It is likely that Surdas was an independent poet, suggested by his acceptance to all communities. He probably became blind later in his life, contrary to the Vallabhite claim.

Surdas’s music and fine poetry attracted many laurels. As his fame spread far and wide, the Mughal emperor Akbar became his patron. Surdas spent the last years of his life in Braj and lived on the donations, which he received in return for his Bhajan singing and lecturing on religious topics.

There is also a disagreement regarding the year of his death; it is considered to be between 1561 and 1584.

Surdas is said to have written and composed a hundred thousand songs in his magnum opus the Sur Sagar (Ocean of Melody), out of which only about 8,000 are in existence.

Sant Surdas (1478-1581 C.E.) was a great poet and musician known for his devotional songs dedicated to Lord Krishna. There is disagreement regarding the exact birth year of Sur, with the general consensus among scholars holding it to be between the years 1478 and 1483. Surdas was born blind and because of that he was neglected by his family. As a result, he left his home at the tender age of six and started praising Lord Krishna at a very young age.

According to historians Sant Surdas was born on 1478 C.E. in village Sihi, Faridabad, Haryana. However some claims that he was born at Runkta near Agra. The birth anniversary of Sant Surdas is observed as per Hindu lunar calendar and falls on Shukla Paksha, Panchami in Vaishakha month.

The Vallabhite story states that Surdas was blind from birth and neglected by his family, forcing him to leave his home at the age of six and live on the banks of Yamuna river. It states that he met Vallabha Acharya and became his disciple while going on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan. However, the authenticity of this legend is disputed due to the absence of Vallabha Acharya from early poems of Sur and the awkward logic of the story. It is likely that Surdas was an independent poet, suggested by his acceptance to all communities. He probably became blind later in his life, contrary to the Vallabhite claim.

Surdas’s music and fine poetry attracted many laurels. As his fame spread far and wide, the Mughal emperor Akbar became his patron. Surdas spent the last years of his life in Braj and lived on the donations, which he received in return for his Bhajan singing and lecturing on religious topics.

There is also a disagreement regarding the year of his death; it is considered to be between 1561 and 1584.

Surdas is said to have written and composed a hundred thousand songs in his magnum opus the Sur Sagar (Ocean of Melody), out of which only about 8,000 are in existence.