Kabir Kabr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti

movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic al-Kabr which means 'The Great' the 37th name of God in Islam. Early life and background Kabir was born to a Brahmin widow at Lahartara near Kashi (modern day Varanasi). The widow abandoned Kabir to escape dishonour associated with births outside marriage. He was brought up in a family of poor Muslim weavers Niru and Nima. Vaishnava saint Ramananda accepted Kabir as his disciple; when Ramananda died, Kabir was 13 years old. It is not known in detail what sort of spiritual training Kabir may have received. He did not become a sadhu, nor did he ever abandon worldly life. Kabir chose instead to live the balanced life of a householder and mystic, a tradesman and contemplative. Kabir's family is believed to have lived in the locality of Kabir Chaura in Varanasi. Kabr maha a maha located in the back alleys of Kabir Chaura, celebrates his life and times. Accompanying the property is a house named Nrl which houses Niru and Nima's graves. The house also accommodates students and scholars who live there and study Kabir's work. Saint Mahatma Shri Basaveshwar: Basava [also known as Basavanna] flourished in the 12th century in Karnataka. He was a Prime Minister to king Bijjala who ruled from 1157 to 1167 over Kalyana, a city of historic importance. Basava was indeed a great prophet for in him we find the combination of rare qualities. He was a mystic by temperament, an idealist by choice, a statesman by profession, a man of letters by taste, a humanist by sympathy and a social reformer by conviction. Basava strove hard to bring about reformation in Hinduism into which social evils had crept in. The social and cultural conflicts which had been going on in India from ancient days were stimulating a new foment within the Hindu society. At the time of Basava there were apologists who had been giving a new interpretation to the irrational religious practices and form of thought. But Basava with a courageous frankness acknowledged the prevailing evils of the Hindu society and suggested ways and means to create a new orientation.