महादेव काशिनाथ गोखले - Mahadev Kashinath Gokhale

pune: normally, you would not give mahadev kashinath gokhale or his cubby-hole of a newspaper stall near perugate police post in sadashiv peth area a second look. but on thursday he was on the stage, sharing the limelight with such luminaries as yogacharya b.k.s. iyengar, sanskrit scholar laxmanshastri shende, classical singer dhondutai kulkarni and veteran rashtriya swayamsevak sangh leader moropant pingale. the event was the sharada jnanapeeth's annual panchami felicitation for distinguished veterans, and mr gokhale was felicitated for his yeoman service to various fields (newspaper sales excluded). the sharada jnanapeeth awards committee would have found it hard to believe mr gokhale's life-story had it not been testified to by the late jayantrao tilak, publisher s.p. gokhale and the founder of sharada jnanapeeth, vasantrao gadgil. mr gadgil, incidentally, knows mr gokhale from his karachi days.

for a man who did not attend school beyond standard iv, this nonagenarian is an achiever who is impossible to classify. a fitness freak who used to run 40 miles each day since the age of 21, mr gokhale trained several aspiring athletes in cross-country running. he taught hindi and marathi to four british governors of the erstwhile british indian state of bombay, and printing technology to students of the royal sayajirao gaikwad printing school in baroda. mr gokhale also tutored movie star nargis' mother jaddanbai in music while in karachi. even today, mr gokhale catches the first bus from his sahakarnagar residence to perugate at 5.30 a.m. in order to reach in time for the newspaper trade.

in his heyday, he would have run the distance on foot in impressive time. from the age of 21, i started running 40 miles every day. i used to leave home near perugate at 3.30 a.m. and go running to katraj, shindewadi, khed shivapur, kondhanpur, kalyangaon, climb sinhagad fort, get down to donje village, run along the wall of the khadakvasla dam and come back via nda road by 8.30 a.m. on sundays, for a change, mr gokhale used to run from pune to lonavla! naturally, such an intense regime meant that mr gokhale's diet too was equally exhaustive: for breakfast, one kilo pedhas, supplied free by the famous kaka halwai sweet shop; and for dessert, one kilo of pure ghee. a friend,tuljaram modi, who owned a sweet mart in satara, used to despatch another kilo of pedhas for my tea-time snack. between 1931-38, mr gokhale worked at the sathe biscuit factory, which had headquarters in karachi. he used to spend eight months in karachi and come back to pune during the monsoon. i was a big fan of the legendary balgandharva and worked as his door-keeper in the rainy season, just to listen to him sing. when i went back to karachi, jaddanbai, begum aara and husnabanu asked me if i could introduce them to gandharva's musical style, he recalls. although he didn't study past elementary school, mr gokhale acquired intimate knowledge of printing technology from hands-on experience in pune's various printing presses during the 1930s.

it was this knowledge that took him to baroda as an instructor. but it was his cross-country running that introduced him to the british governors who used to traditionally come to pune in the monsoons. in 1929 the then british governor invited me to be his trainer, he recalls. after that, till 1936, four british governors - except governor hotson - used to practice cross-country running with me from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. gradually, i started teaching them marathi and hindi in the afternoons, he reveals. i swore not to mention this secret. the freedom struggle had gathered momentum, and i realised that if i disclosed my association with british governors, the freedom-fighters would target me! even my wife realised just a couple of years ago what i had been up to in those days, mr gokhale adds. he says that when he accompanied his royal master, sayajirao gaikwad, to the berlin olympics in 1936, they returned via london and who should be at the airport to meet him but the former governors much to the astonishment of sayajirao. so, the next time you see an unremarkable nonagenarian in pune, you could be looking at a former marathoner.

पुण्याच्या पेठांमध्ये असले अचाट भिडू राहून गेले आहेत की आज त्यांचे किस्से सांगितले तर लोकांना ते दंतकथा वाटतात. असेच एक आजोबा पेरूगेट पोलीस चौकीजवळ साठ वर्ष पेपर विकायचे. टिपिकल पांढरा शर्ट, चड्डी, तोंडावर कधी एकदा तुमचा अपमान करू असे भाव, काटक शरीर.

आता त्यांचं वैशिष्ठ्य काय अस तुम्ही विचाराल तर त्याची लाईन खूप मोठी आहे, ऐकून तुम्हाला दम भरेल.

नाव महादेव काशिनाथ गोखले, जन्म १९०७ साली झाला असावा. राहायला सदाशिव पेठ पुणे. शिक्षण- चौथी व्यवसाय- बुक बाइंडीग आणि वर्तमानपत्र विकणे, छंद- अचाट गोष्टी करणे.

आता परवा पर्यंत म्हणजे २०१० पर्यंत ते भरतनाट्यमंदिर जवळच्या एका छोट्याशा दुकानात ते दिसायचे. म्हणजे काय तर  टिळकांच्या काळापासून ते मनमोहनसिंग यांचा काळ त्यांनी जवळून पाहिला.

महादेव गोखलेंना बाबुराव म्हणून ओळखत. तर हे बाबुराव रोज पहाटे 3.३० वाजता उठायचे. पेरूगेटजवळच्या आपल्या घरापासून धावायला सुरु करायचे ते थेट कात्रजमार्गे खेड-शिवापूर, तिथून डायरेक्ट सिंहगड  मग परत खडकवासला मार्गे पुण्यात पेरूगेटच्या दुकानात ९च्या ठोक्याला हजर. हा दिनक्रम वयाच्या २१ व्या वर्षी सुरु झाला ते ९० वर्षापर्यंत सुरूच होता.

सहज म्हणून घरातून फिरायला निघायचे आणि लोणावळाला जाऊन यायचे तेही पायी.

शीर्षासन करून फक्त दोन्ही हातावर पर्वती चढायचे तर कधी पाठमोरं चढायचे. आपल्या बायकोला पाठंगुळीवर घेऊन पर्वती चढायचा विक्रम तर ४३ वेळा वेळा केला होता.

 आता एवढा व्यायाम असेल तर खुराक पण तसाच हवा नां राव. नव्वद वर्ष पूर्ण केल्यावरही एकावेळी ९० जिलेब्या पैजेवर सहज फस्त करायचे. त्यांचे एक मित्र होते साताऱ्याचे तुळशीराम मोदी. ते त्यांना सकाळच्या नाश्त्याला खास एक किलो कंदी पेढे पाठवून द्यायचे. पुण्याच्या सुप्रसिद्ध काका हलवाई दुकानातून रोज एक किलो पेढे त्यांच्या घरी पोहचवले जायचे.

 
या अचाट भिडूच्या स्कीलचा वापर कोणी केला नसता तर नवल.
स्वातंत्र्यापूर्वीचा काळ होता. तेव्हा त्यांनी क्रॉसकंट्री मॅरेथोन स्पर्धेत २५७ मेडल मिळवले होते. त्यांची किर्ती ऐकून ४ ब्रिटीश अधिकारी त्यांच्याकडून ऑलिम्पिकसाठी ट्रेनिंग घ्यायचे. फावल्या वेळात त्यांना मराठी, हिंदी शिकवायचे.

पुढे त्यांना साठेबिस्कीट कंपनीमध्ये नोकरी लागली. साठे बिस्कीटचे मुख्यालय होते कराचीला. तर बाबुरावांना पावसाळ्याचे ४ महिने सोडले तर कराचीला आठ महिने नोकरीसाठी राहावं लागायचं. पण तिथेही त्यांची अंगातली रग शांत बसायची नाही. कराची-पुणे हा प्रवास ते सायकलवरून करायचे. तिथूनच त्यांनी मानसरोवरला सायकलप्रवास देखील केला होता.

पुण्यात असताना त्यांना बालगंधर्वांच्या गाण्याची आवड निर्माण झाली होती. ते स्वतः उत्कृष्ट तबला वाजवायचे.(आता बास की किती काय करणार)
मग बालगंधर्वांची गाणी ऐकण्यासाठी त्यांच्या कार्यक्रमाचा डोअरकीपर म्हणूनही नोकरी केली होती. तिथे त्यांची सगळी गाणी पाठ झाली. पुढे कराचीला आल्यावर सुप्रसिद्ध अभिनेत्री नर्गिसची आई म्हणजेच जद्दनबाई, बेगम आरा या त्याकाळच्या सर्वोत्तम गायिका गोखल्यांकडून गंधर्व स्टाईलचं गाण शिकण्यासाठी येत.

त्यांची किर्ती बडोद्याच्या सयाजीराव गायकवाड यांच्यापर्यंत पोहचली. बाबुराव गोखलेंना त्यांनी बडोद्याला प्रिंटींग शिकवण्याच्या नोकरीवर ठेऊन घेतलं. पण खरा उद्देश त्यांच्या धावण्याला वाव देणे हा होता.

१९३६ साली जेव्हा बर्लिनमध्ये ऑलिम्पिक होणार होते तेव्हा बडोद्याच्या महाराजांना हिटलरचे खास निमंत्रण होते. सयाजीराव जर्मनीला आपल्या सोबत बाबुराव गोखल्यांना घेऊन गेले.
स्पर्धेदरम्यान गोखल्यांची हिटलरशी ओळख करून दिली. अनवाणी रोज ६०-७० किलोमीटर धावणाऱ्या या अवलिया धावपटूवर हिटलर फुल इम्प्रेस झाला. त्याने गोखल्यांना जर्मनीत काही दिवस ठेवून घेतले. त्यांचा पाहुणचार केला होता. हिटलरशी त्याकाळात त्यांची चांगली मैत्री झाली होती.

पुढे ते जेव्हा लंडनला गेले तेव्हा त्यांच्या स्वागतासाठी त्यांचे जुने शिष्य व तेव्हाचे गव्हर्नर स्वतः आले. हे बघून बडोद्याचे महाराजसुद्धा आश्चर्यचकित झाले होते.

असा हा अवलिया माणूस. तारुण्यात गंमत म्हणून घरात चित्ता, अजगर असे प्राणी पाळायचा.
टिळकांचे नातू म्हणजेच माजी विधानसभा अध्यक्ष जयंतराव टिळक हे त्यांचे खास मित्र. त्यांच्यासोबत अनेकदा शिकारीसाठी रानोमाळ भटकन्ती केली होती. स्वातंत्र्यानंतर मात्र स्वतःचं पेपरविक्री आणि बुक बाईंडिंगच छोटसं दुकान उघडलं आणि आयुष्यभर ते संभाळल.

जवळपास १०३ वर्ष जगले. रोज जेवणाला १५ भाकऱ्या खाल्ल्या. आणि हे त्यांच्या शरीरयष्टीकडे बघून जाणवायचं देखील नाही.

आयुष्यात एकदाही दवाखान्याचे तोंडही बघितल नाही. त्यांच्या मृत्यू नंतर मेडिकल सर्टिफिकेट कुठून आणायचं हा प्रश्न त्यांच्या लेकीला आणि जावयला पडला होता.

 

ही कथा वाचली तरी आपल्याला वाटेल भिडू आपल्याला थापा मारतोय. मात्र आजही पेठेत गेले तर अनेक जण त्यांनी केलेल्या वेगवेगळ्या पराक्रमाचे साक्षीदार सापडतील. २००१ साली त्यांना प्रसिद्ध योगगुरु बिसी अय्यंगार, जेष्ठ गायिका धोंडूताई कुलकर्णी, संस्कृत पंडीत लक्ष्मणशास्त्री शेंडे यांच्यासोबत पुण्याचा मानाचा शारदा ज्ञानपीठ सन्मान देण्यात आला.

सुप्रसिद्ध सूत्रसंचालक सुधीर गाडगीळ यांनी त्यांच्या मृत्यूनंतर एका वर्तमानपत्रात श्रद्धांजलीपर लेख लिहिला होता त्यात या सगळ्याचा उल्लेख केला आहे.

There are so many idiots in Pune that if they tell their stories today, people think they are legends. One such grandfather used to sell paper near the Peruget police station for sixty years. Typical white shirt, shorts, expression that will insult you once in a while, sharp body.

Now if you ask what their feature is, its line is very long, you will be breathless to hear.

The name Mahadev Kashinath Gokhale must have been born in 1907. Sadashiv Peth to stay in Pune. Education- Fourth business- Book binding and selling newspapers, Hobbies- Doing things.

Until now, till 2010, he used to appear in a small shop near Bharatanatya Mandir. I mean, from the time of Tilak to the time of Manmohan Singh.

Mahadev knew Gokhale as Baburao. So this Baburao used to get up every morning at 3.30 am. He wanted to start running from his house near Perugate via Khed-Shivapur via Katraj, then directly to Sinhagad and then back via Khadakwasla to the Perugate shop in Pune at 9 o'clock. This routine started at the age of 21 and continued till the age of 90.

It was easy to walk around the house and come to Lonavla on foot.

I used to climb the mountain with both hands on my head and sometimes I used to climb backwards. He had set a record of climbing the mountain with his wife on his back 43 times.

 Now if there is so much exercise, the diet should be the same. Even after completing 90 years, it was easy to grab 90 jellies at a time. One of his friends was Tulshiram Modi of Satara. He would send them a special one kilogram of candy for breakfast. From the well-known Kaka Halwai shop in Pune, one kg of pede was delivered to his house every day.

 
Surprisingly, no one used the skill of this indomitable bhidu.
It was the pre-independence period. He had won 257 medals in cross country marathon at that time. Hearing of his fame, 4 British officers used to take training from him for the Olympics. In his spare time, he used to teach them Marathi and Hindi.

Later he got a job in Sathe Biscuit Company. Sathe Biscuits was headquartered in Karachi. Baburao had to stay in Karachi for eight months for work except for four months of monsoon. But even there, the veins in his body do not want to sit still. He used to travel from Karachi to Pune by bicycle. From there he also cycled to Mansarovar.

While in Pune, he developed a fondness for Balgandharva songs. He used to play the best tabla himself.
He also worked as a doorkeeper for Balgandharva's songs. All his songs were recited there. Later, when he came to Karachi, he came to learn Gandharva style songs from the mother of the famous actress Nargis, namely Jaddanbai, Begum Ara, the best singer of that time.

His fame reached Sayajirao Gaikwad of Baroda. He hired Baburao Gokhale to teach printing in Baroda. But the real purpose was to give them space to run.

When the Olympics were to be held in Berlin in 1936, the Maharaja of Baroda received a special invitation from Hitler. Sayajirao took Baburao Gokhale with him to Germany.
During the competition, Gokhale was introduced to Hitler. Hitler was impressed by this avaliya runner who ran 60-70 km barefoot every day. He kept Gokhale in Germany for a few days. He was hospitable. He had a good friendship with Hitler at that time.

Later, when he went to London, his old disciples and the then Governor himself came to greet him. The Maharaja of Baroda was also surprised to see this.

Such a wonderful man. In his youth, he used to keep leopards and pythons in his house for fun.
Tilak's grandson, former Assembly Speaker Jayantrao Tilak, is his special friend. Ranomal had often wandered with them for hunting. After independence, however, he opened his own small shop selling paper and book binding and managed it for the rest of his life.

Lived about 103 years. I ate 15 loaves of bread every day. And you don't even have to look at their bodies.

I have never seen a hospital in my life. After his death, the question of where to get the medical certificate had to be left to Leki and Jawai.

 

Even if you read this story, you will think that Bhidu is beating you. But even today, if you go to Peth, you will find many witnesses of their various feats. In 2001, he was awarded the prestigious Sharda Jnanpith of Pune along with famous yoga guru BC Iyengar, senior singer Dhondutai Kulkarni, Sanskrit Pandit Laxmanshastri Shende.

Well known presenter Sudhir Gadgil wrote a tribute article in a newspaper after his death in which all this is mentioned.