Vinoba Bhave
Gandhian leader of the Bhoodan land-gift movement
- Lived
- 87 yrs
- 1895 – 1982
- Works listed
- 1
- Book
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 1983
- Profile views
- 7
- 0 followers
Vinoba Bhave was a Gandhian social reformer and spiritual teacher who walked across India for years asking landowners to give land to the landless — the Bhoodan movement. He was the first recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award and was awarded the Bharat Ratna after his death in 1982.
Biography
With Gandhi
Vinoba Bhave left college in 1916 to join Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram and became one of his closest followers. In 1940 Gandhi chose him as the first individual satyagrahi in the protest against India’s involvement in the Second World War, and he was imprisoned several times.
Bhoodan
In April 1951, at Pochampally in present-day Telangana, a landowner offered land for landless families after hearing Vinoba speak. This began the Bhoodan (land gift) movement: Vinoba walked across India for many years, collecting several million acres of donated land.
Teacher
He was a scholar of many languages and religions. His talks on the Bhagavad Gita, given in prison, were published as Talks on the Gita, and he lived at his ashram in Paunar, Maharashtra.
Honours
In 1958 he became the first recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership. He died at Paunar on 15 November 1982 and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1983.
Timeline
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1895
Born in Gagode, Kolaba district, Bombay Presidency (now Maharashtra)
-
1916
Joins Gandhi’s ashram
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1940
First individual satyagrahi
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1951
Bhoodan movement begins
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1958
First Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership
-
1982
Dies at Paunar
-
1983
Bharat Ratna
-
1982
Died, aged 87
Notable works
-
—
Talks on the Gita Book
Awards and honours
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Ramon Magsaysay Award
1958
-
Bharat Ratna
1983 · Posthumous.
Did you know?
-
1
He walked across India for years to collect land for the landless.
-
2
Gandhi chose him as the first individual satyagrahi.
-
3
He knew many Indian and foreign languages.
Connections
Related people
-
Mahatma Gandhi
Politics & Leadership · Leader of India’s independence movement and pioneer of non-violent resistance
Mentor
-
Jayaprakash Narayan
Politics & Leadership · Freedom fighter who led the movement against the Emergency
Fellow Sarvodaya worker
-
Baba Amte
Activism & Humanitarian · Social worker who cared for people affected by leprosy
Fellow Gandhian
Frequently asked
Who is Vinoba Bhave?
Vinoba Bhave was a Gandhian social reformer and spiritual teacher who walked across India for years asking landowners to give land to the landless — the Bhoodan movement. He was the first recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award and was awarded the Bharat Ratna after his death in 1982.
When did Vinoba Bhave die?
Vinoba Bhave died on 15 November 1982 at the age of 87.
Where is Vinoba Bhave from?
Vinoba Bhave was born in Gagode, Kolaba district, Bombay Presidency (now Maharashtra).
What is Vinoba Bhave known for?
Vinoba Bhave is best known for The Bhoodan movement; being Gandhi’s first individual satyagrahi; Bharat Ratna.
What awards has Vinoba Bhave received?
Notable honours include Ramon Magsaysay Award (1958), Bharat Ratna (1983).
References
- Vinoba Bhave — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Vinoba Bhave — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Vinoba Bhave — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Vinoba Bhave — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Vinoba Bhave (Q13021) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Vinoba Bhave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 2 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Vinoba Bhave.” TrackFame, last updated 3 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/vinoba-bhave
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