Saints

Saints Archive

Explore our rich collection of saints from the Hindu tradition and beyond.

266 published saints

1928-2015

Sadguru Sri Rajyalakshmi Devi

The extraordinary spiritual journey of the Great Yogini Sadguru Sri Rajyalakshmi Devi, from a young college student hailing from a Rich zamindari family in Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, to becoming a realized Spiritual master, a revered Guru to countless devotees globally, while spreading the spiritual awareness of the yogic path and the highest state of samadhi, in India and abroad. Sadguru Sri Rajyalakshmi Devi was instrumental in setting up a number of yoga research institutes in the country and helped in curing many difficult physical and mental health conditions by the practice of yoga alone. These unique efforts resulted in wide spread international acclaim and numerous awards for Sadguru Sri Rajyalakshmi Devi as she participated in many international conferences on yoga and spirituality. In 2015 she passed away. He was involved in the spiritual education of women, the study of the Bhagavad Gita, etc. Women also need to be educated. One can be It is possible to be spiritual in one's home. She was married, her husband travelled, and she taught women every night. She had eight children. Her family lives in Hyderabad. The main thesis of her teachings is, "We are never alone, God is with us, if we breathe, then someone is near."

Karnataka

samadhi 1720

Sant Sri Morar Saheb

Morar Saheb (1758-1849) was a saint poet of the Ravi-Bhan sect. He is best known for his devotional poems "Paraj". [ 1 ] After his name, Khambhaliya is called the Khambhaliya of Morar . Morar Saheb was born in Samvat 1800 in the Tharad (Marwar) Rajput (Vaghela) community. He was the king of Deesa State. He was a prince of the Vaghela court. His original name was Mansinhji. Awakening in his mind, he left home and took initiation from Ravi Saheb . In 1842 AD, i.e. around 1886 AD, he established a Gurugadi in the village of Khambhaliya in Jamnagar district and remained there until his death and took Samadhi there. Apart from his main disciple named Hothi, he had many disciples like Charan Saheb, Daluram, Dul Bharam, Karaman, Jivabhagat Khatri, Dharmashi Bhagat. [ 1 ] He has composed verses such as 'Baramasi', 'Chintmani' (composed of 43 lines in Dashashwari verse), Gurumahima (composed of 24 lines in Chopai and Bhujangi verse), Kundaliya, which inspires dispassion and devotion, and verses praising gods such as Krishna, Shiva, and Rama. In addition, he has also composed hymns of love and devotion describing yoga, enlightenment, dispassion and detachment. The hymns he composed in the 'Paraj' genre are considered to be of the best quality. Not satisfied with his happiness, he set out to search for the truth. Suddenly, he met the then enlightened saint Ravi Saheb in Vadodara and from the king, Ravi Saheb's disciple Rajaj Morar was reborn. Morar Saheb's karmabhoomi was Khambhaliya village in Dhrol taluka of Jamnagar district (now it is known as Morar Saheb's Khambhaliya.) Currently, the tombs of Morar Saheb and Ravi Saheb are located in this village. Morar Saheb took his samadhi in 1905.

Gujarat

1850-1910

Sri Gajanan Maharaj

The early life history of Gajanan Maharaj is obscure; his birth date is unknown. He is said to have made his first appearance on 23 February 1878 in Shegaon.[3] His devotees believe him as incarnation of Lord Ganesha and Lord Dattatreya.[citation needed] Biruduraju Ramaraju has tried to establish in his collection of books called "Andhra Yogulu" that he was a Telangana Brahmin. Shri Dasbhargav, a Shegaon native, has written "Shri Gajanan Maharaj Charitra Kosh". This book mentions different version of Shri Gajanan Maharaj's origin from that explained by Ramaraju. Shri Dasbhargav is said to have met Shri Swami Shivanand Saraswati, who was 129 years old at Nashik. Shri Swami told the author that he was Telangi Brahmin who had met Shri Sadguru Gajanan Maharaj in 1887 in Nashik. He also clearly told that after Shri Gajanan Maharaj appeared in Shegaon and remained there, he had visited Maharaj 25–30 times. During these visits Shivanand Swami declared that he used visit Shri Dadasaheb Khaparde in Amravati and stay with Khaparde family. Thus, Shri Shivanand Swami is none other than the Telangi Brahmin whose mention has been made in the foreword of "Shri Gajanan Vijay" on his own admission. Later Shivanand Saraswati left to perform penance in Himalaya and was never spotted again (refer pages 362–365 of the above book for the detailed conversation of the author and Shri Shivanand Swami along with their photograph). Argument can, therefore, be made that Shri Gajanan Maharaj was not Telangi Brahmin as explained by Ramaraju and others. Some speculate that he might have in fact hailed from Sajjanghad, (which was the place where Sant Samartha had lived). Das Ganu Maharaj has written a 21 chapter biography, "Shri Gajanan Vijay," of Gajanan Maharaj in Marathi. Contemporaries of Gajanan Maharaj identified him by several names like Gin Gine Buwa, Ganpat Buwa, and Awaliya Baba. In summary, it may be unlikely that Shri Gajanan Maharaj's early life will ever be known.

Shegaon, Buldhana District, Maharashtra, India

samadhi 1948

Sri Sevagiri Maharaj

Shri Sevagiri Maharaj was born in the Rajput family at Junagadh in Gujarat . At the age of 7 , Shri Purnagiri Maharaj started teaching the boy . He gave the knowledge of Yoga , Asanas , Pranayama , Meditation , Samadhi etc Similarly he taught the practice of sanyasa too . After visiting many pilgrimage places , both Purnagiri Maharaj and Sevagiri Maharaj came to live on Mount Girnar in Junagadh . After confirming that the disciple was ready , he sent Sevagiri Maharaj to Pusegaon . He created social awareness in people . He helped people in their developments like digging wells , building dams , planting trees , spreading education etc . He took samadhi on 10th Jan 1948 .

Pusegaon

1826-1963

Sri Shivpuri Baba

Born in 1826. He was born in Nambudari Family, Malabar, Kerala, South India .Mastered the four vedas. Propigated the path of Swadarma (Right living). Died in January 1963. Shivapuri Baba was born in a Brahmin family in Kerala. His grandfather, a famous astrologer, announced that the boy would become a great sannyasin (renunciate or wandering monk) and became his guru until about 1840. He lost his parents at the age of 9, so his grandfather Achyutam who was a well known Astrologer in the court of Tipu Sultan and a reputed jeweller and exporter of spices to various countries, looked after him. The family was very learned as well; even the staff working in the house for service used to talk in Sanskrit, which was their family language. When Achyutam retired and wanted to spend the rest of his life in a forest doing his Spiritual Sadhana, SB accompanied him. He stayed with him till his death. Thereafter, he enter deep into the Narmada Forest and started his quest for God. After nearly 25 years of severe penance, he got God Realization, the final destination which, Shivapuri Baba said, every human being must reach. Then, he set out to travel, as wished by his Grandfather, for the great journey: The round of the world, (80% on foot), and fortified his knowledge about this world.  Shivapuri Baba died on January 28, 1963. His final message was: "Live Right Life, Worship God. That is all. Nothing more." He took a drink of water then said "Gaya" (I'm gone), laid down on his right side and passed away. His teaching of right living involved duty, morality, and worship. The sole purpose of human life was to find the Ultimate Truth, or God, and to this end a certain code of life was required—a spiritual, moral, and intellectual order. More information: http://www.shivapuri-baba.com/

Nepal

1815-1916

Sri Sombari Baba

Place of birth: a small town Pind Dadankhan Maha Samadhi: 1916 Sampradaya: most likely Nathsampradaya The word Sombari means Monday and Sombari Baba got his name because he always gave food to those who visited him during the Mondays. He lived a selfless life and had very few possessions. His only possessions were a small cloth bag, a tiger skin and a chillum (pipe). He radiated an enormous peacefulness and kindness. He requested nothing from anyone else. He never preached, never wrote any books; instead, his way of living was an expression of the highest spiritual doctrine. He spent most of his time in Kakrighat during the summer and in Padampuri during the winter. In Padampuri it became very cold during the winter that the nearby river was frozen to ice and there were several meters of snow on the ground. Nevertheless, he wore nothing else but a small piece of cloth and even refused to let the devotees build a simple shelter to protect him from rain and snow. He always radiated happiness and love and never showed any anger. All negative feelings and thoughts vanished in his presence and were replaced by a sense of divinity.Sombari Baba knew the past, the present, and the future. If someone came to him with a problem, they did not have to say anything.Another miracle that he performed was that there was always enough food no matter how many people visited him. Even though it should have been impossible that the food would be enough for everyone, there was always food left and Sombari Baba always ate last of all. Other saints showed great respect for him and he’s regarded as one of the highest and purest saints who ever lived in the area. He was a devotee of Shiva and he created this Shiva temple here. Sombari baba never met NeemKaroli baba (who lived after him) but he invited him here with his divine powers.He, therefore, came to meditate in this place, as did many other saints (including Vivekanenda). NeemKaroli baba felt called to take care of this place and created a temple for Hanuman on the same spot. Story related to Sombari Baba: An English explorer and colonizer who was traveling to this place decided to set up camp at Kakrighat. He had a whole entourage of servants with him. He started fishing in the evening, and after that he was disturbed all night by spirits and ghosts. The next morning he explained to his servant what had happened during the night. He informs him that this is where Sombari Baba took his Samadhi and that he could have offended him by fishing.The English colonizer therefore wanted to go see Sombari Baba. Sombari baba was surrounded by NagasBabas (devotees of Devi naked and covered with ashes) who were very angry when they saw the Englishman coming because they knew what he had done. Baba asked the Nagas to calm down and told the Englishman that he cannot behave like that without consequences. He asked him to go and feed the fish in the river instead of fishing them. He went there, but the fish didn't want his food. Astonished, He came back to Baba who said to him: “Yes, look at how you treat everyone here: your servants, the fish, the people, you treat them all like your slaves”. He asked him to return and to feed the fish with love. The Englishman went back and lovingly fed them. Not only did the fish eat all the food but they even jumped out of the water to touch him.

Almora

1908-2023

Sri Sri 1008 Ramgulam Das Maharaj

Maharaj from Yogamaya mandir. 47 years back he came to Vraj, he did Go (cow) seva and parikrama and then Gopidas maharaj told him to come here and serve Yogamaya. He could predict that person will come 2-4 days before. He had healing and other siddhis. His Guru is Ramgula Patiawali. Contact Person: Vishnu, pujari of Yogamaya mandir Phone: +967 -21 0-5 219 Birth: 1908 Place of birth: Jarkand, Bihar Maha Samadhi: 2 September 2023, he was 115 years old.

Deeg

1842-1930

Sri Sri 1008 Sri Dadaji Dhuniwaley (Sri Keshavanandji Maharaj)

One of the greatest saints of India, he roamed all over India and in particular the central part of India in the 19th and 20th centuries. His lakhs of devotees all over the world strongly believe him to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Many devotees, who had the honour of serving him would tell others of having seeing ShriDadaji in all his might and glory as Lord Shiva! Even today, the descendants of these devotees passionately recall these sightings made by their grandparents. In the 18th century, a ‘jamaat of sadhus’ (group of holy men) led by Shri Gauri Shankerji Maharaj used to do 'parikrama' (circumambulate) of the river Narmada. They would walk the entire length of the river, on both its banks without crossing it anywhere in between. Shri Gauri hankerji Maharaj did ‘tapasya’ (austerity) and prayed to ‘Maa’ (Mother) Narmada that he be given ‘darshan’ of (appearance by) his 'pita ji' (father, Lord Shiva). When he finished 12 such ‘parikramas’ ‘Maa’ Narmada appeared to him and told him that the teenaged ‘sanyasi’ in his ‘jamaat’, Keshav (Dadaji Maharaj), is Lord Shiva himself! With his lifelong desire about to come true, Gauri Shankerji went to see Dadaji Maharaj and he indeed saw him as Lord Shiva. When he could not believe his eyes, Lord Shiva asked Gauri Shankerji to touch him and believe it for himself. Dadaji Maharaj always carried with him a ‘danda’ (stick). Wherever he went, he would light his ‘dhuni’ (holy fire) and sit next to it. Everywhere, people would flock in their thousands to seek blessings from this saint, who would always be in ‘digambarroop’ (without clothes). Within no time a large congregation of people started to follow him everywhere he went. Dadaji maharaj had a very peculiar way of doing ‘jankalyan’ (people were relieved of their troubles and had their wishes fulfilled). He would abuse people and hit them with his stick. Although everyone wished for it, only the lucky ones would have the honour of being abused or hit by him. People from all walks of life would come to seek his blessings. He performed countless miracles. Phone:+91 70789 55889 Shri Dhuniwala Ashram Public Trust, Dada Darbar Rd, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh 450001 Phone: 0733 224 3108 Birth: around 1842 Place of birth: near Narmadariver,Madhya Pradesh Maha Samadhi: December 1930, Khandwa

Madhya Pradesh

1845-2013

Sri Sri Hanuman Das Babaji

Lineage Ramanandi Lal Shri Gurusthan / Ayodhya Agara - Ram Gigambar Brahmachari Hanuman das ji maharaj Gopalkar ashram - name of the place where he used to live Address: Vrindavan parikrama Marg He is from Jhasi, Madhya Pradesh He left home when he was 13 years old and Locals are saying he passed when he was 186 years old. He took Samadhi in 2013. After leaving home he travelled by foot around India and then settled in Vrindavan, on parikrama marg, nobody can remember now when it happened. Many saints travel India like this. Baba himself could not remember his age exactly. But from the memories that he was saying, they made conclusions about his age. In Jhasi when he was young there was lady king Maharani Lakshmi Bai, he saw her also. He used to say the story how he cooked for Mahatma Gandi. Kanheya - the servant in the ashram, who is now around 30 years old and he is born in Vrindavan, says that he knew baba from small, also his dad knew baba from small, and his grandfather also knew the baba. When Neem Karoli came to Vrindavan, Hanuman das became his friend and he helped him to build his ashram. Neem Karoli baba used to always tell his devotees to go and receive blessings for Hanuman Baba also. Baba's teachings was very simple: He was saying do Go Mata seva and had a small goshala himself Do Hanuman prayers every day He used to talk to Thakurji every day and night and tell others which lila they are playing at the moment. Espessially in the last years of his life he was all the time absorbed in lila. He never asked for donations from anyone and never begged. One amazing story of his relationships with his Laddu Gopal deity One day a thief has stolen Baba's Chel Gopalji from his temple. He wanted to sell Gopalji and get some money for his family. SO he went around on parikrama at Vrindavan, Govardhan, in Gokul, but could not sell the Deity. Disappointed he came back home, put Gopalji in the bag and pushed him into the shelf in his house. At night Gopal started talking to the wife of the thief. She was in bed when she hear a tiny voice saying: "I m suffocated here, take me out". Then lady went to the direction of the voice, found and released laddu Gopal ji. She understood that Gopalji was from Baba. But she did not dare to return Him openly, as then everybody would know that her husband has stolen Him. So she went and dug a hole and put him inside earth near the ashram of Baba. Then Gopalji spoke to baba to come and dig him out. Baba heard him at night and he called out his people, and told them that his Gopal ji is in the earth near the gate of the ashram. So they thought Baba was cockoo, as he was searching for Gopal the whole previous day, so he must have gone mad. How Gopal would get into the ground near the gate by Himself? But the started to dig, and they found Him very fast. So Baba did not say anything more, but later on people found out what happenned. After that Baba put chain on Gopal, so He can not be stolen or run away. His name is Chel Bihari, which means the one who makes lots of fun. Baba used to speak to HIm and He used to always answer. And He used to so mischeaf with Baba also. Baba used refuse any donation for his comfort only for Goshala

Parikrama Marg, Vrindavan

samadhi 1958

Sri Swami Narayan Barah Dadaji Siddha Purushadas

Swami Narajan Ji arrived here in 1922. He settled in the cave behind here and lit his sacred fire. This great soul was always here as was his fire. He was able to stay inside there and meditate for 24 hours, even for 10-15 days at a time, in the same yogic position of the urti mudra. He had special powers and he did miraculous things. One day hisdevotees whispered to each other: “It would be nice if the Baba chose a disciple.” In that same moment he, who almost never spoke, understood and said: “My disciple will have to be without fingers and toes.” One day a Yogi came on foot from Nepal, who was missing some of his fingers and toes and by his own choice he did not speak. Narayan Swami recognized him as his own disciple and gave him the name Gori Shankar Giri, also called Nepali Baba or Nepali Dada, that is, Nepalese Saint Grandpa. Phone: +91 95573 38457

Jodhpur

Dates in review

Sri Swami Satchidananda Vishudda Deva Maharaj

He was born in a Brahmin family of Kashmir. He completed his high school from Kashmir and migrated to Delhi for his further higher studies. He did MSc in physics and later again he did MSc in psychology. He also studied Vedas, Vedanta, yoga and ayurveda from Rajouri Garden, a Vedic institute from Delhi under guidance of his Guru VIiddhyananda Vidheha and later he got initiation in sannyasa Order and travelled caves and mountains meditating and got self-realised and god realized and accepted his Name as Visuddha Deva meaning pure soul. Travelling different parts of world and sharing his eternal wisdom of god realizations he entered Nepal in 1982 and got Established in Nepal. He formed Hanshada Yoga Ashram and wrote a book " Charitra Vigyan". His main Teaching was " Understanding in the mind, responsibility in the shoulder, and sincerity in the heart". He taught his disciples hatha yoga to maintain balance between body, mind and spirit and was working on it till he left his body.

Nepal

samadhi 1922

Sri Yerriswamy

Swamiji appears to have been a Veerashaiva Aradhya. His name appears to have been either Nanjudiah or Nanjaish. It is said that he lived for some time with his wife and children, became a graduate, held high office and gave up worldly life to become a sage. One report is that his ancestors were form the Nizam`s territories and that he came and settled with his relatives in Mysore for educational facilities. After completing his education, he must have become either a Magistrate or a Deputy Commissioner. Some say that Shri yerrithatha lived for some time at Kalyanadurga and that Swamiji’s wife and others came from Chikkanayaknahalli to take him back. But on realising that it was futile to change the mind of the Swamiji, she returned. He is credited with having performed many miracles while at Uruvukonda. He used to dive in the tank and swim at will in the wells. He would eat only when somebody offered him. But again he would go down the water and come out whenever it pleased him. He did not care for his outward appearance or was he mindful of the cloth he was wearing, though he radiated light on all that came near him. The Swamiji shuffled Off his moral coils at 10 O’clock in the morning on the fourth day of the month of Jyesta Suddha in the year of Dundhubhi corresponding to 1922 A.D. Birth date and place: Tarapeetha west Bengal Maha Samadhi date and place: At 10 O’clock in the morning on the fourth day of the month of Jyesta Suddha in the year of Dundhubhi corresponding to 1922 A.D.

Karnataka

samadhi 1982

Sri Yogiraj Dr. Ramnath Aghori Baba

Yogiraj Dr. Ramnath Aghori Baba was a very well known, feared and much-admired Guru from the Nath Aghori lineage in India. He was born in the royal family of Pahur near Tarapith in West Bengal, who, later at the age of sixteen took sannyasa or asceticism. Gambhirnath Baba initiated him under an ancient peepul tree, where he was incorporated into the Kanpatha segment of Gorakhnathis. He lived to till age 117 years. Yogiraj Dr Ramnath Baba as he was fondly known then and now was always interested in spirituality and for more than a century was the head of the Nath Akhara in Gorakhpur. And he always visited the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, every year, stayed on for a month to celebrate the festival of Shivaratri and was held in a great honour by the various types of Shaiva sadhus and by the Nepali devotees there.

Nepal