Thousands admired him, obeyed him and above all held him in the highest reverence. His name was Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Born on 2 April 1781 (Chaitra sud 9, VS 1837) in the village of Chhapaiya, near Ayodhya in North India, he was known as Ghanshyam during his child-hood. His birth was a blessed light that had dawned on earth. At the age of eight, he was given the sacred thread. Extraordinarily brilliant and intelligent, he completed the study of Sanskrit grammar, the Vedas and other Sanskrit Shastras within three years. When aged only ten he defeated learned scholars in a religious debate at Kashi.

At the tender age of 11, Ghanshyam left home renouncing the world on 29 June 1792. He was known as Nilkanth Varni during his vicharan or travels. He went to the forests of the Himalayas and reached Pulhashram, where he performed severe austerities for six months. In the course of his Himalayan pilgrimage, he met Gopal Yogi from whom he studied and mastered ashtanga yoga. For seven years, he travelled barefoot across the length and breadth of India visiting various holy shrines. On 21 August 1799, his travels came to an end when he arrived at Loj in Gujarat, where there was an ashram of Ramananda Swami. There Nilkanth met Muktanand Swami, the chief disciple of Ramananda Swami. After a few months, he met Ramananda Swami in Piplana and accepted him as his spiritual guru.

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