Love, compassion, patience, and forgiveness are natural, inherent qualities of Hindu culture. Within this culture, the sacred glory of Saurashtra shines—Mount Girnar, the great pilgrimage site Shatrunjay Hill, the Shetalganga river, and the divine environment of the lions of Gir forest.On the soil of Saurashtra, graceful women, brave warriors, generous donors, and enlightened saints have always preferred to take birth.

Long ago, the sacred Saraswati River emerged from the Himalayas, flowed through Himachal Pradesh and into Rajasthan. With a depth of around 150 feet and miles-wide banks, it continued its enormous flow and visited Somnath Mahadev before meeting the sea. After a major earthquake and geological shifts, the river disappeared into the underground cavities beneath Saurashtra’s land. Across Rajasthan, only its winding sandy traces remained on the surface. Beneath the earth, layers of yellow, black and white buttery-smooth stone emerged.

People born in this landscape are mountain-like—tall, handsome, modest, and courageous. It is no surprise that the world-famous jewellers of India, the Marwaris, hold the highest self-respect among Rajasthanis. From this stone—the smooth “aras” stone—houses, temples, and holy idols are carved. In the scorching desert heat, this cool stone protects people from unbearable temperatures. The cities that once stood along the banks of the Sindhu River are among India’s most important archaeological and cultural treasures.

Rajasthan has given birth to heroic figures such as Maharana Pratap, Saint Meerabai, the great donor Bhamasha, the devotee-couple Jesal–Toral, and Ramdev Pir of Pokaran. Many Kshatriya clans living in Gujarat also originally came from Rajasthan.

Among Indians, the lineage of saints is considered a special blessing from God. Those born in these families bring with them a greater share of spiritual duty than worldly ambition.

In Mewar, Rajasthan, in the village of Mevasa, lived the Ramanandi saint Pujya Aarti Dasji’s. Because of religious hardship and difficulties earning a livelihood, he left his homeland and eventually settled for many years in Vallabhipur in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. At the Ahir Chowk of Vallabhipur, Aarti Dasji established a temple of Hanumanji. We do not know how long he stayed there, but his son was Ramdasji, his grandson Lakshmandasji, and his great-grandsons were Atmaram, Narandas, and Hiradasji. Hiradasji’s second son was Bhaktiram—born from the womb of his mother Shivkunwarba. This same Bhaktiram is the one we now respectfully call Bajarangdasji.

As the saying goes: “Like flowing rivers and travelling saints, goodness spreads everywhere.” Aarti Dasji’s family eventually moved and lived for many years in Lakhanaka village near Vallabhipur. There is currently no reliable information about Bhaktiram’s elder or younger brothers’ families.

Near Bhavnagar, to the south of Adhewada village, lies the village of Malpar—this was the maternal home of Shivkunwarba. When she was in the late stage of pregnancy, she set out from Lakhanaka to Malpar by foot. Since the distance was long, labour pains began before she could reach her parents’ home. She barely managed to reach the small shrine of Jhanjhariya Hanumanji.

Nearby, women washing clothes at the riverbank and an experienced midwife named Doodhima noticed her condition. The elderly women comforted Shivkunwarba, took her into a small hut near the shrine, and prepared for childbirth. For a child to be born in a Ramanandi saint’s lineage, and that too in the presence of Hanumanji, is considered an extraordinary blessing. In that blessed moment, Shivkunwarba gave birth—“God Himself has arrived,” they said. The first to rejoice were Doodhima and the women who helped with the delivery. They completed the care and sent word to Malpar. The family women arrived and took mother and child to Malpar early the next morning.

The nephew born into such divine fortune was named Bhaktiram. His birth is believed to have occurred around 1906 CE.

After staying at her parents’ home for some time, Shivkunwarba returned to Lakhanaka with infant Bhaktiram. In those days, education in villages was neither common nor considered essential. Unlike the Gaekwad state, education was not compulsory in Bhavnagar state. Still, Bhaktiram was admitted to the dusty village school of Lakhanaka at around age seven.

His study was irregular and uninterested. Seeing this, his father Hiradasji sent him to study at the Shihor ashram of Pujya Monghibaa. But even after changing places, his behaviour did not improve.

Every morning, while Monghibaa prepared a garland for Radha-Krishna after her bath, Bhaktiram would mischievously rush in, touch the garland, or cling to her, forcing her to bathe again before worship. Yet he continued his playful behaviour.

Finally, Monghibaa sent a message to Lakhanaka, requesting Hiradasji to take him back. But before his father arrived, Bhaktiram slipped away from the ashram and went to Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad.

At Jagannath Temple, he found tremendous joy among the khakhi (Ramanandi) monks.
There he trained well in stick combat (lathi) and physical exercise. Until age 30–32, he challenged many wrestlers to matches.

After much searching, the family eventually found him at the Jagannath Ashram. Since childhood, Bhaktiram often wandered to unknown places without telling anyone—his father lived in constant worry.

According to hereditary law, in animals and humans, the traits of ancestors reappear strongly in the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th generations. Bhaktiram belonged to the fifth generation of Aarti Dasji. Aarti Dasji himself was an independent, powerful Ramanandi saint with the proud Rajput spirit of Rajasthan.The same intense nature appeared in Bhaktiram.

It is said he studied only up to standard two. He preferred freedom and saintly wandering far more than formal education. He learned just enough to read, write, and sign his name.

Like the young Hanuman, no ashram teacher accepted him easily—meeting such a storm-like child face-to-face was intimidating. Just as Queen Anjani had to personally request for young Hanuman to be accepted into an ashram, the same patterns appeared.

Instead of studying, young Hanuman enjoyed mischief—disturbing rituals, moving sacred items, and overturning objects—so too did Bhaktiram’s restless energy overflow. Such behaviour, in mythology, earned Hanuman a sage’s curse, after which he promised to use his strength only to protect and help others. His spirit awakened instantly whenever called.

Similarly, Bhaktiram had little interest in study, scriptures, worship rituals, beads, or social customs. He never engaged in flattery or pretence. His nature resembled that of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel—independent, straightforward, unshakeable.

A self-governed nature is like solid gold—it remains precious whether raw or shaped by struggle into jewellery. Such people uplift society and bury injustice wherever they go.

Bhaktiram had a strong, handsome body, expressive eyes, and a powerful mountain-like voice that commanded attention. He disliked dependency and helplessness. Though not highly educated, he knew Gujarati, Hindi, and Marathi.

At a young age, his mother Shivkunwarba passed away. Her loss deepened his inner restlessness and emotional turmoil. Though his father tried very hard to fill this void, Bhaktiram could not settle easily in family or society.

Being born in a saintly lineage, his father urged him to take up temple service and religious duties. But Bhaktiram refused, growing increasingly agitated. Feeling misunderstood by his father, he became distant. A natural dispassion arose in him, and eventually he left home and travelled toward South Gujarat.

By divine coincidence, one day the khakhi monks camped near the Auranga River in Valsad with their elephants. Villagers—men, women, and children—rushed out to see the elephants and meet the monks. In those days, giving raw food and alms to monks was customary. The travelling Ramanandi saints offered spiritual guidance wherever they went, sustaining their ashrams with these donations.

At that time, village entertainment consisted of bhavai, performers, dancers, traditional plays, garba, and devotional singing.

There were hardly any radios, televisions, or vehicles—only in big cities. Although India’s religious heritage was vast, common people knew very little about scriptures, sages, and stories. The Ramanandi monks taught mainly elderly men from texts such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Gita, Bhagavat, Puranas, and Vedanta. Women and youth rarely had such opportunities.

Today, in independent India—free from sectarian restrictions—knowledge of earth, sky, ocean, nature, and the universe is accessible to everyone.