Srikrishna Chaitanya     Srikrishna Chaitanya was born at Nabadwip Dham, district Nadia in West Bengal on the day of Holi festival in the month of March, 1486. His father’s name was Pandit Jagannath Mishra and mother’s name was Sachi Devi. His nick name was Nimai and he was the second son of his parents. Their first son Biswarup who renounced this worldly life and became a sannyasi, who came to...

Prabhu Nityananda   Prabhu Nityananda was born in a remote village named Ekachakra, Birchandrapur, within the Rampurhat sub-division at Birbhum district (in West Bengal) on 12th January, 1473. His father’s name was Mukunda Bandopadhyay (Harai Pandit), who was very religious minded and well versed in the Sanskrit language and shastras. His mother’s name was Padmavati Devi. His nick name was Kuber. Kuber was attracted to Sadhus and Saints since his boyhood....

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism. Sikhism is a form of Hinduism with the evident influence of Islam on it. Sikhism accepts the Hindu doctrines of karma and sansar, Maya and Moksha.  In shares with Hinduism faith in the efficacy of the holy name and the grace of the Guru. Nanak was born at Nankana village in the district of Gujranwala near Lahore (now in Pakistan)...

Sankardeva   Once Sri Ramakrishna said: “Sometimes God acts as the magnet and the devotee as the needle. God attracts the devotee to Himself. Again, sometimes the devotee acts as the magnet and God as the needle. Such is the attraction of the devotee that God comes to him, unable to resist his love”. And such was the love of Sankaradeva that Lord Krishna or Sri Jagannathprabhu of Puri could not...

Haridass   Bhakta Haridass was born in a Muslim family at a remote village under Khulna District (now in Bangladesh) on 1450. His parent’s names are not known. About his childhood very little is known. At the age of. eighteen he came to Shantipur in Nadia Dist. (W.B.), the famous for Vaishnava-cult and met the great Vaishanava Acharya Sri Advaita. He was initiated by Sri Advaita and entered his school as a...

Bhakta Kavir Bhakta Kavir was born in a weaver family at Varanasi in the year 1440. There are many legendary stories regarding his birth. It is a hearsay that Kavir’s mother was a Brahmin widow and just after his birth, he was left in a remote village where the Muslim weaver families were residing. Later, a weaver family found him, and nourished him as their child, as they had no issue...

Jnaneshwar Jnaneshwar was born in the village Apegaon, on the bank of the Godavari in the Deccan in 1271. His father’s name was Vitthalpantha and his mother’s name was Rukmini Devi. Vitthalpantha, after three years of marriage went to Varanasi and there Swami Ramananda initiated him into Sannyasa. Once Swami Ramananda came to the house of Sidhopantha, the father of Rukmini Devi and she prostrated before Him to receive His Blessings....

Andal An the history of Tamil literature, the period between 6th and 8th Centuries glows with the ecstasies of devotional poetry. During the 6th Century, there erupted in South India a widespread Bhakti movement. These devotional poets were either Vaishnavites or Saivites. The former group was spearheaded by three saints, Pogai Alwar, Bhutattalwar and Pey Alwar. Of the later Alwars, Vishnuchitta, known as Periya Alwar was born in Srivilliputtur in Tirunelveli...