In his previous life, His Holiness Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji was in Gyanganj (Jnanganj) Ashram in the Himalayas. His name was Swami Kshemananda then and his Guru was Paramhansa Swami Nemananda Ji. In Jnanganj Ashram there are two branches – Yoga and Science. Swami Kshemananda Ji was a student in Yoga branch. In this life, as Shri Kumarswamiji, he was in close and continuous contact with Gyanganj Ashram. Gyanganj Ashram has many adepts working for the benefit of mankind and the whole universe. To mention a few names of the adepts of Gyanganj Ashram – Paramhansa Maha Tapa Ji Maharaj, Paramhansa Bhrigu Rama Ji, Paramhansa Nemanand Ji, Paramhansa Abhayanand Ji, Paramhansa Jnana-nanda Ji, Paramhansa Vishuddhananda Ji. There are many Bhairavis (women adepts) too – Uma Bhairavi, Shama Bhairavi, Jnana Bhairavi etc. While Paramhansa MahaTapa Ji Maharaj is head of Jnangang Ashram, Uma Bhairavi is head of medical unit of Jnanganj Ashram.

Paramhansa Vishuddhanand Ji Gandhababa is His Holiness Shri Kumarswamiji’s Guru-bandhu (brother-disciple) from his past life. Towards the end of his this life, Shri Kumarswamiji consulted with his Gurudeva and the adepts from Gyanganj Ashram; for his Sadhana (penance and spiritual practices) in this life was not complete and asked them what should be next course of action therefore. The adepts asked Shri Kumarswamiji to build a temple with his own money and place the spiritual power which he had accumulated in his 50-years long penanace. At the mandate of the adepts from Gyanganj Ashram, Shri Kumarswamiji built Divya Devalaya, the Divine Temple in 1995 at Tapovan, Dharwad. The Divine Temple does not have any image or idol or deity. It has 7 mantras written on the wall which holds Shri Swamiji’s spiritual power. The adepts also told Shri Kumarswamiji that they would send one of their adepts (Siddha-purush) from Jnanganj to reside in the Divine Temple. Accordingly Shri Kumarswamiji’s elder Guru-bandhu, Paramhansa Shri Vishuddhanand Ji Gandhbaba has come to stay in the Divine Temple at Dharwad in his subtle body.

The Divine Temple is maintained in strict accordance with the rules laid by the adepts from Jnanganj ashram.

Shri Vishuddhanand, the enlightened Param-Siddha Yogi, was popularly called Gandha-Baba (Gandha in Sanskrit means fragrance) because an all-pervading sweet lotus-like fragrance always used to emanate from his body.

Birth & Childhood

There is a small village by the name of Bandul situated fourteen miles north-east of Burdwan in the state of West Bengal (India) near a place called Bhandar-dihi. There lived, since a very long time, a Chattopadhyaya Brahmin family, well-known for their piety, a religious way of life and hospitality. In this family was born, in 1853, a son to Shri Akhil Chandra Chattopadhyaya and his wife Shrimati Raj Rajeshwari Devi. The whole atmosphere at the time of his birth was supremely calm, the air gentle and fragrant and everything around looking at its best so that it appeared as if nature too was rejoining and extremely happy at the birth of this great soul. From its very birth, the baby exhibited extraordinary magnetic attraction for his parents and visitors through his charing features, smile and grace. He impressed everyone as a soul descended from the higher world. In consideration of his very simple innocent nature his parents called him Bhola Nath – Bhola in Sanskrit means innocent.

Baba’s birthplace at Bondul

Glimpses of Greatness

From his very childhood Bholanath gave evidence of uncommon spiritual and moral gifts. He exhibited great strength of character, determination, untiring strength and fearlessness. Once Bholanath was severely reprimanded by his uncle Chandranath for no fault. This uncalled-for reprimand touched Bholanath’s sensitivity to the core. His self-consciousness was aroused. He thought that since a man is only an instrument in the hands of God, the real doer being God himself, so the reprimand that his uncle had given him must really be the doing of Shri Shyam Sunder, the deity. So thinking, he took hold of the idol of Shyam Sunder from his Puja-room, clasped it to his chest and jumped into the house-pond with a view to commit suicide for the insult meted out to him by God through his uncle Chandranath.

But the wonder of wonders happened. The pond was full of deep water. Nevertheless whichever way Bholanath moved, the water became shallow and never reached above his knees. Even Bholanath was surprised. Soon it was evening time and the lamp in the puja-room was lighted. It was discovered that the idol of Shri Shyam Sunder was missing. A search for it started. When the search-party came to the pond, they were wonder struck to withness the scene. They took Bholanath with the idol of Shyam Sunder to the house with great jubilation. Here was yet another example of Bholanath’s belief that God alone was the doer of everything.

Complete change in the way of life

One day, in about 1866 A.D. or so, when Bholanath was about 13 years old, he was coming down the steps from the roof of his house. Accidentally he stepped upon the dog sitting at the foot of the stairs. The dog instantly bit him. It was a mad dog and its poison soon spread throughout the body causing excruciating pain. The pain became intolerable so much so that Bholanath started crying, his body twisting, turning and smarting. No treatment proved to be of any avail and finally everybody lost hope of Bholanath’s life. Hindus believe that if one breathes his last on the bank of the pious river Ganga or in its stream, he gets salvation. Accordingly Bholanath, having despaired of his life, one evening started treading towards the bank of the Ganga (Gangaghat) with a view to put an end to his life there, as his end now seemed certain.

Baba’s residence at Bondul

But the Almighty had some other plans for Bholanath. On reaching the bank he saw a Sanyasi taking his bath in the river Ganga. He was struck with wonder to see that a column of water would rise up when the Sanyasi would emerge from the water and would go down with his dip under the water and curiously the phenomenon was repeated with every dip. The Sanyasi spotted Bholanath and called out to him in a deep sweet voice saying, ”My dear child, why are you so upset with the excrutiating pain? Just wait a minute. I will cure you of this in no time.” And so saying, he got out of the water and came to the boy on the bank and placed his hand on the boy’s head. Bholanath felt as if a slab of ice had been placed on his burning head. He experienced great relief, all the unbearable pain vanished and hope of life revived in him once again. Thereafter the Sanyasi pulled out a herb from the shrubs on the bank and gave it to Bholanath to chew and told him that the whole poison of the mad-dog-bite will be now expelled from his body with his urine and he will become perfectly fit and healthy once again. He also assured him of a long life and told him that he will, in due course of time, become a famous Yogi. Thereafter he told him to return home.

Bholanath felt great reverence and gratefulnesss towards the Sanyasi. The thought of taking initiation from the Sanyasi and living with him, the one who had bestowed a new life on him, came to his mind. Apprehensively, Bholanath expressed his intense desire before his reverent mother. Surprisingly the mother gave him permission to go with the Sanyasi. The Sanyasi taught one Yogasan (yogic posture) to Bholanath and gave him a bij-mantra. He also told him that he was not his Guru. For the present he should stay at home, practice the asan and mantra. These will purify his mind and body. In due time, he shall come and take him to his Guru.

By and by two years passed yet there was no trace of the Sanyasi. Bholanath used to visit a shop in Burdwan market for purchasing day-to-day requirements. One day he heard a story about a strange Sanyasi and this revived his old memory. He longed to go and see the Sanyasi and he obtained his mother’s permission and went to Bandul with his friend Haripada. On reaching their destination they met the Sanyasi in the morning. Bholanath reverently made obeisance and his friend Haripada did the same. Bholanath requested the Sanyasi to take him along with him this time as promised earlier. On enquiry Bholanath explained to the Sanyasi that Haripada was an intimate friend of his and he too was very earnest to stay with and under the guidance of the Sanyasi was no other than the great Siddha Yogi Swami Nimanand Paramahansa of the secret Gyanganj Yogashram in Tibet. He asked them both to come to him in the evening. It is only through the Almighty’s extreme grace and compassion that one out of a million succeed in their goal of self-realization which these two youths, Bholanath and Haripada, set for themselves that day.

All set for the great journey to Gyanganj, the Sanyasi asked them to confirm if they were still keen to accompany him which they did without the slightest hesitation. He once again emphatically reiterated to them all the pit-falls, difficulties and sufferings likely to be encountered on the way. Thereupon, Swami Nimanand tied cloth bandages on the eyes of each so that they could not see anything. Holding one on either side by each hand, he let them over forested hills and plains by air route. The two felt as if they were walking on a smooth silken carpet. By morning the first lap of the journey was covered. Their bandages were removed and they found themselves on top of a barren hillock on which stood a grand temple, surrounded by hill ranges on all its four sides. They realized that they had reached some place far away from Bengal. On enquiry they found that they were at the temple of Vindhya-Vasini Ahsta-Bhuja Devi in Vindhyachal town in the district of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh state of India. From Dhaka in East Bengal they had thus traversed the states of West Bengal and Bihar and a part of Uttar Pradesh – a stretch of about a thousand kilometres – during the course of a single night. This occurrence enhanced their esteem and respect for Swami Nimanand many fold. The Sanyasi then asked the two boys to stay there free from fear as no wild beast would harm them and not to lose heart till his return to take them on to the Ashram. So saying he suddenly vanished before their very eyes. A week passed before the Sanyasi arrived again to take them. He disclosed his name to them as Swami Nimananda paramahansa. As before, he tied bandages over their eyes and took them both with him to an Ashram situated amongst a cluster of hills about twenty kilometres away from Vindyachal, where some saints were residing. He left the two children at this Ashram and himself went away to some other place. He returned after another five days and this time took the children with him by the air route. On reaching the destination the bandages were taken off their eyes. They found that it was morning and they had reached a charming celestial place on a plain surrounded on allsides by snow-covere high hill ranges, calm, majestic and peaceful. On enquiry, they were told by Swami Nimanand, ”This is the normally inaccessible and secret Yogashram situated in the midst of the mid-asian highlands, Tibet, known by the name of Gyanganj Yogashram. After a stay of nine to ten days at the Ashram, Bholanath and Haripada were both presented by Swami Nimanand before His Reverent Holiness Shri Mahatapa, for initiation. Shri Mahatapa first transmitted spiritual energy into each one of them by placing his hand on their heads and thereafter gave Bij-mantra to each of them. Both of them thus became Guru Bhais of Swami Nimanand, who was an earlier disciple of Mahatapa Maharaj.”

The above information is taken from the book – “Yogirajadhiraj Swami VISHUDDHANAND PARAMAHANSADEVA, Life & Philosophy”  by Nand Lal Gupta, an ardent disciple of Shri Babaji for the benefit of Babaji’s devotees across the world..