About the Brahma Kumaris

Our Roots

The Brahma Kumaris was founded in 1930’s in Hyderabad, Sindh (now part of Pakistan, but at that time part of colonial India) by Brahma Baba, formerly known as Dada Lekhraj Kirpalani, who had a series of visions depicting world transformation.

Dada Lekhraj was a successful and much-respected jeweller. In 1936, around the time when most people at his age start to plan their retirement, he actually entered into the most active and fascinating phase of his life. After a series of deep spiritual experiences and visions, he felt an extremely strong pull to give up his business and dedicate his time, energy and wealth to laying the foundations of what later would become the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. He soon became known as Brahma Baba. In 1937, he formed a managing committee of eight young women and established an informal group that grew into the Brahma Kumaris of today. He spent the rest of his life bringing people of all cultural, socio-economic and religious backgrounds together to rediscover and develop the spiritual dimensions of their personal lives and to integrate this into their world. He insisted that his role was that of a simple instrument and not that of a guru. He recognised God, the Being of Light, the Benevolent one, as the primary inspiration for Brahma Kumaris and their work. In May 1950 he moved with the other founding members from Karachi, Pakistan, to Mt. Abu in India, where he remained until his passing in 1969.