Asaram Bapu Born in an affluent family in Sindh, Pakistan, Asumal was the second amongst four children of Thaumal Sirumalani, a businessman. It was his mother, Mangiba, who put him on his destined path. Since birth, a calm radiance permeated his face and soothsayers predicted that Asumal would be a renowned yogi. During the Partition in 1947, the family fled from Pakistan to Ahmedabad, India. Here, Thaumal had to start all over again. Asumal was enrolled in a Sindhi medium school and soon became popular because of his generosity.
A devout lady, Mangiba would ask Asumal to pray to Lord Krishna—a routine he follows till date. From there flowered the spiritual seed. At the age of 10, Asumal had to give up studies and work in a shop, due to his father's demise. "This trauma made him more determined to unravel the mystery of life," says Narayan. As was the norm in those days, his family wanted to marry off the adolescent Asumal, who was unwilling to be tied down. "He wanted to be in communion with God," says Narayan.
Eight days before his wedding, he ran away. However, the family traced him in an ashram. And he found a soul mate in Lakshmi Devi, who understood his quest. He left home in 1968 and wandered to all the pilgrim spots in India, searching for God. It was in the forest area near Nainital that he met the man who would put him on his destined path—Leelashah Maharaj. After much pleading, Leelashah accepted him as his disciple.
It was in the forest area near Nainital that he met the man who would put him on his destined path—Leelashah Maharaj. After much pleading, Leelashah accepted him as his disciple. He stayed in Leelashah's abode for 70 days, where he was initiated into some of the mysteries of life before being sent back home. His spiritual quest was now a raging fire, which could only be quenched by complete realisation. So he sought out Leelashah again in Mumbai, India, and finally his goal was fulfilled. He attained enlightenment on October 7, 1964. And Asaram was born. Now there was no grief, no sorrow, only bliss.
For seven years he meditated in the caves of Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India. Blessing him, Leelashah said: "See this rose, if you sniff it, it will be the fragrance of rose. So spreads this fragrance everywhere, don't look at the negativity, the thorns, see only the positivism, the fragrance." After that there was no looking back. Asaram Bapu began attracting attention when he brought a dead cow to life. People came to him with all kinds of problems and to listen to his discourses.
"But this was predetermined for in his past life his guru had told him about all this. He was a Bengali saint in Mount Abu that time," says Narayan Sai. "He used to love rice and milk". Asaram Bapu finally went back to Ahmedabad in 1971. In 1972, he built a small cottage on the banks of Sabarmati, unmindful of the robbers and the thorny land. And from there he began to spread the "fragrance of the rose" through Vedanta, yoga, divine love, bhakti (devotion). All of which leads to salvation. Today, there is a flourishing ashram on the same site.