Baijnath Maharaj

Baijnath Maharaj spent a quarter of a century as a school principal before becoming the head of a spiritual community in Rajasthan. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri, from Rajasthan ^[1].

A disciple from childhood

Baijnath was born on 5 March 1935 in Panlawa, a village near Laxmangarh in Sikar district ^[2]. At the age of four he met Shraddhanathji Maharaj, a saint from the same village, and remained his disciple until the guru’s death in 1985 ^[2].

He took master’s degrees in English literature and Hindi from the University of Rajasthan, and for 25 years was principal of Gyan Bharati Vidyapeeth in Kothyari, a school known for its focus on character-building ^[2].

Head of the ashram

In 1985, at his guru’s wish, he left the school, was initiated into the Nath tradition and became head of the Shri Nathji Maharaj Ka Ashram in Laxmangarh ^[2]. He expanded the ashram, added a library of religious books, opened a branch at Mount Abu and wrote several books ^[2].

He also founded the Shraddha Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, where students learn Vedic texts alongside regular school subjects, and a yoga institute recognised by Shri Ramanand Sanskrit University in Jaipur ^[2]. The citation notes that, in close to 90 years, he has never sought publicity for his work ^[2].