Brief Profile of Sri Sri 108 Swami Birajananda Bharati

Sri Sri 108 Swami Birajananda Bharati, also popularly known as Sri Sri Khepa Manohar Thakur was born on the 6th day of the month of 'Shrabon' in the Bengali calendar year of 1303 at Sonthali in Purulia district. He was born in a highly religious Vaishnav family, in the lineage of Sri Sri Ram Das Thakur. He was born in the 8th month of pregnancy and was born with closed eyes. His eyes opened after 21 days of his birth.

He was different from other boys during his childhood. Once when playing the role of Krishna he went into Samadhi. He could not study because of financial problems. But still he wrote songs in his maths-book.

In order to deviate him from his religious madness, his father got him married to Sri Sri Gouri Devi , daughter of Sri Biharilaldas of Srirampur in the Bengali year of 1322. They had three daughters and a son. Sri Sri Gouri Devi left for her heavenly abode in the year 1338.

In the year 1323 Khepa Baba met Sri Sri Jadavananda Swami of Kashipur Thana, district Purulia near village Bhatin, who was a Brahamagyani and a Sidhapurusha. Khepa Baba was initiated by him through dream. He later taught Khepa Baba Asanas, Pranyam and some Yogic actions.

After that there was a mental change in Khepa Baba. He became less conscious about his family and was drawn towards Bhajans and Sadhana. With the help of his diksha Guru, he came in contact with Sri Sri Sadananda Dasi (Swami), known as Sri Sri Buddababa of village Burudi of present day Purulia district. In the year 1330, at the age of twenty seven years, he took sanyas from Budababa. Then he started sadhana and bhajan as per the instructions of Buddababa.

On his guru’s advice, he left his family and immersed in tapasya. He did “Raj-jog Sadhana” in the Siddheswar temple in Koshjudi for fifteen days and attained the divine grace. After this he did his tantra-sadhana in the Shiva temple of Siyada and attained the divine grace within seven days. After that on the advice of Buddababa, he did his sadhana in Nawdeep as a confidante of Krishna for six years. With the grace of Buddababa, he attained the divine grace here too. During this time Srimati Radharani Devi came into contact with him and took dikhsa from him. Subsequently, he gave her sanyas and she became Sri Sri Ashram Janani and Sangha Janani.

On the advice of Buddababa, he started propagating “Srinam” to people of all religions. He wrote a number of Baul songs and songs related to the human body. He became known as a “Baul Sadhak”. But he wrote other than Baul songs too. They are Bhatyali, Jhumur, Jumri, Shyamasangit, Padakirtan, Geet etc. He started or concluded the composition in the different names like Sadananda, Purnanda Din Monohar, Dinkhyapa, Dingouri, Khyapa, Gonsai, Khyapa Monohar, Monohar Khyapa Boul.

Sri Sri Khepa Monohar Thakur completed his corporal life of ninety nine years and left for his heavenly abode on Saturday 8th June 1996 at 5:50 pm. He was 99yrs 11 months at that time.