People · Faith
Saints and spiritual leaders of Gujarat
129 spiritual figures revered in Gujarat, grouped by tradition.
Jain
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Anandghan
17th-century Jain mystic poet
A Shvetambara Jain avadhuta and poet who composed devotional stavans and padas in Gujarati and Hindi, revered in Jain spiritual tradition.
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Bappabhattisuri
8th-century child-prodigy Jain acharya
Born in Duva village in present-day Banaskantha district, Gujarat, in 743 CE, he helped standardize Shvetambara Tirthankara iconography.
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Bhuvanbhanusuri
Tapa Gaccha Jain acharya (1911-1993)
A Svetambara Murtipujak Jain acharya of the Tapa Gaccha, the Gujarat-rooted monastic order, and a disciple of Acharya Premsuri.
Source: Wikipedia -
Buddhisagarsuri
Prolific Jain author, founded Mahudi temple
Born at Vijapur in north Gujarat in 1874, he wrote over a hundred books and established the Mahudi Jain temple in 1917.
Source: Wikipedia -
Chitrabhanu
Jain monk who took meditation to the West
Initiated as a Jain monk at Palitana, Gujarat, in 1942, he later founded the first Jain meditation centre in the West in New York.
Source: Wikipedia -
Devachandra
Jain guru who initiated Hemachandra
The 12th-century Jain monk who discovered the young Hemachandra at Dhandhuka in Gujarat and became his primary spiritual teacher.
Source: Wikipedia -
Devardhigani Kshamashraman
Jain ascetic who compiled the Agamas at Vallabhi
A 5th-century Svetambara Jain ascetic and author of Prakrit texts, remembered for presiding over the council at Vallabhi (Vala) in Gujarat that put the Jain Agamas into writing.
Source: Wikipedia -
Hemachandra
Kalikala Sarvagya, 12th-century Jain polymath
Born in Dhandhuka, Gujarat, he was the scholar-saint of the Chaulukya court who shaped Gujarat's golden age under kings Siddharaj Jaysinh and Kumarapala.
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Hiravijaya
Jain teacher of Emperor Akbar (Jagatguru)
A Tapa Gaccha Shvetambara high priest of Gujarat's Jain community summoned by Akbar in 1582 and given the title Jagatguru.
Source: Wikipedia -
Jambuvijaya
Jain monk and manuscript scholar (1923-2009)
A Tapa Gaccha Svetambara monk renowned for his pioneering critical editing and cataloguing of the Jain manuscript libraries of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Source: Wikipedia -
Jinadattasuri
First Dada Guru of the Kharatara Gaccha
A Jain Apabhramsha poet and monk (1075-1154), the first of the Dada Gurus of the Kharatara Gaccha and a contemporary of the Gujarat scholar-monk Hemachandra.
Source: Wikipedia -
Jinaharsha
Jain ascetic-poet who lived at Patan
A Jain ascetic and poet of the 17th-18th century who spent his last years at Anhilwad Patan in Gujarat.
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Jinvijay
Scholar-monk of Jainology and indology (1888-1976)
A scholar of orientalism, archaeology, indology and Jainism who served as principal of the archaeology department at Gujarat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad, where he later died.
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Kalapurnasuri
Adhyatmayogi Shvetambara acharya
A Shvetambara ascetic given the title of Acharya at Bhadreshwar in Gujarat in 1971, with a pilgrimage temple named after him.
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Kalyansagarsuri
Achal Gaccha Jain ascetic (c. 1577-1661)
A 16th-17th century Jain ascetic and reformer of the Achal Gaccha of the Svetambara Murtipujak sect, a tradition centred in Gujarat and Kutch.
Source: Wikipedia -
Kanji Swami
Founder of the Kanji Swami Panth
Born in Umrala, Gujarat, in 1890, he became a Digambara lay scholar at Songadh, Gujarat, in 1934, building a major spiritual centre there.
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Merutunga
Medieval Jain scholar-monk of Gujarat
A medieval Svetambara Jain monk of the Anchala Gaccha from present-day Gujarat, best known for his Sanskrit chronicle Prabandhachintamani.
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Munisundarsuri
Medieval Tapa Gaccha Jain acharya
A medieval Svetambara acharya and lineage historian of the Tapa Gaccha, the monastic order that arose at Anhilwad Patan in Gujarat.
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Ramchandra Suri
Tapa Gaccha monastic-discipline lineage founder
Born as Tribhuvan in Dahevan village of present-day Gujarat in 1896, he established the Ramchandrasuri Samuday within the Tapa Gaccha.
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Ratnasundarsuri
Jain monk and Gujarati author (b. 1948)
An Indian Jain monk, social activist and Gujarati-language writer known for his lectures on spirituality and social issues.
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Shrimad Rajchandra
Jain poet, philosopher and spiritual guide to Mahatma Gandhi
Born in Vavaniya, Gujarat, he was a Jain scholar and mystic whose writings, including Atma Siddhi, deeply influenced Gandhi's views on non-violence.
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Udayaratna
Jain monk and Gujarati poet
A Jain monk of the Tapa Gaccha and one of the leading Gujarati poets of the 17th-18th century.
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Vijay Dharma Suri
Svetambara Jain reformer monk (1868-1922)
A Svetambara Jain monk of the Tapa Gaccha active in Jain religious organisation and the recovery and transmission of Jain texts.
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Vijay Nemisuri
Shasana Samrat, protector of Jain tirthas
Born in Mahuva, Gujarat, in 1872, he led the Tapa Gaccha and worked to protect pilgrimage sites like Palitana, Girnar and Taranga.
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Vijay Vallabh Suri
Education-focused reformer Jain monk
Born at Vadodara, Gujarat, in 1870, he founded numerous Jain educational institutions including the Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya.
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Vijayanandsuri (Atmaramji)
First modern Shvetambara Murtipujak Acharya
A reformer Jain monk who travelled extensively through Gujarat and received the title of Acharya at Palitana in 1886.
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Vimalsagarsuri
Tapa Gaccha Jain acharya
A Jain monk and acharya of the Tapa Gaccha of the Svetambara sect, the monastic order rooted in Gujarat.
Source: Wikipedia -
Yashovijaya
17th-century Jain philosopher-logician
Born in Kanoda village, Mehsana district, Gujarat, he was a master of Navya-Nyaya logic and among the last great intellectual figures of Jainism.
Source: Wikipedia
Swaminarayan
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Anadi Muktaraj Shri Abjibapa
Kutchi householder saint of the Swaminarayan Gadi tradition
A revered householder mystic from Baladia in the Kutch region of Gujarat who authored the Rahasyartha Pradipika Tika commentary on the Vachanamrut.
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Ayodhyaprasad
First acharya of the Ahmedabad (Nar Narayan Dev) Gadi
Nephew of Swaminarayan, enthroned in 1826 as the first acharya of the northern diocese headquartered at the Kalupur temple in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
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Bhadreshdas Swami
BAPS Sanskrit scholar, author of the Swaminarayan Bhashyam
An ordained BAPS monk and Sahitya Akademi awardee based at Sarangpur, Gujarat, who authored the five-volume Swaminarayan Bhashyam.
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Bhagatji Maharaj (Pragji Bhakta)
Householder guru, spiritual successor in BAPS lineage
Born Pragji Bhakta, a tailor from Mahuva, Gujarat, regarded by BAPS as a spiritual successor of Swaminarayan and the guru of Shastriji Maharaj.
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Bhagwan Swaminarayan (Sahajanand Swami)
Founder of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya
Born Ghanshyam Pande in Uttar Pradesh, he settled in Gujarat and founded the Swaminarayan Hindu tradition in the early 19th century, building major temples across the region.
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Brahmanand Swami
Swaminarayan poet-saint
A leading poet-saint of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya in Gujarat whose devotional compositions remain central to the tradition's worship.
Source: Wikipedia -
Dada Khachar
Darbar of Gadhada and householder devotee of Swaminarayan
Dada Khachar (1800-1852) was the Darbar Shri of Gadhada in Gujarat and a close householder devotee of Swaminarayan, at whose court Swaminarayan spent much of his later life.
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Devanand Swami
Swaminarayan saint, poet and sitar player
A 19th-century paramhansa from the Bhal region of Gujarat known for his kirtans and mastery of the sitar, who later headed the Swaminarayan temple at Muli.
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Gopalanand Swami
Senior Swaminarayan paramhansa and administrator
Born Khushal Bhatt in Idar, Gujarat, he was a leading yoga-adept paramhansa entrusted by Swaminarayan with oversight of the Vadtal and Ahmedabad dioceses.
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Gunatitanand Swami
Swaminarayan saint, first spiritual successor in the BAPS tradition
A paramhansa initiated by Swaminarayan, he served as mahant of Junagadh mandir in Gujarat for over 40 years and is revered in BAPS as the first Aksharbrahman guru.
Source: Wikipedia -
Jeevuba
Woman devotee of Swaminarayan from Gadhada
A revered woman devotee of Swaminarayan, also called Motiba, from the Darbar family of Gadhada in Gujarat.
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Koshalendraprasad Pande
Current acharya of the Ahmedabad Nar Narayan Dev Gadi
Seventh and current acharya of the Swaminarayan northern diocese seated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and founder of the youth wing NNDYM.
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Mahant Swami Maharaj
Present guru and spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
The sixth spiritual successor in the BAPS lineage, he became guru in 2016 and leads the Gujarat-headquartered organization and its global temples.
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Muktanand Swami
Senior Swaminarayan saint and poet
One of the earliest and most senior paramhansas of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya in Gujarat, remembered as a poet and spiritual guide called the mother of the Sampradaya.
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Narayanprasaddasji Swami
Swaminarayan Gurukul swami
Born Girdhar Radadiya in Saurashtra (1921-2018) and known as Tapomurti Shastri Swami, he was among the most noted swamis of the Swaminarayan Gurukul tradition of Gujarat.
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Nishkulanand Swami
Swaminarayan poet-saint and craftsman
A Gujarat-born paramhansa of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya renowned for devotional poetry such as the Bhaktachintamani and for his woodcraft.
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Nityanand Swami
Scholar and co-compiler of the Vachanamrut
A learned paramhansa who settled in Gujarat and was one of the compilers of the Vachanamrut, the recorded discourses of Swaminarayan.
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Pramukh Swami Maharaj
Fifth spiritual successor and guru of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
Born in Chansad, Gujarat, he led BAPS for decades, inspired the construction of Akshardham temples, and oversaw over 1,100 mandirs worldwide before his death in 2016.
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Premanand Swami
Swaminarayan poet-musician (Premsakhi)
A celebrated paramhansa poet born near Nadiad, Gujarat, who composed thousands of Gujarati kirtans including the Chesta Pad still recited in Swaminarayan temples.
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Raghuvir
First acharya of the Vadtal (Laxmi Narayan Dev) Gadi
Adopted nephew of Swaminarayan, enthroned in 1826 as the first acharya of the southern diocese seated at Vadtal in Kheda district, Gujarat.
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Rakeshprasad
Acharya of the Vadtal Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi
Installed in 2003 as acharya of the Vadtal-headquartered southern diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya in Gujarat.
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Shastriji Maharaj (Shastri Yagnapurushdas)
Founder of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS)
Born in Gujarat, he founded BAPS in 1907 at Bochasan and built its early mandirs, establishing the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine.
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Swami Ramanand
Founder of the Uddhava Sampradaya, guru of Swaminarayan
The ascetic head of the Uddhava Sampradaya who initiated Sahajanand Swami into his order in Gujarat and appointed him his successor, from whom the Swaminarayan Sampradaya emerged.
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Tejendraprasad
Sixth acharya of the Ahmedabad Nar Narayan Dev Gadi
Former acharya (1969-2004) of the Swaminarayan Ahmedabad diocese who founded ISSO and was educated at St. Xavier's, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
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Yogiji Maharaj
Third guru of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
A Gujarat-born Swaminarayan guru who led BAPS from 1951 to 1971 and expanded its youth and overseas activities.
Source: Wikipedia
Bhakti poet-saints
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Bhalan
Medieval Gujarati poet
A 15th-16th century poet who adapted Sanskrit classics into Gujarati akhyan poetry.
Source: Wikipedia -
Bhojo Bhagat
19th-century Gujarati saint-poet
A Saurashtra saint known for his chabkha (satirical devotional verses) that critiqued social hypocrisy while teaching Bhakti.
Source: Wikipedia -
Dayaram
Bhakti poet
An 18th-19th century Gujarati poet of the Pushtimarg tradition, famed for his garbis to Krishna.
Source: Wikipedia -
Dhiro Bhagat
18th-century Gujarati saint-poet
A devotional poet from Savli in Gujarat, known for his kafis expressing Vedantic and Bhakti themes in the Gujarati language.
Source: Wikipedia -
Dongre Maharaj
Bhagavata Purana katha narrator
Ramchandra Dongreji Maharaj grew up in Vadodara and became one of Gujarat's most revered Bhagavata katha exponents between the 1960s and 1990s.
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Dula Bhaya Kag
Gujarati poet-singer of Saurashtra (1903-1977)
Known as Kag Bapu, a Gujarati poet, songwriter and folk singer born at Sodvadari near Mahuva in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, known for his Hindu spiritual poetry and awarded the Padma Shri.
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Gangasati
19th-century Gujarati saint-poet and mystic
A woman saint of Saurashtra revered for her devotional bhajans addressed to her disciple Panbai, a cornerstone of Gujarati Bhakti poetry.
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Girdhar
Gujarati poet (1787-1852)
A Gujarati poet of the early 19th century remembered for his devotional verse.
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Jalaram Bapa
19th-century Hindu saint of Virpur, Gujarat
A saint from Virpur in Rajkot district known for his charitable food service (Sadavrat), whose shrine remains a major Gujarati pilgrimage site.
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Jesal Toral
Legendary saint couple of Saurashtra, Gujarat
A folk-saint pair from Kutch-Saurashtra whose story of a bandit's spiritual transformation by the saint Toral is celebrated in Gujarati folklore and bhajans.
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Mahatma Isardas
16th-century Hindu saint-poet
A 16th-century Hindu saint-poet revered as a devotee of Krishna, whose devotional verse is honoured across Gujarat and Rajasthan.
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Mirabai
16th-century Bhakti saint-poet of Krishna devotion
A Rajput princess and Krishna devotee whose bhajans are beloved across Gujarat, where she is traditionally said to have merged with the deity at Dwarka.
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Morari Bapu
Ram Katha exponent and preacher
Born in Talgajarda near Mahuva, Gujarat, he is a renowned narrator of the Ram Charit Manas whose Ram Kathas draw large audiences worldwide.
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Mota (Chunilal Asharam Bhavsar)
Gujarati saint and founder of the Hari Om Ashram
Known as Shri Mota, a 20th-century Gujarati mystic and poet who established silence-room (mmaun mandir) ashrams at Nadiad and elsewhere in Gujarat.
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Narsinh Mehta
15th-century saint-poet of Gujarat, Bhakti movement
A Vaishnava poet from Junagadh regarded as the first poet (Adi Kavi) of Gujarati literature, best known for the bhajan Vaishnav Jan To later favored by Mahatma Gandhi.
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Premanand Bhatt
Akhyan poet-saint
A 17th-century Gujarati poet celebrated for perfecting the akhyan narrative-poetry form.
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Rameshbhai Oza (Bhaishri)
Bhagavata Katha exponent and founder of Sandipani Vidyaniketan
A Gujarat-born spiritual orator known for his Srimad Bhagavata discourses who established the Sandipani ashram near Porbandar.
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Sant Devidas
Saint of Saurashtra known for serving lepers
A 17th-century Gujarati saint of the Ravi-Bhan sect who founded a shelter at Parab for lepers and the destitute, still active as a service center.
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Shamal Bhatt
Story-poet
An 18th-century Gujarati poet known for his verse tales and moral fables.
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Vallabh Bhatt
Medieval Gujarati devotional poet
A medieval Gujarati poet born in Ahmedabad who settled at Bahucharaji in devotion to the goddess Bahuchar Mata and composed many garba and devotional songs.
Source: Wikipedia
Other traditions
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Asaram (Asumal Harpalani)
Self-styled godman based in Gujarat; convicted criminal
A Gujarat-based religious figure who ran a large ashram network near Ahmedabad and was convicted in 2018 of the rape of a minor and is serving a life sentence.
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Dada Bhagwan (Ambalal Muljibhai Patel)
Founder of the Akram Vignan (Dada Bhagwan Foundation) movement
A Gujarati spiritual teacher from Tarasali who propounded the Akram Vignan path of self-realization, now spread through the Dada Bhagwan Foundation.
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Dayananda Saraswati
Founder of the Arya Samaj
Born in Tankara, Gujarat, he was a Vedic reformer who founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 and called for a return to the authority of the Vedas.
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Gunvant Shah
Gujarati thinker and philosophy essayist
A Surat-born essayist, educationist and columnist whose philosophical writing shaped Gujarati intellectual life; awarded the Padma Shri in 2015.
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Karsandas Mulji
19th-century Gujarati social reformer and journalist
Editor of the Gujarati weekly Satyaprakash, this reformer won the landmark 1862 Maharaj Libel Case against priestly abuses in the Vaishnava sect.
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Keshavram Kashiram Shastri
Gujarati scholar and Sanskrit-Vedanta authority
A centenarian Saurashtra-born scholar of Gujarati grammar and Vedic literature, a founding leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, awarded the Padma Shri in 1976.
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Kripalvananda
Master of kundalini yoga (1913-1981)
An Indian master of kundalini yoga known as Bapuji, born in Dabhoi in Gujarat and closely associated with the temple town of Kayavarohan; he is the namesake of the Kripalu tradition.
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Lakulisha
Founder of Pashupata Shaivism, of Kayavarohan
A prominent Shaivite teacher regarded as the founder of the Pashupata sect, traditionally associated with Kayavarohan (Karvan) in present-day Gujarat as his birthplace and seat.
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Makarand Dave
Gujarati poet-mystic, founder of Nandigram
Born in Gondal, this Gujarati poet and spiritual writer founded the Nandigram ashram near Valsad with his wife Kundanika Kapadia for tribal welfare and spiritual practice.
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Narayan Sai
Self-styled godman based in Gujarat; convicted
The son of the godman Asaram who ran ashrams in Gujarat and, like his father, is serving a life sentence after conviction in a rape case tried in Surat.
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Pritamdas
Jnanmarg sant-poet, author of 'Hari no marag chhe shurano'
Born at Chuda near Ranpur in Saurashtra and initiated as a Ramanandi sadhu, he wrote the famous bhajan 'Hari no marag chhe shurano' and 'Jnan Gita'.
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Rang Avadhoot
Dattatreya saint-poet of Nareshwar, author of Dattabavani
A Gujarat independence activist turned ascetic who settled at Nareshwar on the Narmada, spread the Datta-panth across Gujarat and composed the popular Dattabavani.
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Sahajananda Saraswati (Devraha Baba lineage note)
Devraha Baba, ascetic revered by Gujarati devotees
Devraha Baba was a long-lived yogi-ascetic of North India whose blessings were widely sought, including by Gujarati political and spiritual followers who visited his ashram.
Source: Wikipedia
Dawoodi Bohra
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Abde Ali Saifuddin
43rd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 43rd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra (1774-1817), a scholar and poet buried in the al-Qubbah al-Najmiyah at Surat in Gujarat.
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Abdul Husain Husamuddin
48th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 48th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra, connected with Ahmedabad in Gujarat, where the community's spiritual leadership was long seated.
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Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin I
29th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 29th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra, born at Ahmedabad in 1564, from the era when the Bohra spiritual leadership was seated in Gujarat.
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Dawood Bin Qutubshah
27th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 27th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra (1539-1612), who led the Tayyibi Musta'li dawat from India and died at Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
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Ismail Badruddin I
34th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 34th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra (d. 1676), who died at Jamnagar in Gujarat, then a seat of the Bohra dawat.
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Mohammed Burhanuddin
52nd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 52nd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra (1915-2014), who led the community for 49 years; the Bohras' historic seminary Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is seated at Surat in Gujarat.
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Mufaddal Saifuddin
53rd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 53rd and current Da'i al-Mutlaq and leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, whose historic seminary Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is seated at Surat in Gujarat.
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Taher Saifuddin
51st Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 51st and longest-serving Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra (1888-1965), who reorganised the community's principal seminary Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah at Surat in Gujarat.
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Tayyeb Zainuddin
45th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 45th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra (1782-1836), who led the community from Gujarat and died at Surat.
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Yusuf Najmuddin
42nd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
The 42nd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra (d. 1798), who headed the community from Gujarat and died at Surat.
Source: Wikipedia
Sufi saints
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Ahmad Khattu Ganj Bakhsh
Adviser to Ahmad Shah I, saint of Sarkhej
A Maghribi-order Sufi who settled at Sarkhej near Ahmedabad and died there in 1445; his shrine anchors the Sarkhej Roza complex.
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Imam Shah
Founder of the Satpanth Imamshahi sect at Pirana
A 15th-century pir whose syncretic Satpanth movement is centred at the Imamshah Bawa Dargah in Pirana near Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
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Muhammad Ghawth
Shattari Sufi master, author of Bahr al-Hayat
The 16th-century Shattari master stayed ten years in Ahmedabad and completed his yoga treatise Bahr al-Hayat at Broach (Bharuch), Gujarat, in 1550.
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Pir Muhammad Shah
Qadiri-Shattari Sufi of Ahmedabad
Born in Bijapur in 1688, he migrated to Ahmedabad in 1711 and died there in 1749; his shrine houses the Hazrat Pir Mohammad Shah manuscript library.
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Sayyid Burhanuddin Qutb-e-Alam
Founder of the Bukhariya sect, saint of Vatva
A Sufi saint who came to Ahmad Shah I's court and died at Vatva near Ahmedabad in 1452, commemorated by his mosque and tomb complex.
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Sayyid Usman
Disciple of Qutb-e-Alam, founder of Usmanpura
A Sufi disciple of Qutb-e-Alam who founded Usmanpura in Ahmedabad and died in 1458, commemorated by the Saiyad Usman mosque and tomb.
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Shah-e-Alam (Sayyid Sirajuddin Muhammad)
15th-century Suhrawardi Sufi saint of Ahmedabad
Born at Patan, Gujarat, in 1415, he was a revered Sufi teacher on the outskirts of Ahmedabad whose shrine is the Shah-e-Alam's Roza.
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Wajihuddin Alvi
Shattari Sufi scholar, founder of the Alvi Madrasa
Born in Ahmedabad in 1504, he founded the Alvi Madrasa in 1528 and made the city a leading centre of Islamic learning.
Source: Wikipedia
Folk deities
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Ashapura Mata
Kuldevi of Kutch and the Jadejas
A form of the goddess Devi worshipped as the kuldevi of Kutch and of the Jadeja clan of Gujarat, with her chief shrine at Mata no Madh in Kutch.
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Bahuchara Mata
Goddess of Becharaji, Gujarat
A Hindu goddess of chastity and fertility whose principal temple is at Becharaji in Mehsana district, Gujarat, and who is especially revered by the hijra community.
Source: Wikipedia -
Khodiyar
Gujarati folk goddess
A Hindu folk goddess widely worshipped across Gujarat, with her major shrines in the Saurashtra region.
Source: Wikipedia -
Modheshwari
Clan deity of the Modh community
A form of the goddess Matangi worshipped as Modheshwari Mata, the clan deity of the Modh community of Gujarat.
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Momai
Folk goddess of Kutch and Gujarat
A regional Hindu goddess, also known as Dashama, popular across Gujarat and especially in the desert region of Kutch.
Source: Wikipedia -
Vachharadada
Gujarati folk deity
A folk deity venerated across Gujarat, particularly in the Saurashtra region.
Source: Wikipedia
Folk saints
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Dasi Jivan
Dalit sant-poet famed for the 'Pyalo' and 'Katari' bhajans
Born at Ghoghavadar in Saurashtra, he was a Chamar-community bhajanik who worshipped in the female 'dasi' (Radha) devotional mode.
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Devayat Pandit
Mahapanth saint-poet of prophetic 'Agam Vani' hymns
Born at Vanthali in Junagadh district, he composed prophetic 'Agam'-type hymns in Gujarati and set up an ashram in the Panchal region of Saurashtra.
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Mamaidev
Earliest writer of Kutchi literature; Barmati Panth guru
A medieval guru of the Maheshwari Meghwal Samaj who preached across Kutch, Saurashtra and Sindh and composed the sacred 'Mamai Dev jo Ginan' verses.
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Mekan Dada
Camel-and-dog rescue saint of the Rann of Kutch
A Kapdi-sampradaya saint of Kutch (1667-1730) who spent his life rescuing travelers lost in the Rann with his donkey and dog, taking samadhi at Dhrang.
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Sati Loyan
Mahapanth woman saint-poetess of Saurashtra
Born in Kidi village of Amreli district in a Luhar family, she was a Mahapanth saint-poetess credited with composing eighty-four bhajans.
Source: Wikipedia
Vedanta
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Akho (Akha Bhagat)
17th-century Gujarati poet-saint and Vedantin
A goldsmith-turned-mystic from Ahmedabad famous for his chhappa verses satirizing ritualism and expounding Advaita Vedanta.
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Nathuram Sharma
Advaita Vedanta scholar-saint of Bilkha
Born in Surendranagar district and known as Krupanath, he established the Anand Ashram at Bilkha near Junagadh and wrote some 40 commentaries on the Gita, Upanishads and Brahmasutras.
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Pandurang Shastri Athavale
Founder of the Swadhyay Parivar movement
A philosopher and reformer who built the Gujarat-rooted Swadhyay self-study movement and received the Ramon Magsaysay and Templeton Prizes.
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Swami Sachchidanand
Rationalist monk and social reformer of Dantali
A sanyasi born in Patan district who founded the Bhakti Niketan Ashram at Dantali, Gujarat, authored over 100 books, and received the Padma Bhushan in 2022.
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Vallabhacharya
Founder of the Pushtimarg (Shuddhadvaita Vedanta) tradition
The 15th-16th century philosopher who founded the Pushtimarg sect of Krishna devotion centered on Shrinathji, with a major following among Gujarati Vaishnavas.
Source: Wikipedia
Kabir panth
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Bhan Saheb
Founder of the Ravi-Bhan sampraday
A medieval Ram-Kabir-panth sant-poet born in the Lohana community of Charotar, Gujarat, whose disciples seeded the Ravi-Bhan sect of Saurashtra.
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Morar Saheb
Ravi-Bhan sant-poet of Khambhalia
A Ravi-Bhan-sect sant-poet of Gujarat whose long association with the town of Khambhalia earned it the name 'Morar nu Khambhalia'.
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Ravi Saheb
Chief disciple of Bhan Saheb, the 'Ravi' in Ravi-Bhan sampraday
Born near Amod in Gujarat, he was Bhan Saheb's foremost disciple and composed around four hundred bhajans codifying the Ravi-Bhan sect's philosophy.
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Trikam Saheb
Ravi-Bhan sant-poet of Kutch
Born at Ramvav in Rapar taluka of Kutch, he was a Ravi-Bhan sant-poet who opened the sect to lower castes and attained samadhi at Khambhalia.
Source: Wikipedia
Gandhian
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Kishorlal Mashruwala
Gandhian philosopher and Harijan editor
A close associate of Gandhi from Gujarat who wrote extensively on Gandhian philosophy and education and edited the periodical Harijan until his death.
Source: Wikipedia -
Swami Anand
Gandhian monk and Gujarati writer (1887-1976)
A wandering monk, Gandhian activist and Gujarati writer who managed Gandhi's Ahmedabad-based publications Navajivan and Young India.
Source: Wikipedia
Pushtimarg
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Gokulnath
Pushtimarg theologian, founder of the fourth house
Fourth son of Vitthalnath and progenitor of the Pushtimarg varta tradition, whose followers took root among Gujarati Vaishnav communities.
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Vitthalnath (Gusainji)
Pushtimarg acharya, son of Vallabhacharya
Younger son of Vallabhacharya who consolidated the Pushtimarg Sampradaya and organised the seva traditions later spread widely among Gujarati Vaishnavas.
Source: Wikipedia
Ismaili
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Pir Sadardin
Founder of the Satpanth and the Khoja community
A 14th-century Ismaili pir credited with founding the Satpanth tradition and forming the Khoja community by initiating Lohana Hindus of Gujarat and Sindh.
Source: Wikipedia