Dada Lekhraj was a successful and much-respected jeweller. In 1936, aged 60, when most of his colleagues were planning their retirement, he entered into the most active and fascinating phase of his life, during which he became known as Brahma Baba. Drawn to invest more time in quiet reflection and solitude, he began to experience a series of powerful visions that continued periodically over several months. Through them, he received new insights into the innate qualities of human souls, the mysterious entity of God and the process of world transformation. The intensity of the messages conveyed by the visions was such that Brahma Baba felt compelled to wrap up his worldly business and devote himself to understanding the significance and application of this revealed knowledge.
He spent the last 33 years of his life bringing people of all cultural, economic and religious backgrounds together to rediscover and develop the spiritual dimensions of their personal lives and to integrate this into their world. Brahma Baba insisted that his role was that of an instrument and example, and not that of a guru. He recognised God, the Being of Light, the Benevolent One, as the primary inspiration for the Brahma Kumaris and their work, and directed everyone’s attention towards God. After the partition of India and Pakistan he moved with the other founding members to Mt. Abu in India, where he remained until his death in 1969.