Satguru Swami Teonram Ji Maharaj, also known as Swami Taivu Ram, founder of the Prem Prakash Panth tradition, was born on July 6, 1887, at Khandu village, Hyderabad district, Sindh, now in Pakistan. From his early childhood, Taivu Ram showed his inclination for devotion to God. He used to encourage his friends to meditate on God. His eldest brother, Tahel Ram, tried his best to divert Taivu Ram’s attention to his worldly responsibilities, but he did not succeed. After getting his early education, Taivu Ram tried several avocations but failed. For example, he was too generous to run a shop; he would freely give away food and provisions to mendicants. Similarly, he would not guard the mango garden entrusted to him.
Taivu Ram’s mother, Krishna Devi, was worried about this future, but at the same time she was impressed by his spiritual inclinations. To his mother, Taivu Ram expresses his desire to become an ascetic. Taviu Ram started satsanga regularly in which thousands of devotees used to participate.
With the help of his intimate pupils, such as Sarvananda, Gurmukh Das, Bhagat Jetha Ram, Aayal Das, Metha Ram, Gopal Das, Vadhu Ram, Chhabal Das and others, he founded the Prem Prakash sect.
Swami Taivu Ram was interested in social reform. At the invitation of Swami Budh Puriji, he set out for Sad Desh (southern Sindh) to reform the people by advising them to refrain from drinking liquor and eating meat.
He protested against animal sacrifice at the Sidh fair of Thodi village. Similarly, he sought to prevent the eating of meat. At present, the main center of the Prem Prakash sect of Swami Taivu Ram is at Jaipur.
There is also a popular saying in Prem Prakash Panth tradition about ‘bhajan and bhojan’. Bhajan pertains to the religious songs in Hinduism while bhojan pertains to food. Satguru Swami Teonram Ji Maharaj used this term many times to emphasize his belief that the panth aims to provide both bhajan and bhojan to its devotees as it recognizes that you would have a hard time to focus on your spiritual upliftment if you are hungry as it would prevent you from concentrating. The food that is provided is ‘prasadam’, if we look at in the spiritual sense in which the saying´s roots are based, the panth aims to provide you with spiritual nourishment and upliftment for the betterment of one’s soul. Ever since the beginning in Sindh, Swamiji himself used to distribute ‘dodo chutney’ as ‘prasadam’ to all those who attended the congregation. No individual left ‘empty’ as Swamiji provided both physical and spiritual nourishment to all around.
Satguru Swami Teonram Ji Maharaj attained Samadhi in 1942 CE.