Dada Lekhraj Kripalani also known as Brahma Baba, was the founder of the Brahma Kumaris.In 1936, Lekhraj established a spiritual organisation called Om Mandali,the nucleus of the Brahma Kumaris.Originally a follower of the Vaishnavite Vallabhacharya sect and member of the exogamous Bhaiband community, he is said to have had 12 gurus but started preaching or conducting his satsangs which, by 1936, had attracted around 300 people from his community, many of them being wealthy. According to BKWSU claims, a relative reported that a spiritual being (Shiv) entered in his body and spoke through him.