Saint poet Shree Nishkulanand Swami is having an image of ‘Vairagya Murti’ among the leading eight saints of Shree Swaminarayan Sampradaya. He was a great poet not only of Shree Swaminarayan Sampradaya but also of the State of Gujarat.
He was born to mother Amrutba in the house of Ramjibhai in Shekhpat village of Jamnagar district of the state in Vikram Samvat 1822. He was an elder member of a renowned family but had remained away from the worldly affairs due to his power of renunciation. He had requested Atmanand Swami to give him Diksha but Swamiji sent him back to the world informing him that he would be called as and when required.

In Samvat 1860 Shree Hari took Lalji carpenter as his guide for his pilgrimage to Kachchh region. On the way village Aghoi of his father-in-law came. In the same village Shree Hari made him leave the worldly affairs, granted him ‘Diksha’ and he was named as ‘Nishkulanand’. When his wife Kankubai and his sons Madhav and Kanji came with his parents in law to persuade him, then he replied  in equal terms ****‘Text in Gujarati’. Madhav prepared himself to become a Sadhu, then Shree Hari praised the son stating “Children of a lion are lions only” and granted him Diksha and he was named as ‘Govindanand’.

Unique quality of Shree Nishkulanand Swami was that though he was illiterate, he could write with pen and could create poems. The lines of his Kirtans  could pierce through the darkness like a sword of light. His intense sense of renunciation can also be found in his poems. While listening to his poems who feels like renouncing this world.

Though he was a staunchly away from the worldly affairs, he was an expert sculptor of stones and the wood. He himself had prepared Hindola of 12 doors on the occasion of Vadtal Festival and swung Shree Hari in the said Hindola. The said Hindola is the best example of his art of sculpture in the wood. The bow like curve sculptured in the temple of Dholera bears witness to his expertise in the art of sculpture.

He has created thousands of Kirtans and he has created as many as 22 books which are published as ‘Nishkulanand Kavya’. ‘Bhakta-Chintamani’ is his one of the best books. He has adored himself by writing ‘Purushottam Prakash’ book after knowing about the noble and gigantic task of Shree Hari. His life long writing has enriched Gujarati literature. While rendering his services as a Mahant of Dholera temple, Swami passed away to the Divine Abode in Samvat 1904. Whenever one listens to his poems or Kirtans, one can see an image of Swamiji in his mind.