Bhagwan Swaminarayan was born in Chhapaiya in northern India on 3 April 1781 (Day Of Ram Navmi). His childhood name was Ghanshyam.
Family
Hariprasad Pande (also known as Dharmadev) & Premvati Pande (mother known as Bhaktimata & Murtidevi). Also Ghansyam had an elder brother, Rampratap Pande, and a younger brother, Ichcharam Pande.
Childhood
Neelkanth varni
After the death of his parents, Ghanshyam left his home on 29 June 1792 (Ashadh Sud 10, Samvat 1849) at the age of 11. He took the name Neelkanth Varni while on his journey.
Neelkanth Varni travelled across India
While on his journey, Neelkanth Varni mastered Astanga yoga in nine months under the guidance of an aged yogic master named Gopal Yogi.
In 1799, after a 7-years of journey, Neelkanth's travels as a yogi eventually concluded in Loj, Gujarat. In Loj, Nilkanth Varni met Muktanand Swami, a senior sadhu of Ramanand Swami.
Neelkanth Varni received sanyas initiation from Ramanand Swami on 20 October 1800, and with it was granted the names Sahajanand Swami and Narayan Muni to signify his new status.