Saint Ramanand [1400 – 1476], also known as Swami Ramananda, was a Hindu Vaishnava born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, who lived in the holy city of Varanasi and pioneered the Bhakti devotional movement. When Saint Ramanand was as young as twelve, he left home and decided to become a Sannyasi and live an ascetic, celibate life.

Saint Ramanand was known for accepting disciples of all castes, and all his twelve disciples are very famous: Anantananda, Bhavananda, Saint Dhanna, Saint Kabir, Nabha, Naraharyanda, Saint Pipa, Saint Ravidas, Saint Sain, Sukhanada, Ranka and Tulsidas, many of whose writings are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. However, only one hymn of Saint Ramanand himself is included in the Guru Granth Sahib on Page 1195.