Meet man who once owned beauty product stores, gave up empire worth crores to join...; now leads...

Among the thousands of saffron-clad sadhus and pilgrims marching towards Haridwar for the Kanwar Yatra, one man clearly stands out – Hoshi Takayuki, a 41-year-old former entrepreneur from Japan. Once the proud owner of 15 beauty product stores across Tokyo, Takayuki has now taken a completely different path. He is now known as Bala Kumbha Gurumuni, a devoted follower of Lord Shiva on a spiritual journey through the Indian Himalayas.

A Life-Changing Encounter in Tamil Nadu
Takayuki’s transformation began nearly 20 years ago during a trip to Tamil Nadu. While exploring the region, he came across a Nadi astrology centre, where ancient palm leaves are said to hold secrets of one’s past and future. According to him, the reading revealed that he was once a Himalayan sage and was destined to reconnect with Hindu spirituality. This experience left a deep impact on him and sparked a lifelong fascination with Indian culture and religion.

Leaving Behind Tokyo for Shiva
Back in Japan, Takayuki began having dreams of living in Uttarakhand in a previous life. These dreams were so powerful that he decided to step away from his successful business. He handed over his company to his followers and fully embraced the spiritual life. Since then, he has converted his Tokyo home into a Shiva temple and even built a second shrine nearby. He now goes by the name Bala Kumbha Gurumuni, a spiritual identity he received after another Nadi reading.

Devotion in Action: Kanwar Yatra and Big Plans
Currently, Takayuki is in India with 20 followers from Japan. They are participating in the Kanwar Yatra and providing free food to other devotees at a camp in Dehradun. He’s not just here for the yatra – he has big plans for India. With the help of his friend Ramesh Sundriyal, an Indian consultant based in Japan, Takayuki is working on setting up an ashram in Uttarakhand. He has also bought 35 acres of land in Puducherry where he aims to build a large Shiva temple.

Takayuki says he feels a deep connection to Uttarakhand and believes he is searching for a “lost village” from one of his past lives. His journey from running beauty shops in Tokyo to becoming a spiritual guide in India is a true example of transformation, belief, and devotion.

Now that’s a story straight out of a spiritual movie – with a global twist.