Tulsidas (1574-1577) composed `Ramacharita Manas`, which is an authority on Hindu religion and survives till date in Hindu rituals. He was one of the best poets ever to have graced Bharat. His verses were written in Hindi and accessible to everyone. He is well known for the work, which was referred to as the greatest book ever written by Gandhiji, `Ramacharita Manas`. Tulsidas was a great poet, philosopher, saint and, more importantly, the devotee of Lord Rama. Tulsidas was born in the year 1532 to a Brahmin family in the town of Rajapur. He suffered separation from his parents at a very young age and was not taken care of by his relatives. He came into contact with some saints who advised him to surrender to Lord Rama. As time grew on, Tulsi`s love for Rama grew deeper and deeper.

However, in his youth, he got married to a woman named Ratnavali. Once his wife went to stay with her parents for a while. Tulsi, not being able to bear the separation, went to meet her. Ratnavali is said to admonish Tulsi by saying, "why don`t you love Lord Rama with the same fervor?" Afterwards, Tulsi contemplated on this remark and left all connections with the family life.

After bidding goodbye to family life, he lived in Chitrakuta for some time before 1564. He used to go around houses for alms. One day, he came to the house where his wife and father-in-law lived, but he did not recognize them. Though the wife recognized him, she just gave him alms and food. When she insisted that he partake spices like pepper, salt etc, he replied that he had his own supply of spices in his possession. Early next morning, when Tulsidas was preparing to leave the house, his wife requested him to take her with him. But, he refused saying that he has renounced family life. Ratnavali was angered and remarked, "You have spices in your possession, but not wife. What kind of renunciate are you?"

Tulasidas recognized the folliness of being attached to food, and thanked his wife for the lesson and threw away all his remaining possessions. He, then, migrated to Kashi. Scholars have rightly pointed out that Rama charita manasa would never have been written if not for Ratnavali`s remarks. Though he made several pilgrimages throughout the country, his permanent residence was in Kashi. He commenced writing Ramacharita Manas in Ayodhya but came back to Kashi.

Nabhaji, the author of Bhaktamala (1600), writes that Tulsidas was an incarnation of Valmiki itself born again to explain Ramayana in the vernacular language. This raise in his fame naturally created many enemies, who attacked his caste, his asceticism etc, but Tulsi does not seem to have been bothered by this. Tulasi was a personification of humility. He declares in the Manasa that he is no poet and he is imperfect and only sings the excellence of Rama according to his poor wit and understanding. This is the case in his other works Gitavali (1571), Kavitavali (1612), Barvairamayana (1612) and one of the best works, Vinaya Patrika (request to Rama).

Tulsidas also appreciated the diverse tenets of Saiva, advaita and samkhya philosophies. He authored 22 different works. He never became attracted to miracles or money. Once the powerful king Jahangir offered him money in return for the performance of some miracles. Tulsi retorted "Who needs money when one has the love of (and for) Rama? What use are miracles before his glory?"

Tulsidas was not writing a biography of Rama, but expressing a love towards Lord Rama in his work. In Kashi, he became the head of the monastery in lolarka kunda and was designated "Gosain." Around 1612, he started to suffer from acute arm pain, boils causing uprooting of his hair and also seems to have suffered from the epidemic in the local area. Having dedicated his life to Lord Rama, these were considered to mere trifles and Tulsi passed away on the third day of the dark fortnight in the month of Shravana in 1623. All of Tulsidas`s Ramacharita Manas is inscribed on the marble walls of Tulasi Manasa Mandir in Kashi. Even his sandals and couple of his minor possessions are preserved in this mandir.