Uppaluri Gopala Krishnamurti was born on 9 July 1918 in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He experienced the 'Calamity' as he called it in his 49th year when he was staying at Valentine's house in Switzerland. From then on, there was no looking back, doubting, questioning the scriptures, wondering what God was and finally the thirst for enlightenment never arose again. He threw away everything out his system.