Born Brahmin in Nepal, he chose Sikhism at 17

According to Times of India “  At first sight, the kirpan, saffron turban, flowing beard and white-colored kurta pyjama will make one mistake him for any other Sikh jathedar, but there is a lot more to Gurbaksh Singh, reveals a personal interaction, and it goes beyond his fluency in Punjabi and knowledge of the Gurbani. 
Before becoming Gurbaksh, the Sikh gentleman was Chet Prasad Lamsal, a boy who was born to a Nepalese Brahmin family and who embraced Sikhism and got baptized at the age of 17. “Today, my mission is to spread the teachings of Sikh gurus. I regularly hold classes on Sikhism for Nepalese youth and also arrange religious tours for them to different gurdwaras in Punjab,” says Lamsal, who met TOI on Saturday. 
Gurbaksh was born in Syangja village near Pokhara in Nepal. His father, late Kul Parsad Lamsal, couldn’t afford his education, so Gurbaksh — like most employment-seeking Nepalese do — travelled to India at the age of 15. He sough help from his brother-in-law in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, but things did not work out the way he wanted them to. “So I started going to a local gurdwara where langar was served,” he says. 
He befriended a boy there, Jagjit Singh, who was the son of the gurdwara’s granthi. The family was helpful, and helped Gurbaksh with education and food. “As I listened to discourses at the gurdwara, I started picking up prayers. Two years later, when I was 17, I embraced Sikhism,” he adds. 
Everyone was taken aback when Chet Prasad, now Gurbaksh, returned to his village and was not welcomed. “Within a week, I left my village; this time I went to Jammu, from where I shifted to Amritsar, where I studied at Shaheed Sikh Missionary College, and did giani and shabad gayan at the Golden Temple” he adds. 
Lamsal started performing religious services at different gurdwaras, which also became his source of income. With time, he married a Sikh woman, Surinder Kaur. “Now my son and daughter are settled in the US, while another daughter lives in Nautanwa in Nepal,” he adds. 
He credits the “blessings of gurus” for what he is today. “I have vowed to spread the teachings of Sikhism all my life,” he adds.