Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati
Personal
ReligionHinduism
SectSwarnavalli Mutt, Sirsi, Karnataka, India
PhilosophyAdvaita Vedanta
Religious career
GuruShri Sarwajnendra Saraswati

Shri Gangadharendra Saraswati, officially Shreemajjagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Gangadharendra Saraswati Swamij, is pontiff (Guru) of Shri Sonda Swarnavalli Mutt,[1] Sirsi, Karnataka, India. He is the 54th Guru of this mutt. He took sannyasa and ordination from Shri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamiji of Kanchi Matha which is known as Kanchi kamakoti Peetham. He is a follower of Advaita Vedanta.

Early life

Before his initiation, Shree Swamiji was known as Veda Vidvan Shri Parameshvara Bhat and he was a Havyaka Brahmin. The swamiji ascended the holy seat as Head of Sonda Swarnavalli Samsthanam (Swarnavalli Math) on 2 February 1991, at the age of 23.[2][3]

Gita Campaign

He is well known for leading and guiding the 'Bhagavad Gita Abhiyaan' – a campaign for promotion of Bhagawad Gita all over in the state Karnataka and in Kasaragod of Kerala. The Government of Karnataka has openly supported this campaign by supposedly issuing orders to teach Bhagawad Gita as a part of this campaign in all the schools controlled by the Government. On 14 July 2011, the Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said that those opposing the Gita teaching should quit India. He said teaching the said holy book was necessary to inculcate moral values in students. Later former Higher Education Minister of Government of Karnataka V. S. Acharya also supported Mr. Kageri by saying the programme should not be seen as religious teaching and there is no connection between Bhagavad Gita and religion. Gita has more to do with human values. Finally the Government of Karnataka has temporarily withdrawn the said order after facing stiff opposition from minority communities by religion.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

According to Swamiji the Bhagawad Gita is the panacea for all the major problems afflicting the country and the humanity. It conditions the mind to face any eventuality, by offering solutions for every situation[14] and it can cure stress and depression.[15]

Environmentalism

He is popularly known as Green Swamiji[16] for his environmentalism and environmental conservation works.

In the year 2002, Shri Swamiji has toured the entire Uttara Kannada district, to mobilise the people for taking up a massive afforestation programme, with due co-operation from the Forest Department. As a result, more than five lakh saplings of different varieties were planted throughout the district.[17]

He is known for leading the moment against construction of additional units in the Kaiga Atomic Power Station citing environmental issues.[18]

He also said to have opposed functioning of all the four units of the Kaiga Atomic Power Station and demanded immediate shut down until the health survey by the Tata Memorial Centre proved that the plant does not cause any health hazard. The Erstwhile Western Ghat Task Force, an apex body for the protection of western ghats of Government of Karnataka was also said to have supporting the swamiji.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25] He is also leader of Kali Valley environment awareness campaign and head of the Bedti-Aghanashini Valley Protection-Committee.[24]

Other activities

He is also said to be an active participant in the movement against Alcoholism[26] He is also said to be a strong supporter of areca growers and known to popularise organic farming.[27][28]

Awards

The prestigious "Parisara Shree" award of the year 2010–2011 given by Government of Karnataka has been awarded to Shree Gangadharendra Saraswati Swamiji of Swarnavalli Mutt in recognition of his environment conservation works.[16][29][30]

References

  1. ↑ "swarnavallimatha – Shri Shrimajjagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Sonda Swarnavalli Mahasamsthanam". Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Havyaka Welfare Trust – Mumbai (India)
  3. ↑ The Hindu : Karnataka News : Pontiff completes 15 years as head of Sonda math
  4. ↑ Accept Gita or quit India, says Karnataka education minister – Times Of India
  5. ↑ 'Gita' teaching sparks row in Karnataka – The New Indian Express
  6. ↑ The Hindu : NATIONAL / KARNATAKA : ‘Gita in school curriculum only after public debate'
  7. ↑ Bhagavad Gita campaign draws flak in Karnataka – Bangalore – DNA
  8. ↑ Bhagavad Gita campaign in 8 dists soon
  9. ↑ Times of India Publications
  10. ↑ Gita Abhiyaan halted after controversy
  11. ↑ Mixed reaction to Gita Abhiyaan
  12. ↑ Bangalore: 'Gita' Teaching Sparks Row in Karnataka
  13. ↑ The Hindu : Karnataka / Shimoga News : Gita Abhiyan concludes today
  14. ↑ Daijiworld
  15. ↑ ‘Gita helps cure symptoms of depression' – The New Indian Express
  16. 1 2 Swarnavalli Pontiff gets Parisara Shree Award – South India News – IBNLive
  17. ↑ http://swarnavallimatha.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=28%5B%5D
  18. ↑ 'Green Swamiji' to lead anti-nuclear agitation – Bangalore – DNA
  19. ↑ Swarnavalli seer strongly against proposed 5th, 6th units of Kaiga | Mega Media News Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ↑ ‘1 lakh saplings will be planted’ – The New Indian Express
  21. ↑ ‘No Kaiga units V and VI without health surveys’ – The New Indian Express
  22. ↑ The Hindu on indiaserver.com : Environmentalists opposed to Bedti Project
  23. ↑ Shut all units of Kaiga Generation Stations until health survey is done, says seer – Times Of India
  24. 1 2 The Hindu : Environmentalists opposed to Bedti Project
  25. ↑ ‘Protect bio-diversity; shut all four units of the Kaiga’
  26. ↑ Seers seek ban on alcohol – The New Indian Express
  27. ↑ Govt should rescue areca growers, says Swarnaval – The New Indian Express
  28. ↑ Areca prices crash to new low – The New Indian Express
  29. ↑ Swarnavalli Pontiff gets Parisara Shree Award – The New Indian Express
  30. ↑ The Hindu : NATIONAL / KARNATAKA : Swarnavalli Math swamiji presented Parisara Shree award
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