Swami Ramanand Tirtha Biography 
Swami Ramanand Tirtha was a social activist, educationalist and freedom fighter from Andhra Pradesh. He is known for his agitations against last Nizam of Hyderabad for the unification of the state with India union and the movement is known as Hyderabad liberation struggle. He was the main leader of the Hyderabad State Congress and was associated with Indian National Congress. He started India’s first National School at Hipparge Rava and also worked as a teacher. Several educational institutions of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been named after him. Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University was established at Nanded in 1994. 172 colleges are affiliated to this university.
He was born as Vyenkatesh Bhagvanrao Khedgikar on 03 October, 1903 in Hyderabad. When India gained independence in 1947, Nizam of Hyderabad declared his intention to remain independent. With the support of the Congress leaders, Swami Ramanand Tirtha along with the communists of Telangana started a protest against the last Nizam for the integration of Hyderabad state to independent India. The movement was led by Swami Ramanand Tirtha, for which he is remembered most. Leaders like Burgula Ramakrishna Rao were also associated with the movement which eventually ended in success.
Though he was inclined towards Communists during his early days and Hyderabad liberation struggle movement, towards the end of life he became a Hindu monk and took the name, Swami Ramanand Tirtha. He was initiated to Sanyasa at Hipparge Rava in the District of Osmanabad. Swami Ramanand Tirtha is also known for his outstanding contributions as an educationalist. He started the National School Hipparge Rava and also worked as a teacher in Ausa in Latur district. He died in Hyderabad on 22 Jan 1972.
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Updated: July 09, 2016
