Swaroopanand Saraswati

Swaroopanand Saraswati Biography

Swaroopanand Saraswati is a religious monk, spiritual personality and a freedom fighter. During his younger days, he participated in Quit India Movement, and got jailed for two years. In 1973, he became the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, Badrinath. But his position is disputed and a court case was filed by him in Allahabad District court, for his claims of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math. But he later became Shankaracharya of Dwarka peeth. He has given public opinions and remarks on political subjects and social issues like River Ganga pollution, Jammu and Kashmir and Article 370, Uniform civil code, beef trade and export, women worshipping Shani and many more. In 2016 he blamed that RSS takes the name of the Hindus, but they have no commitment towards Hindutva.

Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati was born on 2 September 1924 at Dighori village of Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh. His birth name is Pothiram Upadhyay. He was a disciple of Brahmananda Saraswati and Shankaracharya Krishnabodha Ashrama, both of Jyotir Math. Associated with Quit India Movement and freedom struggle in the 1940s, he turned a yogi in the 1950s, associated with religious and spiritual thoughts.

On Swami Krishnabodha Ashrama's demise in 1973, he succeeded his guru. He became Shankaracharya of Dwarka peeth in 1982. His claim of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math invited controversies and a petition at Allahabad District court. In the recent times, he has given some public opinions related to politics and social issues, which helped him to remain in limelight. He opposed women worshipping Shani at Shani Shingnapur temple, Ahmednagar. In 2014 he made bad remarks against Indian guru Shirdi Sai Baba and his followers. In 2016 he questioned the claim of ISKCON to be a part of Sanatana Dharma.

Published: October 30, 2018

Updated: October 30, 2018