Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati

Reincarnation of Adi Shankaracharya

Sri Sachchidananda Sivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji ascended as the 33rd Jagadguru of the sacred Dakshinamnaya Sharada Peetham established by Adi Shankaracharya, adorning the Vyakhyana Simhasana—the Throne of Transcendental Wisdom—from 1879 to 1912. This extraordinary period of thirty-three years witnessed a renaissance of Vedantic learning and dharmic practice that would reshape the spiritual landscape of India.

The divine parallels between His life and that of Adi Shankaracharya were evident from His earliest years. Like the great Acharya, He experienced the profound loss of His father at a tender age, shaping His spiritual sensibilities through early exposure to life's impermanence. Most remarkably, He embraced sannyasa at the extraordinarily young age of eight years—exactly mirroring Adi Shankaracharya's own early renunciation. This unprecedented spiritual maturity in such a young child was widely recognized as divine confirmation that the original Acharya had indeed returned to fulfill His eternal mission of establishing dharma.

These biographical parallels, however, represent merely the opening notes of a symphony of divine accomplishments that would definitively establish His identity as Adi Shankaracharya reborn. His life's work presents an unmistakable pattern of achievements that perfectly mirror and extend the original Acharya's mission:

• Preservation of Dharma in Crisis: Like Sri Adi Shankaracharya who revived Vedanta when divergent ideas and faiths threatened its existence, He preserved Sanatana Dharma when British colonial policies threatened its complete extinction

• Institutional Renaissance: Established and sustained numerous Pathashalas when the traditional gurukula system faced systematic destruction

• Literary Preservation: Compiled and published the complete works of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, under the title Shaankara Granthavali, ensuring that His works would survive for posterity

• Birthplace of Sri Adi Shankaracharya: Discovered and established Kalady as the definitive birthplace of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, creating temples and pilgrimage infrastructure

• Shankara Jayanti Celebrations: Instituted Shankara Jayanti celebrations throughout India, connecting millions to their spiritual heritage and initiating a mass spiritual awakening

• Banaras Hindu University: Blessed the founding of Banaras Hindu University by sending His Guru's sacred padukas, bridging traditional and modern learning

• Transformative Teaching: Converted even hardened materialists and skeptics into sincere believers through His divine presence

• Unparalleled Scholarship: Mastered all branches of Shastraic knowledge while achieving the highest levels of yogic realization

• Perfect Succession: Prepared Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati, a jivanmukta, ensuring the tradition's continuity at its most exalted level

This extraordinary convergence of biographical parallels and civilizational achievements could only manifest through the return of the same divine consciousness that originally established the Advaitic tradition. No ordinary soul, however accomplished, could have accomplished such a comprehensive restoration of dharma during its darkest hour.

Divine Mentorship: The Twelve-Year Odyssey

His revered Guru, Sri Vruddha Nrisimha Bharati, recognizing the extraordinary potential and divine destiny of His young disciple, undertook the momentous responsibility of personally shaping this future luminary of dharma. With the prescient wisdom that only a realized master possesses, the great Acharya embarked upon an unprecedented twelve-year Vijaya Yatra, taking His eight-year-old successor-designate on a transformative journey across the vast expanse of the Indian subcontinent.

This was no ordinary pilgrimage, but a meticulously planned spiritual education designed to prepare the young soul for the monumental challenges that awaited Him. For twelve formative years—from the tender age of eight to twenty—the future Jagadguru absorbed not merely academic knowledge but practical wisdom about administration, human nature, regional variations in spiritual practice, and the diverse challenges facing dharma across different territories.

During this extraordinary odyssey, the young disciple witnessed firsthand how His Guru's presence could transform entire communities, how spiritual authority could be exercised with perfect compassion, and how the eternal principles of Vedanta could be adapted to address contemporary challenges without compromising their essential truth. The Guru's divine foresight in providing such comprehensive experiential training suggests that He fully understood the civilizational crisis His disciple would face and the unprecedented responsibility he would bear as the guardian of dharma during its darkest hour.

This twelve-year foundation of intensive mentorship under the guidance of one of history's greatest tapasvis proved to be the perfect preparation for what lay ahead. When the young Acharya eventually ascended the Peetham, He possessed not merely theoretical knowledge but the practical wisdom, administrative acumen, and unshakeable spiritual strength needed to preserve Sanatana Dharma when it faced its greatest existential threat. The Guru's investment of twelve precious years in personally training His successor stands as one of history's most far-sighted acts of spiritual preparation, ensuring that Dharma would have a protector equal to any challenge.

Savior of Dharma in Perilous Times

While Indians across the subcontinent were organizing freedom movements to gain political independence from British rule, a far more insidious and potentially catastrophic battle was being waged—one that few recognized or fought against. The British colonial administration had systematically dismantled India's traditional educational system, severing the financial support that kings and wealthy patrons had provided for millennia to sustain Vedic learning. Under the ancient gurukula system, sacred knowledge was never exchanged for money; instead, royal patronage and societal support ensured that pandits and scholars could dedicate their lives entirely to preserving and transmitting divine wisdom.

The colonial government's calculated destruction of this support structure threatened to accomplish what foreign invasions had failed to achieve—the complete extinction of India's spiritual and intellectual heritage. Traditional learning centers closed, accomplished pandits faced destitution, and centuries-old lineages of knowledge transmission stood on the verge of permanent collapse.

In this hour of civilizational crisis, Sri Sachchidananda Sivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji emerged as virtually the sole guardian of Sanatana Dharma's educational foundation. While political leaders fought for territorial freedom, He waged an equally crucial but largely unrecognized battle to preserve the very soul of Indian civilization. Through extraordinary personal effort and divine vision, He not only maintained existing centers of learning but established new Pathashalas across the land, personally ensuring their financial sustainability and academic excellence.

This heroic preservation of Vedic education in the face of systematic colonial suppression represents one of history's most remarkable acts of cultural resistance. Without His unwavering dedication, the unbroken chain of Vedic knowledge that stretches back to the beginning of time would have been severed forever. It is precisely this successful revival of Sanatana Dharma during the most perilous period in its history that establishes His divine identity as Adi Shankaracharya reborn—for like the original Acharya who revitalized dharma when Buddhism and other heterodox schools threatened its existence, He accomplished the seemingly impossible task of preserving and revitalizing the tradition when it faced its greatest existential threat.

Master of All Sacred Sciences

His Holiness possessed an unparalleled mastery of the Shastras that amazed even the most accomplished scholars of His era. This comprehensive command over the entire corpus of sacred literature was perfectly complemented by His achievements as a supreme tapasvin and accomplished yogi. The synthesis of profound scholarship with the highest levels of spiritual realization made Him a beacon of integrated wisdom—one who could expound the most subtle philosophical truths while demonstrating their practical application through His own perfected life.

Architect of Shankara Jayanti Tradition

Among His other far-reaching contributions was the establishment of Shankara Jayanti celebrations throughout India. Recognizing that the masses needed tangible ways to connect with their spiritual heritage, the Jagadguru instituted this annual commemoration of Sri Adi Shankaracharya's birth, ensuring that future generations would remain connected to the fountainhead of Advaitic wisdom. This visionary initiative transformed a scholarly tradition into a living celebration that continues to inspire millions of devotees across the subcontinent.

Shaankara Granthavali: Preserving the Master's Literary Legacy

Understanding the critical importance of preserving Sri Adi Shankaracharya's teachings for posterity, His Holiness undertook the monumental task of collecting, editing, and publishing the complete works of the great Acharya. Under His meticulous supervision, these invaluable texts were compiled and published as the comprehensive Shaankara Granthavali. This scholarly achievement ensured that Adi Shankaracharya's profound commentaries, original treatises, and devotional compositions would remain accessible to serious students and practitioners for all time.

Rediscovering Kalady, the Birthplace of Sri Shankaracharya

Through rigorous historical research and divine insight, the Jagadguru established beyond any doubt that Kalady was the sacred birthplace of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Not content with mere scholarly verification, He personally determined the exact sites of spiritual significance and consecrated magnificent temples—one dedicated to Sri Adi Shankaracharya Himself and another to the Divine Mother Sharadamba. These sacred structures transformed Kalady into a major pilgrimage destination, enabling countless devotees to connect with their spiritual roots at the very heart of the Advaitic tradition.

Banaras Hindu University

When Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya conceived his revolutionary vision for Banaras Hindu University—an institution that would bridge traditional Vedic learning with modern educational requirements—he recognized that such an unprecedented undertaking required the blessing of India's foremost spiritual authority. Understanding the immense significance of this educational renaissance, Malaviya approached Sri Sachchidananda Sivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji with a heartfelt request to grace the foundation stone ceremony with His divine presence.

The Jagadguru, though unable to travel to Banaras in time for the ceremony, demonstrated His wholehearted support for this visionary concept in the most sacred manner possible. Recognizing the profound importance of Malaviya's mission to revive and preserve traditional learning within a modern framework, He chose to send the blessed padukas (sacred footwear) of His revered Guru, Sri Vruddha Nrisimha Bharati, to consecrate and bless the university's foundation.

This extraordinary gesture carried immense spiritual significance, as the Guru's padukas represent the continuous flow of divine grace and wisdom through the sacred lineage. By bestowing this supreme blessing upon Banaras Hindu University, the Jagadguru ensured that the institution would serve not merely as a center of academic learning but as a sanctified space where ancient wisdom could flourish alongside contemporary knowledge. These sacred padukas remain preserved to this day in the university's museum, serving as a permanent reminder of the Jagadguru's divine blessing and continuing spiritual presence.

The Jagadguru's prescient recognition and support of Malaviya's vision helped establish BHU as one of India's premier institutions for both traditional and modern education, creating a model that would inspire similar initiatives across the nation. His blessing transformed what could have been merely an educational experiment into a spiritually sanctified mission for the preservation and propagation of Sanatana Dharma in the modern age.

Transformer of Hearts and Minds

The Jagadguru's spiritual influence transcended all boundaries of belief and skepticism. Even those who, like the ancient Charvakas, completely rejected the authority of the Vedas and Shastras, found themselves utterly transformed into sincere astikas (believers) through exposure to His luminous teachings and divine presence. This extraordinary capacity to convert the most hardened materialists into devoted seekers demonstrated the irresistible power of realized wisdom working through perfect compassion.

The Living Embodiment of Adi Shankaracharya

Contemporary spiritual authorities and countless devotees recognized His Holiness as nothing less than the reincarnation of Sri Adi Shankaracharya Himself, returned to reestablish Sanatana Dharma in an age of spiritual decline. This recognition was not based on mere devotional sentiment but on the unmistakable evidence of His comprehensive achievements in scholarship, spiritual realization, institutional development, and transformative influence—all perfectly mirroring the multifaceted greatness of the original Acharya.

Every initiative He undertook was designed with the single-pointed purpose of spreading dharma and making the eternal truths of Vedanta accessible to sincere seekers regardless of their background or previous beliefs. His life became a living demonstration that the highest spiritual truths, when embodied by a realized master, possess unlimited power to transform individuals and entire societies.

The Perfect Successor

The divine nature of His spiritual lineage was exemplified in His choice of successor—Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati, who would become the 34th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. This extraordinary soul, recognized as a jivanmukta (one liberated while living), served not merely as His successor but as His devoted disciple, ensuring the seamless continuation of the sacred tradition at its highest level of realization.

Eternal Source of Grace

The transformative power of His divine presence continues to bless seekers across time. It is said that merely remembering Sri Sachchidananda Sivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji with sincere devotion can bestow all shreyas (spiritual welfare), material prosperity, and lasting happiness upon the devotee. This testament to His continuing grace reflects the eternal nature of a truly realized soul whose influence transcends the limitations of time and space.

His thirty-three-year tenure upon the Vyakhyana Simhasana stands as one of the most transformative periods in the history of the Sringeri tradition, during which the ancient wisdom of Advaita Vedanta was not merely preserved but actively revitalized for a new age, ensuring its continued relevance and accessibility for countless generations of spiritual seekers.

During the greater part of the 19th century the Peetha at Sringeri was presided over by Sri Nrisimha Bharati VIII (1817 – 1879). The Guru was in his 60th year and he had graced the Peetha for 40 years. One day, while engaged in contemplation, it appeared to him that a voice arose saying “make room”. He interpreted it to mean that he should nominate a successor and bring him up properly, in a manner suited to the position he was to occupy. The guru sent for several horoscopes and had them scrutinized. The search for a suitable nominee took eight years. At last he found a horoscope to his satisfaction. The boy Shivaswami was seven years old at this time. Lakshmi Narasimha Sastri, accompanied by his young brother Shivaswami came to Sringeri to pay their respects to the Guru. The Guru seated the boy by his side and asked him what he wanted. The boy quoted a Sanskrit verse. This was a prayer to Siva, peculiarly appropriate to the occasion and in harmony with the Upanishadic doctrine that the guru was God himself in human form. The boy wanted nothing but steadfast devotion to the guru. This prompt reply from the young Shivaswami greatly pleased the Guru.

In 1866 Sri Nrisimha Bharati Swami ordained him under the Diksha name of Sri Sacchidananda Sihvabhinava Nrisimha Bharati. It was a long compound name; but the guru wanted that the name of his guru Sacchidananda who was a great yogi should be given to the initiate; the boy’s name as determined by his father was originally Shivaswami and the pandits assembled there were of the opinion that Shiva, the first part of the name given by the father, should be added; the Maharaja of Mysore who was present throughout the ceremonies thought his guru’s name – Nrisimha Bharati – should also be added. The young Sanyasin, eight years old, was fatigued at the end of the day long rites of ordination and when he was put to rest, much to the wonder of his Guru, he murmured in his sleep Sarvoham, Sarvoham manifesting the spiritual potentiality that lay in store for him.

The Jagadguru had already fixed upon Narasimha Sastri, a young man born in Sringeri, of sparkling intelligence and ‘exemplary character’ for nomination as his successor to the Peetha. He had prayed to the Devi fervently to make Narasimha ‘a paragon of wisdom, a pupil to me.’ Narasimha was at that time pursuing higher studies in the Sanskrit College in the Mutt at Bangalore. Early in March 1912, the Jagadguru felt it was time for him to renounce his body. Finally resolved to initiate his successor, he directed that Narasimha Sastri should be brought to Sringeri after informing the Maharaja.

On March 20, 1912, the great Acharya attained Videhamukthi and his mortal remains were interred in Narasimha Vana, and over the samadhi, a linga was installed. Sri Narasimha ascended the Peetha on April 7 under the name of Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Swami.

A prince among Atmajnanis, an exemplar of bhakthi, a veritable Bharati in knowledge, an adept in yoga, Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swami was universally hailed as an avatar of Sri Shankara. And appropriately enough he conceived the need to resuscitate Kaladi, the birth place of Shankara. His universal sympathy and benevolence drew to his presence men of all religions. Muslims and Christians no less than Hindus saw in him a saint full of purity and Godliness. Tutor Fraser avowed that his conversation with the Acharya had lifted his soul above life’s turmoil. Wrote Charles Johnston: ‘He is a man of the highest character, a magnetic personality, a fine Sanskrit scholar and a perfect master of the intricacies of the Vedanta Philosophy.’ Thousands sought relief from troubles and none went away disappointed. He gave relief out of his intense psychic powers which came to him unsolicited. Like Sri Shankara the Acharya preached Vaidika dharma and condemned immoral practice in the name of religion.

Many eminent Sanyasis had their training and vidhyabyasa under the Jagadguru. One of them is Sri Venkatarama Sarasvati who later became Sri Bharathi Krishna Tirtha, Head of the Govardana Peetha and another K.Ramachandra Aiyar who became the siddha Sri Ramananda Sarasvati. Ardhanari, who later became the siddha Villimalai Sri Sacchidananda, had his first initiation from the Jagadguru into vairagya and vanaprastashrama. In response to the Jagadguru’s commands and under his guidance the Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, brought out a complete edition of Sri Shankara’s works and a series of publications on Vedanta. The hymns sung by the Jagadguru on different occasions, often during his visits to the temples, have been published as an anthology under the title Bhaktisudhatarangini.

First tour

After the formal installation the two Acharyas started on a tour. After visiting Srirangapatnam, Nanjangud and Chamarajanagar, they toured the districts of Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchurapalli, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Trivandrum, Chengelpet, North Arcot, Madras, Cuddappah and Kurnool, and returned to Sringeri in 1878. During the twelve years the tour lasted, the education and training of the young Acharya was completed under the personal care of the senior Guru. On Sri Nrisimha Bharati Swami attaining Mahasamadhi, Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati ascended the Vyakyana Simhasana of the Sharada Pitha as thirty-third in the line of succession from Sri Adi Shankara.

Second tour (to the North)

The first six years of his incumbency were spent in constant Puja and yogic exercises, in which he soon attained perfection. He was in constant spiritual communion with his guru and this gave him necessary inspiration and sustaining faith. He started on a tour in February 1886 and first went to Gokarna to worship at the shrine of Sri Mahabaleshwara, who was in the last thoughts of his Guru. Visiting one place after another, the Acharya reached Kolhapur, where the Swami of the local Mutt received him with due respect. The Acharya did not proceed beyond Poona and started on his return journey. After four years of digvijaya, the Acharya returned to Sringeri in 1890.

Third tour (to the south)

Life in Sringeri for the next two years was a quiet one for the Acharya, who daily gave lessons in advanced works of Vedanta. Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar sent a pressing invitation that the Acharya accepted. He went to Mysore in 1891. After visiting Nanjangud, the Acharya went to the source of Cauvery in Coorg. Sathyamangalam and Gobichettipalayam were then visited. In the latter town, the Acharya consecrated and installed the Murti of Sri Subramanya in a temple built by a wealthy resident of the place. He then visited the Agraharams on the banks of Cauvery and at Ayyampalayam, laid the foundation of Dandapani temple at the request of a wealthy mirasdar. Then to Kadattur, Palani, Madurai and Rameshwaram. During the navaratri which he celebrated in Ramanathapuram at the earnest solicitation of the Raja he stopped the gruesome form of worshipping the goddess by sacrificing sheep and installed within the palace enclosure Sri Raja Rajeshwari and a Sri Chakra and arranged for the daily puja according to Vedic rites, for which the Raja set apart a village. The Raja further offered to the Mutt five villages in his zamin. He then visited Koilur near Karaikudi which is the seat of Advaita Mutt conducted by Nagarattars ( nattukotai chettiars) and several other towns in Chettinad. The Nagarattars gave him Rupees Thirty Thousand towards renovation of the temple of Sri Sharada of Sringeri. There he heard the news of the death of the Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar which most distressed him.

Proceeding to Tirunelveli, he visited Banathirta, the source of Tamraparani, one of the most sacred thirthas of our land, where the Zamindar of Singampatti entertained him. On the return journey he installed Sri Dandapani, Sri Prasanna Parameshwara, Sri Prasanna Parvathi and Sri Srinivasa in the temple which Mirasdar Tandavaraya Pillai had built at Aiyampalayam (April 1895). At Bangalore he received an invitation from the Maharani Regent and went to Mysore to console her and bless the young princes.

With the help and blessings of the Jagadguru and the co-operation of Raju Sastri and other descendent of Sri Appayya Dikshita, a devout yati, Swami Mahadevendra Saraswati of the Upanishad Brahmendra Mutt at Kanchi got the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple (near Vellore), associated with a sacred memory of Dikshita, renovated, performed Kumbabhishekam and arranged for daily worship(1892).

In 1894-1895, the Government of Maharaja Sinde of Gwalior communicated their decision that in that State, the Sringeri Mutt should be given precedence over Sankeswar Mutt. Soon after he returned to Sringeri, he established the Sadvidya Sanjivini Patashala providing for studies in Vedas and Sastras. He himself taught Vedanta to some advanced students.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya deputed one of his friends to invite the Acharya to Varanasi to lay the foundation-stone of the Hindu University. The Acharya regretted his inability to proceed to Varanasi at such short notice and instead sent a pair of his guru’s sandals, which, he said, would impart greater blessings to the enterprise than he could ever do.

The Jagadguru’s mind was set on retirement and Tapasya. He had a portion of the jungle to the south of the river cleared and an ashrama put up in the clearing, which he named Narasimha Vana after his Guru. He lived there for most of the years, but the Chaturmasya months, he spent in Mutt buildings. Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar with his brother and his tutor Fraser came to Sringeri in 1898 to obtain guru’s blessings before assuming the reins of administration. He repeated the visit in 1901.

The need to take effective steps to counteract the spread of irreligion and materialism and indifference, if not opposition, to the age-long spiritual and moral codes was very prominent in his mind. Centuries ago, when there was spiritual chaos in the land, Sri Shankara incarnated and revived the dharma of the land. The Acharya longed for another descent of the spirit of the Master for which purpose he felt it necessary to build a shrine at the birth place of Sri Shankara and make it a great centre of pilgrimage to radiate spiritual influence all over the land.

As a first step he instituted the annual festival – Sri Shankara Jayanti -a five day festival in April-May in honour of the great Master’s birthday. The festival has since become popular in the country and is now marked in the almanacs.

Deputed by the Acharya, Diwan Seshadri Aiyar succeeded in identifying the site of the ancient agrahara in Kaladi, the birth place of Sri Shankara. The Acharya deputed the learned Nadukaveri Srinivasa Sastri to go to the place every year and conduct the festival. In 1905 the Acharya sent his agent Srikantha Sastri and A. Ramachandra Aiyar, a retired Judge of the High Courts of Travancore and Mysore to acquire with the help of the Travancore Government the land about Kaladi. The pious and highminded Maharaja Rama Varma (popularly called Sri Mulam Tirunal) and his Diwan V.P. Madhava Rao readily fell in with the proposal. The Maharaja introduced in the State as law, the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1904 for the preservation of Ancient monuments, and in pursuance there of ‘acquired’ Kundakara puraiydam lekkam No.115 registered in the name of Kaipalli Nambutri, and in the possession of Tekkamatam Svamiyar and other lands in Kaladikara Manjappara Proverthy, Kuttanad Taluk, which are associated with Sri Shankaracharya containing sites which are known as his birth place, the sites where his house stood and the site on which the remains of his mother were cremated. The Maharaja placed the site so acquired at the disposals of the Jagadguru together with ten thousand rupees for developing the site for the shrines to be built on it.

Fourth tour (to Kaladi)

Overjoyed with the initial success of his scheme, the Jagadguru sought the grace of Sri Sharada and commenced his tour to Kaladi. During these years he had become so enamoured of a quiet life of comtemplation and communion with the self in quiet retreats of Narasimha Vana, that it was a great wrench tearing himself away from the place. The verses that he addressed to Sri Sharada on the occasion came from the depth of his heart and reflect the working of his mind and spiritual experiences. ‘Why then do you send me away from your presence? I was happy spending my time visiting my Guru’s shrine or the shrine of Sri Vidyatirtha, wandering along the Narasimha hill, chanting Vivekachudamani or Atmavidhyavilasa or the hymns of Sri Shankara or seated on the sands of the river fixing my mind on the parvattva (Eternal Truth) ? Am I not your child entrusted to your special care by my guru’? – in these and similar strains did he pour out his heart.

But the great scheme called for fulfillment. It was Sri Sharada’s behest as he understood it. Before he left Sringeri he laid foundation of a new temple for Sri Sharada to be built of granite. The Maharaja with his wife, mother and brother paid a sudden visit to the Acharya, and received initiation in the Shivapanchakshari and Sri Vidhya mantras and worship of Sri Chakra.

Leaving Sringeri in February 1907, the Acharya reached Bangalore in May. At the request of V.P. Madhava Rao who had become Diwan of Mysore, and A. Ramachandra Aiyar, he installed an image of Sri Shankara in the newly acquired plot in Shankarapuram in the heart of Bangalore city. Passing through Mysore by quick marches, he reached Gobichettipalayam, and visiting the villages on the banks of river Kaveri, arrived at Jambukeshwaram (Tiruvanaicoil) near Tiruchirapalli to participate in the Kumbabhishekam of the temple of Sri Jambunatha and Sri Akilandeswari which had been renovated by Chidambaram Chettiar of Kanadukattan. After a brief halt at Srirangam and Tiruchirapalli, he travelled to Koilur through Pudukottai, then to Kanadukattan, Karaikudi, Devakottai, and Kunnakudi where he performed the year’s chaturmasya. Then Madurai, Ramanathapuram and Rameshwaram were visited. The disciples in the towns and villages of Tirunelveli gave him a rousing reception, and out of their munificent contributions, two lakhs of rupees were earmarked for the consecration of Kalady shrines. The Acharya went to Papanasam Banathirta falls, and Sri Kanyakumari. When he reached Trivandrum in 1909, a royal and unprecedented reception awaited him. The Maharaja presented an elephant and another sum of ten thousand rupees towards the expenses of the consecration of the Kaladi shrines.

On the return journey, the Acharya passed through Cochin State, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruchirapalli districts and reaching Aiyampalayam installed in the Sri Dandapani temple of Tandavaraya Pillai, an image of Sri Shankara. His agent had already installed there an image of the Acharya. In the Mysore State, he visited Nandi hills and then Bangalore, where in the newly built Mutt buildings, he instituted a College of higher Sanskrit studies- the Bharatiya Geervana Praudha Vidya Abhivardani Mahapathasala and declared open residential quarters for teachers and pupils which V.P. Madhava Rao had donated. Reaching Sringeri in March 1911, he hastened to the shrine of Sri Sharada and sang hymns of the thankfulness saying, ‘I have seen the mother….. What then remains to be done?’.

The Consecration of the Kalady Shrines

At Perambavur, five miles from Kaladi, the agent of the Mutt Srikantha Sastri and Ramachandra Aiyar came to the Acharya to report progress. The Acharya soon went into Samadhi, and there stood before him the vision of Sri Aryamba, mother of Sri Shankara, as if welcoming him with a winning and benevolent smile. Reaching Kaladi, the first place he visited was an ashoka tree which stands at the place where the blessed mother was cremated by Sri Shankara.

Kalady, for long a sleepy hollow in the woods, pulsated with a new life on the arrival of the Acharya. Two beautiful shrines had been built, one for Sri Shankara and the other for Sri Sharada, both of which the Jagadguru consecrated on Monday, February 21, 1910. The act symbolised the re-descent of Sri Shankara on the earth, and the Acharya prayed to both Sri Shankara and Sri Sharada to establish in the land the reign of Dharma and ensure the well-being of all people.

The Swami of the Sivaganga Mutt was also present during the ceremonies. During his stay in Kaladi, the Acharya received the Maharaja of Mysore and Cochin, and the Diwans and high officials of the States of Mysore, Travancore and Cochin.