Swami Satyamitranand

Swami Satyamitranand (born 19 September 1932), usually known as Swami Satmitranand Giri Ji is a Hindu spiritual guru. He was born on 19 September 1932 in the city of Agra, (Uttar Pradesh India) as Ambika Prasad.^[1] He was crowned the Jagatguru Shankaracharya of an Upapeeth at Jyotirmath. In June 1969 Swamiji abdicated his status of Jagatguru Shankaracharya.

He is the founder of Bharat Mata Mandir, a famous temple in Haridwar, which was inaugurated by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 15 May 1983. He founded Samanvaya Seva Foundation^[2] in 1988 with the objective of helping poor people from tribes and hilly areas by providing them free education and medical facilities. He has also established Samanvaya Parivar, Samanvaya Kutir, many ashrams and many other social, spiritual and religious programs.

Swami Satyamitranand has travelled to many countries during the past five decades and has a huge number of followers in many countries. He has established centres of learning and worship in various countries, including several countries in Africa, in England, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Fiji, Mauritius and Philippines.^[3]

Early Life and education

Swami Satyamitranand was born on 19 September 1932, in the city of Agra. His father, Shiva Shanker Pande and his mother Triveni Devi both came from devout Brahmin families and they named him Ambika Prasad. His Father was a teacher and received National Award from the then Indian President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Swami Satyamitranand Giri has studied Hindi and Sanskrit and passed M.A. degree from Agra University. He has acquired "Sahitya Ratna" degree in Hindi language and literature He has also earned Shastri Degree from Varanasi Vidya Peeth. After his education he came into contact with Swami Vedavyasananda, who accepted him as a disciple and conferred Sannyasa and named him Satyamitranand.

Shankaraacharya

At the age of 27, Swami Satyamitranand was chosen as the Jagatguru Shankaracharya of the Uttarāmnāya matha, or northern matha at Jyotirmath* . In June 1969, Swamiji abdicate his prestigious status of Jagatguru Shankaracharya in order to continue his service to humanity and to lead the community in the sacred ideals of Sanatan Dharma, spiritual enlightenment and fulfilling inner peace.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by Government of India in the year 2015.^[4]

Bharat Mata Mandir

Bharat Mata Mandir is a multi-storey temple dedicated to Bharat Mata (Mother India). Bharat Mata Mandir was inaugurated on 15 May 1983 by Indira Gandhi on the banks of the river Ganges. It is situated adjacent to the Smanvaya Ashram, and stands eight stories tall to a height of 180 feet (55 m). Each floor depicts an era in the Indian history, from the days of Ramayan[dubious – discuss] until India's independence. On the first floor is the statue of Bharat Mata. The second floor, Shoor Mandir, is dedicated to the well renowned heroes of India. The third floor Matru Mandir is dedicated to the achievements of India's revered women, such as Meera Bai, Savitri, Maitri etc. The great saints from various religions, including Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism are featured on the fourth floor Sant Mandir. The assembly hall with walls depicting symbolic coexistence of all religions practised in India and paintings portraying history and beauty in various provinces, is situated on the fifth floor. The various forms of the Goddess of Shakti can be seen on the sixth floor, whilst the seventh floor is devoted to all incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The eighth floor holds the shrine of Lord Shiva from which devotees can gain a panoramic view of Himalayas, Haridwar, and the splendour of the entire campus of Sapta Sarovar. The temple was built under the former Shankaracharya Maha-Mandleshwar Swami Satyamitranand Giriji Maharaj. Since the inception of the Swami Satyamitranand foundation in 1998, several other branches have been opened, namely in Renukut, Jabalpur, Jodhpur, Indore, and Ahmedabad.

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