|| Shri Chitrapur Math ||

Our first Guru, H.H. Shrimat Parijnanashram-I Swamiji was vouchsafed to our community at Gokarn in 1708. He was a priceless gift of God to the community who pined away in prayer and penance at the Feet of Lord Mahabaleshwar, Gokarn for a Guru, a holy preceptor to whom the then-beleaguered community could look up as a friend, philosopher and guide, as a Kindly Light to light up and guide their faltering steps.

Given below is our resplendent Guru Parampara, a galaxy of Sadgurus, those sentinels of spirituality, who brooded over us, the wayward flock that we are, like doting mothers (Guru Mavuli), exhorting us by example and precept, Achara and Vichara, so that we tide over the travails of Samsara (our daily grind of existence laden with sorrow) and attain ever-lasting fulfillment at the Lotus Feet of God.

The History of Shri Chitrapur Math goes back to the halcyon days of Hindu rule of Kanara by the chiefs of Nagar in Mysore (1560 - 1768). The Smartha Saraswats were holding high positions in the services of this kingdom on account of their loyalty, integrity and intelligence. As a result they became victims of envy of other groups in the court and were decried and discredited in the eyes of the Chief as Brahmins without a Guru or a spiritual head. It so transpired that the Guru of Shenvis at Kavle Math had left Goa for Banaras during this troubles period and when the Chief asked the representatives of our Community as to where their Guru was, they stated that He was in Northern India. The Chief, however was not convinced by this answer and our Community was in a quandary. An appeal was thereupon made to the elders of our Caommunity at Gokarn which was its head-quarters in those days.

They took 'dharan' at the temple of Mahabaleshwar and prayed for light and guidance. The God Mahabaleshwar in His mercy appeared to them in a dream and assured them that a Sanyasi would arrive at Kotitirtha from the north on the following day and that He would be their Guru. The dream came as a great relief to them and the next day, they found Him at the very spot and hour indicated in the dream.

The Sanyasi, who was a Kashmir Saraswat Brahmin in His Purvashram, disclosed that He had a similar mandate from the merciful God, Bhavanishankar. Our people accepted HIM as a veritable god-send and immediately wrote to Nagar that our Guru had arrived.

This was our Shrimat Parijnanashrama I, the first Guru, who thus came to establish in 1708 the glorious line in which our present beloved Swamiji is the 11th in succession.

The Chief, however had still his prejudices and would not be satisfied unless he had a personal interview with the Swamiji and the Jagatguru Shankaracharya of Shringeri accepted Him as a Swamiji of our Community. Swamiji, therefore travelled from Gokarn to Nagar where He was received by our people with great pomp and rejoicings. The Chief was satisfied with Swamiji who thereafter proceeded to Shringeri. There the Jagatguru was so much struck with His learning, piety and yoga that He readily acknowledged Him as the religious head of our Community and bestowed upon Him the usual paraphernalia (Birdu, Bavali and Addapalanki). On His return to Nagar, Swamiji was formally acknowledged by the Chief and thence He came back to Gokarn where a Math was established. His regime lasted till 1720. HIS samadhi and the temple of Shri Umamaheshwar are to be found side by side in Bhandikeri, Gokarn, today.

During the last years of His regime, our first Guru had ordained Shrimat Shankarashrama Swamiji belonging to the family of Haritekars (Koundinya Gotra) as His successor. At the time of ordination, a solemn promise was made to Him by our people in writing that they would be faithful to Him and would follow all His religious observances.The Swamiji's family henceforth came to be known by the title of Shuklabhat. Undertakings were also given to the Guru that the Community would remain faithful to the Math. It was during HIS regime that Basappa Nayak II of Nagar made land grants to the Math by a gift deed dated 1739. He reclaimed some of our people who had become followers of one of the Udipi Swamis and were using the Vaishnav marks on their person. In 1757, He had been to Shirali where He fell ill and stayed as the honoured guest of the Nagarkattekars. He succumbed to His illness(Ananda, Phalgun Sh-5) at the house of this family and His samadhi was built on the very site of this house which they donated in His honour.

The image of Shri Bhavanishankar stands by the side of this samadhi and it is from this time that the Math has been called as Chitrapur Math. In view of the loyal and loving gift of the site made by them, the Nagarkattekars' family has been receiving the first honour (pailo veedo) in the Math during all the ceremonies.

At this juncture some elders recalled that a saintly person from Pandit family, who had earlier been ordained by the Swamiji was in Kollur, practising Yoga and would be a worthy successor. When approached and earnestly prayed, He graciously agreed to succeed to the Peetha. He was Shri Parijnanashram-II. He however did not like to wield power. He therefore adopted a shishya from Shukla family with the yogapatta of Shri Shankarashram-II, and spent greater part of His life in Kollur, though He often visited Shri Chitrapur Math.

The Samadhi of Shri Parijnanashram-II is located at the right side of the Hodi Samadhi at the Chitrapur Math.

•|| H. H. Shrimat Vamanashram Swami 1823-1839 (Mangalore) ||
H. H. Shrimat Vamanashrama hailed from the Shukla family. He was ordained by Shrimat Keshavashrama Swamiji 19 years before He became the Guru. Having an intense leaning towards spirituality and being simple and quiet by nature He entrusted all the affairs of Math to the Shuklabhats who were the managers. His samadhi stands at Mangalore.

•|| H. H. Shrimat Krishnashram Swami 1839-1863 (Shirali) ||
The seventh in the line of our gurus was Shrimat Krishnashrama of the Nagarkar family. He was a great Sanskrit scholar and a great administrator. It is said of Him that His future was predicted by a Malabari astrologer when He was yet a boy and working as a servant of Karnik Devappaya of Mangalore. It was during His long and glorious rule, assisted by a capable parpatgari, Lajmi Venkatramanayya, that many affairs of the Math were set right. Most of the disciples were brought round from Vaishnava practices, fresh landed properties and assets were added and many reforms were brought into force. The car festival was started during His long and glorious regime, at the instance of His shishya. He was a great Sanskrit scholar and was regarded as patron saint of people in Shirali and adjoining villages and towns. His samadhi stands between those of Shrimat Parijnanashrama II and Shrimat Keshavashrama at Chitrapur.

•|| H. H. Shrimat Pandurangashram Swami 1863-1915 (Shirali) ||
The eighth Swami, Shri Pandurangashram also came from the Nagarkar family. Even in His tender age, He was intelligent, quick-witted and strong willed. He was ordained at the age of 12 and had the benefit of training and guidance under the tutelage of His able Guruswami for 5 years.

His reign as Mathadhipati was the longest on record (52 years) and a very eventful one. During His period, the greater part of the Math was rebuilt and all the Samadhis of His predecessors were reconstructed with tamrashashan. A big tank, Shiv-Ganga Sarovar near the Math was dug and 'Panchavati', a tall building on the Govardhan Hill was constructed. Chitrapur village was converted into a model village according to the idea of town-planning with a road in the middle and houses and gardens on both sides. It became a miniature muncipality with street lamps lit during the night and roads swept clean, schools for the children, Post Office with the quarters for the Postmaster, market etc.

He mooted the idea of starting a Rathotsava in Chitrapur to His Guruswami, who immediately agreed to the proposal.

He will always be remembered as one of the ablest administrators. He was a great Sanskrit scholar, a Yogi and a Jyotishi too and was trained under nine special Shastris from Kashmir. HE attained Mahasamadhi in 1915 (Rakshasa Jyeshtha Sh-2). His samadhi is located on the left of the Hodi Samadhi, near the Ganapati shrine.

• || H. H. Shrimat Anandashram Swamiji 1915-1966 (Shirali) ||
Our ninth Guru H. H. Shrimat Anandashrama Swamiji belonged to the Haridas family.He was ordained hardly 8 days prior to the Mahasamadhi of Shri Pandurangashram Swamiji. Having been ordained at very young age, he did not have the benefit of the guidance of His Guruswami. Yet being exceptionally brilliant, He Himself sought knowledge from every source possible. With His pleasing personality and brilliant and learned discourses, He won the hearts of the community.He was 'Anand' personified. His regime was marked by progress and prosperity of the Community with which He kept in touch by periodic visits to the different centres.

During the earlier period of His reign, the financial position of the Math dwindled, and then the elders of the community under the leadership of late Shri H. Shankar Rau formed a new Constitution for the Math administration and strengthened the financial position of the Math. The Car festival was temporarily suspended and instead an Annual Sadhana Saptah was instituted. The miserably low emoluments of the staff were appreciably raised and the financial position was stabilised by creating a variety of capital funds.

He attained Samadhi in Bangalore in 1966 (Prabhava Bha. Sh-3) and His Samadhi stands in Shirali next to that of His Guru

A scheme of Chitrapur Gram vikas Yojana was mooted by HIM to make Chitrapur into a self-maintaining, viable township with an agricultural, industrial and commercial life of its own in addition to its undying spiritual base. This Gram-Vikas Yojana was calculated to develop socio-economically the area around the Math by starting cottage and small-scale industries like printing press, handlooms and powerlooms, agro-industries, development of the Panchvati Hill by building residential quarters on the lines of Shri Tirupati Samsthana. Lovely cottages aptly named Parijnanashraya were constructed by the Kanara Saraswat Association on the Panchvati Hills. HE mooted the idea of a housing scheme Anandashraya for housing and taking care of the old and infirm members of our Community. Anandashraya was built out of the funds collected from the generous public. The Panchvati Dhyanmandir built by H.H.Shrimat Pandurangashrama Swamiji was renovated and beautiful gardens with coloured roses and cactii were laid around the same. HIS varied interest carried HIM into electrical and electronic fields. HE set up a wireless shack at Panchvati.

HE set up a Museum of rare idols and refurbished the library containing rare shashtraic valuable old books with new ones and preserved them with correct connotation and captions.

HE was keen to make the Math self-supporting and developed the Bengre and Kembre property of the Math by planting coconut trees and providing Surti cattle to provide sufficient milk

He restarted the Rathotsava, which was earlier discontinued for economic reasons. Swami Parijnanashram installed a wireless station and Observatory near Panchavati and also collected antiques and artifacts to set up a Museum. As the Spiritual Head of Shree Trust, He started a school for the handicapped in Bolinj at Virar near Mumbai, which is regarded as a unique institution of its kind.

He built a temple at Karla in Maharashtra which was dedicated to the Goddess Durga Parameshwari. Swami Parijnanashram-III attained Samadhi in Bangalore in 1991 (Prajapati Shravana Kr-4 ) and His Samadhi stands next to Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple at Karla..

The Community is fortunate to have a great scholar to lead them into the 21st Century. He is very learned and well-versed in Vedant and Yoga. In a short time He has started several welfare schemes for the people of Chitrapur. His benevolent disposition has plenty of good things in store for the community.

He has established Shrivali Trust which has already set up a Free Medical Dispensary with a qualified doctor and a nurse; and a Pure drinking water facility near the Anandashram Primary School for the benefit of the public. There are many more welfare projects on the anvil. The trust has received an overwhelming response from the Community members who have been gracious enough to donate generously to build-up a Corpus fund for the Trust.