The eighth Swami, Shri Pandurangashram also came from the Nagarkar family. || H. H. Shrimat Pandurangashram Swami (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.