20 Facts About Swarupananda

Swarupananda was a direct monastic disciple of Vivekananda and the first president of the Advaita Ashrama, set up by Vivekananda in 1899 at Mayavati, near Champawat.

Swarupananda remained as editor of Prabuddha Bharata, an English-language monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order, when it shifted base from Chennai in 1898 and remained so till 1906.

Swarupananda was born on 8 July 1871 at Bhawanipur in Calcutta, in a well-to-do Brahmin family.

Swarupananda developed friendship with Satishchandra Mukherjee, who was in his later years a patriot and a scholar, and together started a school for imparting knowledge of Indian scriptures and Sanskrit education.

Swarupananda met the Swami several times, before the latter initiated him into the monastic order.

Swarupananda was married early in his youth, but continued to live as a Brahmachari or celibate at his parents' home in Calcutta.

Sevier, with the help of Swarupananda, found an old tea estate suitable for the Ashram, at Mayavati, near Almora in July 1898.

Swarupananda taught her Bengali and Hindu religious literature every day.

Swarupananda discussed about his ideas of the work to be carried out from the Ashrama with Swarupananda.

Swarupananda was keen to work for the upliftment of the tribal and the poor people in the region.

Swarupananda initiated education of hill people in modern methods of cultivation to address their acute poverty and shortage of food.

Swarupananda started a charitable dispensary which even today serves the people of the region.

Swarupananda arranged to teach Hindi and English to the tribal employees of the Ashrama.

Swarupananda begged from door to door in Nainital for Swami Kalyanananda to enable him to serve the old and sick monks and poor people in Haridwar and Rishikesh.

In 1905 when the Dharmashala region was hit by a severe earthquake, Swarupananda collected funds for the relief work and directed the work.

Swarupananda was regular in his spiritual practices and austerities, apart from the various secular activities that kept him engaged.

Swarupananda built a hut near the ashrama which came to be known as Swarupananda hut, for the purpose of meditating in seclusion.

Swarupananda worked among youth and students to spread the message of Vivekananda.

Swarupananda was invited by His Highness of Baroda to preach Vedanta, together with Swami Vivekananda.

Swarupananda suffered from pneumonia after being drenched by rain while travelling to Nainital and died on 27 June 1906.