Pandurangashram

Who is Pandurangashram?

Swami Pāndurangāshram was the eighth guru of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community for 52 years, from 1863 to 1915. He had succeeded his teacher Swami Krishnāshram after the latter attained Mahā-Samādhi in 1857.

Pāndurangāshram was a Sanskrit scholar, a Yogi and was a Jyothishi as well. He believed in the Dharma and was trained in the Sanskrit Scriptures under 'Swami Raghunāth Shāstri and 8 other special scholars from Kashmir.

Under his administration, several infrastructural changes were brought about in Chitrapur Village in Shirali and it was made as a "model village" with aspects of town-planning. Moreover all the samādhis of the previous Mathādhipatis were reconstructed.

He brought about many social changes in the community. He was a firm believer in Dharma and reprimanded those who did not follow it. He imposed a ban on foreign visits and excommunicated anyone who went abroad.

Pāndurangāshram died in 1915 and was succeeded by his shishya Ānandāshram. His samādhi is located within the premises of the Chitrapur Math in Shirali.