Sathyananda Saraswathi

Sathyananda Saraswathi (also known as Chenkottukonam Swamiji; 22 September 1935 – 23 November 2006), was a Hindu spiritual teacher, orator, historian and dharmic scholar. He was the founder of Hindu Aikya Vedi, and remained its chairman until his death. He is sometimes referred to as His Holiness Swami Sathyananda Saraswathi.
Sathyananda Saraswathi established Sree Rama Dasa Mission. He was an exponent of the four spiritual paths - Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Karma Yoga - as well as a devotee of the Divine mother goddess, and a yogi.
He was known for his efforts for the cause of Hindu unity in India and the temple rights restoration movement.
He conducted Sathakoti Archana (1 Billion Holy Names of the Divine Mother) in Thiruvananthapuram in 2000.

Sathyananda Saraswathi was born Shekharan Nair on 22 September 1935 in a middle-class family of Nairs, a class of Hindu nobility, in the village Andoorkonam near Thiruvananthapuram.

While Shekharan Nair was working as a teacher at a high school, he was summoned to the ashram on the eve of his proposed departure to the Himalayas by Neelakanta Gurupadar. He was initiated in to Sannyasa and trained by his guru, and after the samadhi he started building his organization.

Sathyananda Saraswathi registered Sree Rama Dasa Mission with its motto "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" in 1981.

As the president of the Nilackal Action Committee Sathyananda Saraswathi restored the holy place for Ayyappa devotees near Sabarimala and settled the dispute between Hindu and Christian religious groups.

He played the key-role in Guruvayoor Temple Liberation Struggle and agitations against Devaswom Bill in 1996.

Sathyananda Saraswathi continued Gurupadar's tradition of Parayanam (recitation) of entire Adhyatma Ramayana daily at the temple at Chenkottukonam for more than 8 decades; this still continues.

In 1989 Sathyananda Saraswathi started the Rama Navami Rathyatra covering the southern States of India annually since then.

Sathyananda Saraswathi founded Manishi Herbal Research Foundation for ayurvedic research and production, and prescribed the formulations of many previously unknown medicines claimed to be potent, e.g. launching a health drink called "Herbal Cola".

A spiritual nucleus in the ashram premises at Trivandrum in the form of a 108 foot high temple was named "Jyotikshetra" by Saraswathi.The temple is supposed to have more than hundred sacred flames which would be bought from all the main temples all over india.The beauty of the temple with a spiral walkway going upward is equally admirable as much as the feel and tranquility of the place refreshed and energized with more than hundred cores of vedic chanting and tantric activities.

Sree Rama Dasa mission under Saraswathi worked for the spiritual resurrection by putting an end to inequalities and caste-based discrimination in Indian society.

In 2000 Sathyananda Saraswathi organized and carried out Shatakoti Archana (1 Billion Chants of Divine Mother’s Name), in which thousands of people chanted and prayed.

Saraswathi also inaugurated the Second and Third National Conventions of the Kerala Hindus of North America in November 2003 and July 2005 respectively.

Swami Sathyananda Saraswathi died on 24 November 2006 at Thiruvananthapuram after a prolonged illness and was interred in the sanctum sanctorum at the Temple of Luminance in Chenkottukonam, Trivandrum.

Saraswathi established centres of Sree Rama Dasa Mission in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Richmond, Virginia, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and San Jose in the United States. There are disciples and active centers in Malaysia, New Zealand, Switzerland, the Caribbean Islands and the United Kingdom. He conducted tours all over India and countries including USA, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname.