RENOWNED religious personality Swami Tapasyananda SaraswathiofKeralahasbecome the first-ever South Indian to be namedastheChiefVedicAcharya oftheSanyasiMahasabha,based in Ahmedabad, an official said here on Wednesday. Swami Tapasyananda’s appointment to the prestigious position was made by Swami Jagadananda Saraswati, the Spiritual Head of the 6,000-strong Sanyasi Mahasabha, said his official spokesperson in Mumbai.

 

“My duties as Chief Vedic Acharya shall be to promote and propagate the ancientVedic knowledgeandotherscripturesamong the people, perform various ritualsincludingspecialYagnasand other religious ceremonies for the benefit of humankind,” SwamiTapasyanandatoldIANS. Hailing from a prosperous family in Central Travancore, Kerala, Swami Tapasyananda is the founder andDharmadhikari oftheVedashilaCharitableTrust, Mysore. His spokerperson PradeepMenonsaidthatSwamiji exhibitedastrongspiritofcuriosityfromearly childhood,not satisfied with the routine formal education and hit the roads all over India in pursuit of higher and spiritual knowledge. He studied at the Swami BhoomanandaThirtha,Trichur, to master the fundamentals of Vedas and Puranas, and acquired his ‘BrahmacharyaDeeksha’ from his Guru Sudarshana Swaroopa and other qualifying honours.

 

After years of unconventional but comprehensive studies to acquire the wisdom and compassion of the ancients, Swami Tapasyananda returned to his home-state, actively participated in all-religious meetings. In the 12th year of his sanyas, Swami Tapasyananda married Uma-a Mohiniattam exponent, author and choreographer from Udupi - and the couple has a daughter Vedasmrithi.