Born in 1886 in Mudappuallur, a medium-sized village in Kerala, to Smt. Balamba and Shri Achhutan Nair, ChippuKutty, as Swami Tapovanam was known, exhibited a marked partiality for spiritual life. As a child, he was fascinated and delighted by Pauranic stories manifesting the glories of God and the worship of idols fashioned by his own hands. His early education started with the village teacher. Too intelligent to be trained within the formal learning systems of his time, he sought a different education – less materialistic and more spiritual. Home-schooled until the age of 17, he proved himself to be a devout Vedantin, and a linguistic genius and litterateur par excellence, mastering poems, dramas, grammar and logic in both Malayalam and Sanskrit. ChippuKutty’s first poem ‘Vibhakarom’ composed at the age of eighteen attracted the attention of literary scholars and received wide applause. Both his parents passed away before he turned 21. By then, he was already renowned and revered for his original poetic compositions. An introvert to the core, he loved spending his time immersed in books, japa, meditating on the form of Lord Shiva and spiritual reflection. He was averse to all worldly pleasures. Charmed by the beauty of nature, he spent much of his time in the jungles near his father’s house. “The starry sky lit with the bright full moon filled his mind with celestial thoughts of ineffable bliss,” he wrote in IswaraDarshan.

Even as a formidable scholar, ChippuKutty’s thirst for knowledge could not be quenched by mere intellectual advances. Despite the accolades earned during his years of public speaking on literature, politics, religion, and Vedanta, he was convinced of the unsubstantial nature of worldly existence and was consumed by the fire of dispassion. Thus, he had already adopted the sannyasi’s religious and serene lifestyle long before his initiation into the ochre robe of sannyaasa. However, since his only younger brother was still in college, he stayed on to fulfil his responsibilities as head of the family, while continuing his own personal spiritual practices and study. Finally, at the age of twenty-eight, unable to control his spiritual hunger, ChippuKutty left home in search of Truth. He met priests, scholars, saints and sages, devoutly read Vedic scriptures and observed austerities. He studied under a great sannyaasi and requested to be initiated into monkhood. His Guru told him, “Sannyaasa need not be given to you. You take it yourself; you are already a true sannyaasi.” Accordingly, obeying the great call from within, he went to the banks of the Narmada River, performed all the necessary acts of worship, accepted sannyaasa and called himself ‘Tyagananda.’ For seven years he travelled widely, from famous South Indian pilgrimage centres to Kolkata, to Varanasi, Haridwar and Rishikesh. It was in Rishikesh that Swami JanardhanaGiri of Kailash Ashram traditionally initiated him into sannyaasa with the name, Swami Tapovanam – “forest of austerities.” Swami Tapovanam chose to live in the then small, remote mountainous area of Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand. He lived in a one-room mud hut, with no belongings, no comforts, and no involvement whatsoever with the world. Each day, he ate one meal (a watery lentil soup and roti) and took two baths in the freezing Ganga. This hermitage called TapovanKutir, in front of the sacred River Ganga, would soon acquire great fame the world over for its spiritual luminescence.

Swami Tapovanm’s deep love for the sights and sounds of nature had brought him to the Himalayas, where he became renowned as a scholar of the scriptures, a sage of extraordinary spiritual experiences, and an intuitive poet. “As he roamed the Himalayan peaks, his pen was constantly scribbling down the beauties he discovered and the thoughts passing through his sacred bosom,” wrote Swami Chinmayananda. As a jivanmukta or Self-realized master, he saw the supreme Lord in all expressions, within and without. He developed a new style of literature with his poetry on nature and philosophical travelogues. In his inspiring works – both in Malayalam – of HimagiriViharam (Wanderings in the Himalayas) and KailasaYatra (Pilgrimage to Kailasa) are seen the full flow of his blissful and soulful renderings of nature, and the profundity of his subtle observations and reflections. He also wrote smaller pieces in Sanskrit, such as ‘Sri SaumyaKashishStrotram’ – each an exquisite piece of poetry as well as a summary of Vedantic truths. However, it is his mystical autobiography, a garland of spiritual thoughts, IswaraDarshan (Vision of the Lord), that sages and seekers the world over have stamped as his masterpiece. “His Life and personality are indeed most precious and invaluable, for they form a lofty example of what true Vedanta and true sannyaasa have to be…Such exceptional Sannyaasins as Tapovanji are a glory to this land with its ancient ideals of renunciation and Cosmic Service. They are a treasure to the entire humanity.”-Swami Sivananda, founder-President,Divine Life Society.

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An atheist in his young days, full of questions and brimming with curiosity, Balakrishnan Menon was a patriotic journalist of National Herald. Curious to know the life and ways of ascetics, he set out for the ashram of Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh. Thus began a journey leading to his own spiritual evolution. Choosing to become a renunciate, Menon was initiated into sannyasa, and given the name Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati.

Spiritually awakened by Swami Tapovanam’s tutelage, and inspired by mother Ganga’s continuous flow of purity, Swami Chinmayananda sought his Guru’s blessings to spread the scriptural knowledge to the common masses. As he journeyed from the mountains to the plains, the seeds were sown for the birth of Chinmaya Mission.

An outstanding orator, known for his wit, humour and modern outlook, Swami Chinmayananda inspired and enlightened those who came to hear his talks. An unparalleled writer, he wrote commentaries on Bhagavad-gita and the Upanishads, and authored inspirational titles on spiritual unfoldment. A missionary with a holistic vision, he established schools and colleges, built temples and ashrams, instituted a monastic order, and left a legacy of immense strength, boundless love, tireless service, and immeasurable reach.

During his forty two years of travelling and teaching, Swamiji created a vast legacy – a global organization committed to Vedanta and also started numerous educational institutions and social service projects. Reinvigorating India’s rich cultural heritage, Swami Chinmayananda – popularly known as Gurudev among devotees; made Vedanta accessible to everybody regardless of age, nationality, or religion. On 3 August 1993, in San Diego, USA, Swami Chinmayananda attained Mahasamadhi. Pujya Gurudev left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of people, and his footprints in the multifarious service projects he inspired in the Mission. He lives on in the priceless publications of Chinmaya Mission and in the hearts of millions as a saint and teacher extraordinaire.

May 2015 to August 2016 is being celebrated as the Birth Centenary year of Swami Chinmayananda

A Saint. A Teacher. A Visionary. That’s Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda in a nutshell. For decades, he traversed the globe teaching, inspiring and liberating the masses by taking recourse to the Indian Scriptural Wisdom. Even today, this lamp of knowledge lit by him shines forth through the activities of the Chinmaya Mission.

To celebrate and commemorate the birth centenary of this great saint, Chinmaya Mission is hosting a yearlong series of events and programs from May 2015 to August 2016 (the centenary year) throughout India and across the Globe. Various activities are being  conducted across the globe, initiated by every Chinmaya Mission centre / local branch, to strengthen the Mission and to reach out to the common masses and transforming lives.

As a remarkable recognition of Swami Chinmayananda’s yeoman service to mankind, the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi released two coins – a commemorative 100 rupees coin to symbolize the centenary celebrations, and a 10 rupees coin which will soon be in circulation. In his speech, PM Shri Narendra Modi showered huge accolades on the contributions of Swami Chinmayananda and recollected his personal experiences with Pujya Gurudev and how he was inspired by the great Master.

On the 8^th of May 2015, the Birth Centenary Celebrations were flagged off by Late President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in Ernakulam, Kerala, the birthplace of Swami Chinmayananda. In his inaugural address, Dr. Kalam said: “When I think of such a great spiritual leader like Swami Chinmayananda, the thought that comes into my mind is that where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. Where there is beauty in the character there is harmony in the home, where there is harmony in the home there is order in the nation and where there is order in the nation there is peace in the world. This message has always been conveyed by Swami Chinmayananda.”

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Upon Swami Chinmayananda’s Mahasamadhi in August 1993, Swami Tejomayananda returned to India and was appointed as the Spiritual Head of the Chinmaya Mission worldwide. He assumed this new role with his characteristic modesty, and said “I am not in Gurudev’s shoes; I am at His feet.” Since 1993, Swamiji has worked tirelessly to fulfil the vision of his Master. Several major projects across the world have been completed under his guidance. In recognition of his remarkable contributions, ‘Hinduism Today’ honoured Swami Tejomayanandaji with the prestigious “Hindu of the Year” (2005) award. Not only is Swamiji a dynamic worker and able administrator, he is one of the most accomplished masters of Vedanta today. Swamiji has conducted over 400 GnanaYajnas throughout the world, and he excels in expounding upon a wide spectrum of Hindu scriptures, including Ramayana, Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads.

Swami Tejomayananda is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi and Sanskrit, and has written commentaries on many scriptural texts, translated many of Swami Chinmayananda’s commentaries into Hindi, and authored a number of original works in Sanskrit. Swamiji’s talents as an accomplished poet, musical composer, and soul-stirring singer adds further charm to his personality. His melodious bhajans and kirtans are filled with devotion, and often hold listeners spellbound.

Swami Tejomayananda is a true role model for aspiring bhaktas, devotees of the Lord, and disciples of the Guru. His commitment and devotion to the vision of the Master is total and complete, as is his team spirit. Under his leadership, Chinmaya Mission continue to grow and expand. The number of centres have almost doubled; new wings being envisioned and innovative projects are being executed effortlessly.

On 26th Jan 2016, Government of India officially communicated that PujyaGuruji Swami Tejomayananda has been conferred the ‎Padma Bhushan award. The Padma Bhushan award is one of the most prestigious civilian National awards in India, recognising the recipients’ distinguished service of high order to the nation. It is befitting that in the birth centenary year (2015-2016) of PujyaGurudev Swami Chinmayananda, His devoted disciple was recognised through the conferring of this award. It is indeed recognition of the work of the entire organisation.

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