About Swami Ji

Swami Swaroopananda was born Pothiram Upadhyay on September 2nd 1924, in the Jabalpur area of Madhya Pradesh. At nine years old he left home to visit the holy places of India, including Varanasi where he eventually studied with Swami Karpatri (aka Hariharananda Saraswati), a disciple of Guru Dev Swami Brahmananda Saraswati. At 19 years old he became a freedom fighter in the 'Quit India' movement (1942) and was known as 'Revolutionary Sadhu' (serving two prison sentences for same of 9 months & 6 months). In 1950 Guru Dev made him a dandi sannyasi.

After Guru Dev's passing in 1953, Swami Shantanand was enthroned Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math on 12th June 1953. But Swarupanand took up with a new guru,Swami Krishnabhodashram ji Maharaj. who was separately established Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math on 25th June 1953 by Swami Karpatri. thus began interminable succession disputes.

Swami Swarupanand became president of the 'Ramrajya Parishad Party' (set up by Swami Karpatri), and on Krishnabhodashram's demise the post of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math passed to Swami Swarupanand. There were now two Shankaracharya ashrams in Joshimath, Swami Swaroopanand's being on the site of Trotakacharya's cave, just below the ashram that Guru Dev Swami Brahmanand had built in the 1940's.

In 1982 Swami Swaroopanand inherited the title of Shankaracharya of Dwarka.