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Swami Avimukteshwaranand Height, Age, Family, Biography

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Age: 55 Years
Hometown: Pratapgarh
Marital Status: Unmarried

Swami Avimukteshwaranand

Bio/Wiki
Birth Name(s)Umashankar Upadhyay, Umashankar Pandey
Full NameShankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati
ProfessionSpirtual Leader
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)5' 8" (173 cm)
Eye ColourDark Brown
Hair ColourSalt & Pepper
Personal Life
Date of Birth15 August 1969 (Friday)
Age (as of 2024) 55 Years
BirthplaceVillage Brahmanpur, Tehsil Patti, District Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh
Zodiac signLeo
NationalityIndian
HometownPratapgarh
SchoolLocal school in his village Brahmanpur
Colleges/Universities• Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
• Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi
• Bajoriya Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Varanasi
Educational Qualification(s)• Graduation in Shastri and Acharya from Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya
• Navya Vyakaran course from Bajoriya Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya
ReligionHinduism
Controversies• Hunger Strike

In 2022, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati had announced a puja of the shivling found in the Gyanvapi Mosque premises in Varanasi but he was stopped by the police administration. After being stopped by the police administration, he fasted for 108 hours. He ended the fast on the command of his guru Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati. [1]The Times of India

• Stopped Coronation

In 2022, the Supreme Court stopped the coronation of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati because the Shankaracharya of Govardhan Math in Puri had filed an affidavit that the appointment of Avimukteshwaranand as the new Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth has not been endorsed. There was also an application alleging that Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati falsely claimed to have been appointed as a successor Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth by the deceased Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati. [2]The Economic Times

• Comments on Caste

In 2023, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has questioned the statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in which he said that the caste in the society was created by the pandits. He was quoted saying in an interview that

"When God himself has said in Geeta ji that he created the characters, then on what basis has Bhagwat ji has said this, he should be answerable." [3]The Wire

• Gold Scam in the Kedarnath Temple

In 2024, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati claimed that 228 kilograms of gold were stolen from the Kedarnath Temple. He was quoted saying in an interview that

"There is a gold scam in Kedarnath; why is that issue not raised? After doing a scam there, now Kedarnath will be built in Delhi? And then there will be another scam. 228 kg of gold is missing from Kedarnath; no inquiry has started. Who is responsible for this?"

To Swami Avimukteshwaranand's statements, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Ajendra Ajay said in an interview that

"I respect Swami Avimukteshwaranand but he keeps holding press conferences throughout the day...Stoking controversy, create sensationalism and being in the news is a habit of Swami Avimukteshwaranand. His statement on gold missing in Kedarnath Dham is very unfortunate. I urge him as well as challenge him to bring to light facts and evidence." [4]Hindustan Times

• Praising the Prime Minister

In 2024, Swami Avimukteshwaranand faced backlash for praising Narendra Modi and calling himself as the 'admirer' of the PM. He faced backlash because earlier, Swami Avimukteshwaranand said that the ‘pran pratishtha’ of the Ram Temple is being conducted in an incomplete temple which is against religious scriptures. Swami Avimukteshwaranand was among the four Shankaracharyas who declined the invitation to the Ram Temple inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya. [5]Hindustan Times

• Sued Govindanand Saraswati

In 2024, Swami Avimukteshwaranand filed a civil defamation suet against Govindanand Saraswati for making allegations that he is a “fake baba” and has received political backing from the Congress party. However, the Delhi High Court issued a notice about an interim injunction and a statement was released stating that

"Saints should not be worried about all of this. They can’t be defamed by any of this. Saints command respect through their own deeds." [6]The Times of India
Relationships & More
Marital StatusUnmarried
Family
ParentsFather- Pandit Ram Sumer Pandey
Mother- Anara Devi
SiblingsBrother- Girija Shankar Pandey (Storyteller)
Sisters- 6

Swami Avimukteshwaranand

Some Lesser Known Facts About Swami Avimukteshwaranand

  • Ever since childhood, Swami Avimukteshwaranand has been interested in religious activities.
  • Swami Avimukteshwaranand participated actively in student politics during his university days. In 1994, he also won the student union elections and became the vice president as an independent candidate and later became the President of Vidyarthi Parishad and showed everyone his leadership ability.
  • After studying up to class 6 in the village, his father took him to Gujarat for his further studies where he came in contact with Brahmachari Ram Chaitanya who was a disciple of Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj.
  • Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj was the one who advised Swami Avimukteshwaranand to start studying Sanskrit and that’s how he got his admission into the Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya.
  • Swami Avimukteshwaranand used to serve Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj till he passed away.
  • After Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj passed away, Swami Avimukteshwaranand moved to Kashi and that is where he met Jyotish Peethadheeshwar Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati.
  • In 2000, Swami Avimukteshwaranand took initiation from Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati who was also a freedom fighter. He was a disciple of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati for 22 years.

    Swami Avimukteshwaranand (extreme left) with his guru Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati (extreme right)

    Swami Avimukteshwaranand (extreme left) with his guru Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati (extreme right)

  • After completing his study of Acharya at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, on 15 April 2003, he initiated Dand Sanyas and became Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati.
  • Ever since he adapted Dand Sanyas, Swami Avimukteshwaranand never went to his home ever again.
  • In 2008, he fasted for a long time to declare Ganga as a national river. During this, he had to be hospitalized. He ended his fast after getting instructions from his guru.
  • In 2022, his guru Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati passed away and after his death, Swami Avimukteshwaranand was appointed as the Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth which was a math established to preserve Hinduism and Advaita Vedānta, the doctrine of non-dualism. The Jyotish Peeth is situated in Joshimath, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.
  • He is the 55th Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth who supervises all the religious and other activities of the Utrakahand-based- Jyotish Math.
  • In 2024, Swami Avimukteshwaranand urged the Chhattisgarh government to bestow upon the cow the esteemed title of “Mother of the Nation.” He also urged political parties to pledge their commitment to banning cow slaughter in the nation and also announced plans to establish a “Cow Parliament” in Prayagraj.
  • Swami Avimukteshwaranand appealed for the recognition of the cows as the “Mother of the State” by the Chhattisgarh government. He believed that this step would pave the way for the central government to acknowledge them as the ”Mother of the Nation.” He also took part in the walk protest held for banning the ‘cow slaughter.’

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