Balagangadharanatha Swamiji

Gangadharaiah, famously known as Balagangadharanatha Swamiji (18 January 1945 – 13 January 2013) was an Indian religious leader who was the seer of Adichunchanagiri, Nagamangala Taluk, Mandya district. He was awarded Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour for the year 2010.

Biography He was born to Chikkalinge Gowda and Boramma as Gangadharaiah. He was born in a Kannada Vokkaliga Community (farming community). He had five siblings - two brothers and three sisters. Shri Gangadharaiah completed his graduation in diploma Science from Government Arts & Science College, Bengaluru. Motivated by the desire to serve God and the people, he chose the spiritual way of life.

Initiated at the age of nineteen, he spent his initial years mastering the Vedas and other sacred texts under the tutelage of his Guru Ramanandanatha Swamiji.

Balagangadharanatha swamiji took over as the 71st Pontiff of the ancient Natha Center of Worship, Shri Adichunchanagiri Math, on 24 September 1974 at the age of 30. He was of the line of Bhakthanatha Swamiji, Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji and Ramanandanatha Swamiji of the ‘Natha Pantha’ (Parampara).

Balagangadharanatha Swamiji died on 13 January 2013, at age 64, due to kidney failure. He was undergoing treatment at BGS Global Hospital, under his control, in Kengeri after his blood pressure went out of control during dialysis.

The mutt witnessed a revolutionary progress under his leadership with several of his flagship projects in education, religion and social service. The seer focused on providing humanitarian services including providing basic necessities like food, education and health for lakhs of people during the last four decades.

Awards Year Award name Awarded by 1990 National Unity Global Economic Council, New Delhi 1993 Award Hindu Temples Samiti, California 1993 Award Karanataka Samskruthika Sanga, South California 1993 Abhinava Vivekananda World Religion Conference, Chicago 2002 Parisara Rathna Karnataka Government 2006 Vidya Samrat Jain Swamiji Staying in Karnataka 2007 Seva Soorya Nivarana, Bangalore 2007 Sanathana Dharmarathna South America & Europe Country Hindu Temples Parishat 2007 Doctorate International Hindu Vedic University, United States 2008 Akshaya Santha Nagamangala People 2009 Doctorate Indira Gandhi University of Medical Sciences 2009 Doctorate Bangalore University June 2009 Saadhanaacharya Mandya District Citizens 2010 Padma Bhushan Govt of India