Chinna Jeeyar

Chinna Jeeyar (born 3 November 1956), more formally known as Sri Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swami, is a Thenkalai Sri Vaishnava Indian religious guru and yogi ascetic known for his spiritual discourses and the propagation of Ramanuja Vishishtadvaita darshana. He operates spiritual centers in India and the US. He is the designer and planner of the Statue of Equality, a statue dedicated to Ramanujacharya, in Hyderabad, India. Recently, he has also unveiled the Statue of Union, a 90 ft statue of Hanuman, located in Sugar Land, Texas, in the United States. He has also guided the Telangana State Government in the renovation of Yadadri Temple. He is one of the few Jiyars who accepts disciples irrespective of their castes.

Early life Chinna Jeeyar Swami was born in Arthmuru near Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, in a traditional Telugu Vedic family. His grandfather, Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Jeeyar, also known as Pedda Jeeyar Swami, mentored him and he was educated and trained by several scholars in Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. He mastered many Telugu language, Sanskrit and Tamil works and other Hindu scriptures, including Vedas, Puranas, Itihasa and Naalayira Divya Prabandham. At the age of 23, he took the oath to become a Sannyasi. In 1981, after the death of H. H. Pedda Jeeyar Swamiji, he assumed leadership and became the head of Srimad Ubhaya Vedantha Acharya Peetam, Nadigaddapalem.

In December 2013, Jeeyar endorsed the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) student organization for instilling patriotism in students and encouraging them to learn about Indian culture. He claimed Indian culture would remain unchanged if students are acquainted with a comprehensive understanding of the country's history. He expressed the view that students play a critical role in a country's development. Jeeyar was invited by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to assist in organizing the Godavari Maha Pushkaram (river festivals) in July 2015. He has spoken at the United Nations about Sustainable Development Goals.

Awards

2023 – Padma Bhushan by Government of India