Take part in our competitions and win prizes. Past and current activities. General information about the Saraswat Samaj. Brilliant recepies to tickle your taste buds. Information about Saraswat Samaj (UK). The history of the Samaj. A list of related links.
Historical  
The Saraswats  
Diaspora  
Guruparampara  

Chitrapur Saraswat Guruparampara 

Shrimat Parijnanashram I

The acceptance of the sanyassin, Shrimat Parijnanashram Swami, as their guru also started the new smarta guruparampara, or line of gurus. After Shrimat Parijnanashram Swami consented to guide the community, his acceptance had to be formally confirmed by all of the other members of the community. The people of Gokarn sent letters to the members residing in Mangalore and Vithal to notify them about the guru who would be touring around the south to give sermons and grant blessings. Some of the Kushasthalikar and Keloshikar families did not accept the new guru at once. For example, some families residing north of the Gangavali river decided not to accept the guru. However, the families who accepted the guru decided to provide for the living expenses of the swami by offering donations every year. Whenever the guru would travel among his community members, they also had the duties of providing him with any necessities. 

Next, the Sringeri matha (holy shrine) in the Kanara district was asked for their consent of the new guru. Basavappa Nayaka, on his behalf of the matha, granted his consent soon after the request was made. In 1739, Basavappa Nayaka II gave the Bhanaps land in Gokarn to build a matha in reverence to their primary deity, Shri Bhavanishankar. This firmly established Parijnanashram Swami as the guru of the community.

Shrimat Shankarashram I

The guruparampara was continued by each successive gurus adoption of a shishya, or a disciple. This disciple would then succeed his guru when he attained mahasamadhi, or final liberation. Before Parijnanashram Swami attained mahasamadhi, the community members had asked him to adopt a shishya to continue the lineage of gurus. He then chose a young boy from the Shukla Bhat family to be his student. Since this family had given up their son for the community, they were given the duties of maintaining a certain part of the matha. They would also be given the privilege of helping to select the future shishyas of the community. The young boy, given the title Shankarashram Swami, guided the community of Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins from 1720 to 1757. During his reign, he traveled to many different places to bless his community members and collect the annual donations needed to support the matha. He also helped the community by performing the necessary religious rituals which they had specifically requested. Under his leadership, the community members also built a matha at the memorial of Parijnanashram Swami in Gokarn.

Other than the information that has been set forth, not much has been found about the daily rituals and activities of Parijnanashram Swami and Shankarashram Swami. Apparently, there was a conflagration in the beginning of the nineteenth century which had ruined many sources of information from the matha. However, it is known that the Shukla Bhat family was still managing the matha. Shankarashram Swami attained mahasamadhi in the year 1757 when he was on a visit to Shirali. So a devoted community member, by the name of Nagarkatte, contributed land for the erection of a matha in commemoration of the guru. This new matha was given the name Shri Chitrapur Matha, and it soon came to be "premier religious institution of the Chitrapur Saraswats and was thereafter the principal seat of the gurus." 

More

Source: NAKC 1996 Souvenir, Aarti Maskeri PA USA