Kashi Math


Kashi Math is a spiritual organisation followed by the Madhva section of Goud Saraswat Brahmins,who are also referred as Madhwa Saraswat Brahmins or Vaishnava Saraswat Brahmins. It is one of the ancient Madhva mathas of the Dvaita order,which dates back to the 16th century. With its headquarters in Brahma Ghat, Varanasi. Kashi Math has followers all over the Konkan belt, prominently in Mumbai, Goa, Udupi, Mangalore, Kochi, Alappuzha and other parts of Kerala and Karnataka.

Deities

The principal deities of Kashi Math are charaprathishta idols of Vyasa, Rama and Narasimha, who are also collectively known as the Vyasa Raghupathi Narasimha.

Gurus

The Kashi Math follows the Guru-shishya tradition where the Guru of the Math initiates a shishya to succeed him upon his Samadhi. Samyamindra Thirtha is the 21st and current head of the Math. Prior heads have been:
  1. Yadavendra Thirtha -I
  2. Keshavendra Thirtha
  3. Upendra Thirtha -I
  4. Yadavendra Thirtha -II
  5. Raghavendra Thirtha
  6. Devendra Thirtha
  7. Madhavendra Thirtha
  8. Jnaneendra Thirtha
  9. Yadavendra Thirtha -III
  10. Upendra Thirtha -II
  11. Rajendra Thirtha
  12. Vishnu Thirtha
  13. Sureendra Thirtha
  14. Vibhudendra Thirtha
  15. Sumatheendra Thirtha
  16. Vasudendra Thirtha
  17. Bhuvanendra Thirtha
  18. Varadendra Thirtha
  19. Sukrathindra Thirtha
  20. Sudhindra Thirtha
  21. Samyamindra Thirtha

    Internal strife

On 7 July 1989, in accordance with the guru-shishya tradition, the then guru, Sudhindra Thirtha, initiated a follower into sanyasa so that in due course they would succeed him as the 21st guru. For reasons not fully known, serious differences between Sudhindra Tirtha and his appointed successor, Raghavendra Tirtha, became apparent around 2000–2001 amidst concerns about insubordination and integrity. On 19 July 2000, the mathadipathi removed Raghavendra Tirtha from his position of successor by making use of an earlier communication from November 1999 which had requested relief from the tutelage. This removal necessitated the initiation of a new shishya to succeed Sudindra Thirtha and this was done on 20 June 2002 when Samyamindra Thirtha were initiated.
Thereafter the tussle among the pontiffs turned into a dispute over the control of the Kashi Math and the ownership of its relics. Those relics included about 234 pieces of jewelry and silver articles, as well as 27 idols including the main idol of Vyasa Raghupathi. Raghavendra Tirtha had possession of these items but was ordered by Court in Tirupathi to give them to Sudhindra Tirtha. The Court upheld the status of the senior pontiff and the mathadhipathi, accepted the junior's abdication and directed him to return all belongings of the math and refrain from interfering in its affairs.
A petition seeking a stay on the order was dismissed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The Supreme Court of India also confirmed the same on 2 December 2009 and upheld the High Court order recognizing Sudhendra Tirtha as mathadipadi.
After months of defying various court orders, Raghavendra Tirtha absconded with the relics and was arrested at Kadapa in October 2011.
Thereafter in November 2011, the 'parikaras' were handed over to Sudhindra Tirtha. Samyamindra Thirtha became main disciple and successor of Kashi Math.
Sudhindra Thirtha attained Vrindavan on 17 January 2016 at Vyasahram, Haridwar. As per the tradition, Samyamindra Thirtha became the new head of Kashi Math and they officially took charge on 28 January 2016 at Vyasashram, Haridwar. They are currently holding the 'parikaras' and offering the daily pujas.