Swami Ramanand Tirtha

Swami Ramanand Tirtha
Swami Ramanand Tirtha
Born	Vyenkatesh Bhagvanrao Khedgikar; 3 October 1903; Sindagi, British Indian Empire (present day karnataka)
Died	22 January 1972 (aged 69); India
Resting place	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana)
Nationality	Indian
Occupation(s)	Sanyasi, educator, freedom fighter
Employer	Initially as an educator in Ausa in Latur district.
Known for	Indian Independence Movement, Hyderabad Liberation Struggle activism, reorganising and leading the Hyderabad Liberation Struggle
Political party	Hyderabad State Congress; Indian National Congress

Swami Ramanand Tirtha, popularly Swami Ramanand Teerth (Marathi: स्वामी रामानंदतीर्थ, Telugu: స్వామి రామానంద తీర్థ; IAST: Svāmi Rāmanand Tīrt) (1903–1972), was an Indian freedom fighter, educator and social activist who led the Hyderabad liberation struggle during the reign of Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad State. Swami Ramanand Tirtha was the principal leader of the Hyderabad State Congress.

Life

Swami Ramanand Tirtha fought the Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, the Nizam of Hyderabad, after the Hyderabad State Congress was established in 1938. He participated in Satyagrahas ("non-violent resistance" campaigns) and was imprisoned for 111 days by Osman Ali Khan. Swami Ramanand Tirtha is credited for having created a revolutionary movement to integrate Hyderabad State with the Indian Union in 1948. Swami Ramanand Tirtha ability to galvanize the people in concert with the decisive military victory of the Hyderabad Police Action are credited with the states successful integration into the India Union.

Swamiji had communist leanings initially, but would later take the renunciant vows of the Hindu sannyasi ("ascetic", "monk") tradition.^{[citation needed]} His original name was Vyenkatesh Bhagvanrao Khedgikar. He was given the name "Swami Ramanand Tirtha" after taking the sanyas initiation of voluntary bachelorship for the remainder of his life. Swami Ramanand Tirtha is said to have taken sanyas at the villages of Hipparge Rava, Taluka- Lohara and the District of Osmanabad.

Swami Ramanand Tirtha first established Rashtriya Shala ("The National School") at Hipparge Rava. He also worked as a teacher in Ausa in Latur district.

Works

Hyderabad Swatantrasangramachya Aathavani (Marathi: हैदराबाद स्वातंत्र्य संग्रामाच्या आठवणी) by Swami Ramanand Teerth

Memorials

Dr. P.V.Narasimha Rao, former Prime Minister of India started "Swami Ramananda Teerth Memorial" in Hyderabad. Swamiji's mortal remains are resting here in the premises at Brahmanvada, Begumpet, Hyderabad. Several other eminent people from Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, were his followers. Several of them headed mostly congressional governments in their respective states. Some have served in the Central Cabinet, too.

The Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded which servers the southern part of Marathwada Region of Maharashtra State, specifically to the districts of Nanded, Latur, Parbhani and Hingoli has been named after him. The University, set up in 1994, has 172 colleges affiliated to it.^[1]

References

^ "About University". Shri Ramanand Tirth Maratwada University. Retrieved 16 July 2009. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

[1] "About University". Shri Ramanand Tirth Maratwada University. Retrieved 16 July 2009. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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