Purvamnaya Sri Govardhana Pitham or Govardhan Math is one amongst the four cardinal pithams established by the philosopher-saint Adi Shankara to preserve and propagate Hinduism and Advaita Vedanta, the doctrine of non-dualism. Located in Puri in Odisha, India, it is the Eastern Āmnāya Pītham amongst the five pithams, with the others being the Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ (Karnataka) in the South, Dvārakā Śāradā Pītham (Gujarat) in the West, Badari Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ (Uttarakhand) in the North [1].It is associated with the Jagannath temple.[2] Their Vedantic mantra or Mahavakya is Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is supreme being) and as per the tradition initiated by Adi Shankara it holds authority over the Rigveda. The head of the matha is called Shankarayacharya, the title derives from Adi Shankara.
The deities here are Jagannath (Vishnu) and the goddess is Vimala (Bhairavi). There are Shri Vigrahas of Govardhananatha Krishna and Ardhanareshvara Shiva installed by Adi Shankara.[3]
According to tradition, as established in the 13th-15th century, Govardhana matha is one of four cardinal institutions established by Adi Shankara (c. 8th century CE), regarded by later tradition as the reviver of Vedic Hinduism.[5] Shankara's four principal disciples, Padma-Pada, Hasta-Malaka, Vartika-Kara or Sureshvara and Totakacharya were assigned to these four learning centers in the north, south, east and west of India.[6] The subsequent leaders of each of these four monasteries are known as Śaṅkarāchāryas in honor of the math's founder, Adi Shankara.[7] As such they are the leaders of the Daśanāmī Saṃnyāsins who are considered to have custody of Advaita Vedānta[7] These four principle seats of learning are located in Purī (Odisha), Śṛṅgeri (Karnataka) and Dvārakā (Gujarat) with[7] the northern (Uttarāmnāya) monastery being located in the city of Jyotirmaṭh (also known as Joṣīmaṭh).[7]
History
Padmapadacharya became the first leader of the matha. The matha has historical connections with the Jagannath temple, which is also located in Puri.[2] It is called the Govardhanathatha, and has sub-location called the Sankarananda Math.
Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha, who was then the leader at the Dvaraka matha, assumed the leadership position at the Govardhana matha in 1925; Shankara Prushottama Tirtha supervised the Matha on his behalf while he visited the Self Realization Fellowship in the USA.[2] After Bharati attained Mahasamadhi in 1960, Yogeswaranda Tirtha succeeded him who also attained Mahasamadhi a year later in 1961. In 1964, after a "period of uncertainty" Niranjana Deva Tirtha, a disciple named in Bharati's will, was installed by Aghinava Saccindananda Tirtha of Dvarka.[2]
Nirnjana Deva Tirtha became known for his unpopular political views affecting the Hindu people.[8] In 1992, he stepped down after nominating Niscalananda Saraswati as his successor.[2][9]
Niscalananda Saraswati was born in Darbhanga in 1943, the son of the raj-Pandita of Maharaja of Darabhanga.[10] He decided to enter sanyasa while being a student in the Tibbia College and spent time studying the shastras at Kashi, Vrindavan, Naimisaranya, Shringeri etc. In 1974, he took diksha from Swami Karpatri who gave him name Niscalananda.
The Samudra Arati is a daily tradition started by the present Shankaracharya 9 years ago.[3] The daily practise includes prayer and fire offering to the sea at Svargadvara in Puri by disciples of the matha. On Paush Purnima of every year the Shankaracharya himself comes out to offer prayers to the sea.
^ abcdeUnknown author (5 May 1999) archived here (Accessed: 2012-08-30) or here The Monastic Tradition Advaita Vedanta web page, retrieved 28 August 2012
^ abSahu, Monideepa (6 March 2016). "The great fire". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
