Tribute to Balagangadharnath Swamiji

ADICHUNCHANAGIRI Mutt seer Balagangadharnath Swamiji passed away in Bengaluru on January 13. He was 67. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in the year 2010. He took over as the 71st pontiff of the ancient Natha Centre of Worship, Sri Adichunchanagiri Math, on September 24, 1974 at the age of 30. He was of the line of Sri Bhakthanatha Swamiji, Shri Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji and Shri Ramanandanatha Swamiji of the Nath Tradition. Shri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji will be his successor of Adichunchanagiri Mutt.

The RSS expressed deep condolences on the demise of the senior seer. Swamiji was closely associated with the RSS and the VHP since decades. He was also guiding as Mahaposhak of Hindu Seva Prathisthan, a premier sewa organisation initiated by the Sangh. He had inaugurated the mega RSS convention, Samarasata Sangam, in January, 2002 at Nagawara of Bengaluru in which nearly 40,000 swayamsevaks of Karnataka South participated. Swamiji discussed several socio religious issues with the then RSS Sarasanghachalak Shri KS Sudarshan and RSS ideologue Shri HV Seshadri.  Recently, on August 15, 2012, Sarasanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat met him at Adichunchanagiri Mutt and discussed several socio-religious issues. Many of the BGS institutions have hosted the RSS Vargas (cadre training camps).
(VSK Karnataka)