In a landmark religious ceremony held on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, Rig Vedic scholar Duddu Satya Venkata Surya Subramanya Ganesha Sharma Dravid from Annavaram, Andhra Pradesh, was formally anointed as the 71st Shankaracharya of the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Upon initiation into sanyasa, he was conferred the monastic title Satya Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya.
The ceremony was held in Kanchipuram at the Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple and associated shrines of the Kanchi Mutt, attended by spiritual leaders, scholars, and devotees from across the country. The event coincided with the 2534th birth anniversary celebrations of Adi Shankaracharya, the revered philosopher-saint credited with establishing the Peetham in 482 BCE.
The senior pontiff, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya, who has led the Peetham since 1983, presided over the ceremony and bestowed the sanyasa name upon the new Acharya during the Sanyasa Sweekara Mahotsavam. The rituals began on Tuesday with holy baths at Pancha Ganga Teertham, followed by special pujas at the shrines of Sri Kamakshi Ambal, Adi Shankaracharya, Sri Sureshwaracharya, and the Brindavanams of previous pontiffs including Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati and Sri Jayendra Saraswati.
The Purvashrama Of Sri Satya Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi
Sri Ganesha Sharma Dravid, 25, hails from a devout family in Dhuni, near Annavaram. His father, Srinivasa Surya Subramania Dhanvanthri, serves as a Vratha Purohit at the Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy Temple. From a young age, Ganesha Sharma was immersed in Vedic learning under the guidance of distinguished scholars including Chandukutlu Hosamane Ratnakara Bhat Sharma and Sri Pallamudi Sathya Venkata Ramanamurthy. He completed rigorous training in Rig Veda Samhita, Aitareya Brahmana, Aranyaka, and Upanishads, as well as advanced studies in Pratishakhya and other Shastric disciplines.
His journey into spiritual life began in 2009 after a brief darshan of the Kanchi Shankaracharya in Tirupati. Following the Acharya’s advice, he commenced formal Vedic training, dedicating over 12 years to intensive study and service.
Before his anointment, Ganesha Sharma served as a Rig Vedic scholar at the Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devasthanam in Basara, Telangana. He also participated in several major religious events, including the Mahamaham festival in Kumbakonam, the Athivaradar darshan in 2019, and Chaturmasya observances in Vijayawada and Kakinada. In 2024, he visited the Kanchi Mutt to seek blessings and further guidance for his Vedantic studies.
His formal induction as junior pontiff marks a significant generational transition in the Peetham’s history. With this appointment, he takes on the responsibility of guiding one of India’s most respected Advaita Vedanta institutions, headquartered near the sacred Sri Kamakshi Temple in Kanchipuram.
Representatives from temples across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra offered prasadam in honor of the occasion. The Peetham reaffirmed its commitment to Vedic education, spiritual outreach, and dharmic service under the leadership of the new pontiff.
Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, who himself assumed the role of acharya at the age of 15 on 29 May 1983, was earlier chosen by the 69th pontiff, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, who was appointed in 1954 by the revered Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati, known as the “Mahaswami.”
With the anointment of Satya Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya, the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham enters a new era, continuing its unbroken lineage of spiritual heads over a span of more than 2,500 years.
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