Tapovan Kutir, located in Ujeli village of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, has been the main center of spiritual seekers for centuries. It is surrounded by legendary temples on both sides. Kashi Vishwanath temple is at a short distance on one side, river Bhagirathi flows in full spate in front of the ashram and on the other side is Laksheshwar Mahadev temple which is located at the mouth of the tunnel built by the Pandavas to escape from Lakhshagriha.
Besides being an important religious site geographically, Uttarkashi has been the Tapobhoomi (place of austerities) of the Self realised Himalayan saint, Swami Tapovan Maharaj. Tapovan Maharaj traversed the Himalayas on foot in search of Truth and this has been described in his famous book 'Wanderings in the Himalayas'. This is an English translation of the book originally written in Malayalam and in Hindi it is titled âHimgiri Viharâ.
Why name Tapovan Maharaj?
Swami Devatmananda, the present Acharya of Tapovan Kutir, says that Tapovan Maharaj never rested by leaning on his back for 26 years, he always used to sit with his spine straight and used to rest in this position only. Due to such rigorous sadhana(austerities) he became famous as the Tapovan swami of the Himalayas. When other saints used to stand in line to get alms from the Kaali Kamli ashram nearby, the managers of the ashram had arranged for alms to be delivered to Swami Tapovan Maharaj's hut so that his austeric practices were not disturbed.
Swami Kaivalyanand, who works on the archives of Tapovan Maharaj, says that after the death of his father at the age of 21, Tapovan Maharaj wrote a book of hymns titled Vishnu Yamak dedicated to his deceased father. This book was recently found by researchers in the library 100 years after his birth and it has been kept in the archives body in Mumbai. This book written in Mani Praval language, now Malayalam and Sanskrit cannot be comprehended by a layman. Only experts of the language can transcribe it.
Closeness to Swami Shivanand
Tapovan Maharaj lived from 1889 to 1957 and was a contemporary of another Self realised saint, Swami Shivanand, the founder of Divine Life Society. Swami Shivanand was a doctor in his pre-monastic life. He also had a close friendship with him. His photograph with Swami Shivanand is displayed in the satsang hall in Tapovan Kutir.
Founder of Chinmaya Mission worldwide
Tapovan Maharaj's worthy disciple Swami Chinmayanand, founder of Chinmaya Mission worldwide, used to recount in his memoirs that when he went to see him for the last time in December 1956, he was perturbed to see his physical condition. It had become difficult for Tapovan Maharaj to stand without help, yet he insisted on coming to his seat in the verandah where he used to stay from 5 am to 10 pm. Seeing his condition, one of the old devotees brought some pillows and a mattress. Even in that condition, he objected to giving rest to his body.
What the seer said :
Tapovan Maharaj used to say that until the mind is completely calm and all doubts are cleared, it will not be free from desires. Some worship God with flowers and chanting His name, while others follow the path of action and worship God with their actions. In God's eyes, no work is great or small. Whoever He has appointed to whatever work, he worships God with that work, whether that work is big or small. This is an important truth that householders should know, said the seer.
Tapovan Maharaj lived for 68 years and will always be remembered as an ideal Guru of Vedanta. Swami Chinmayanand studied sitting at his feet, but Tapovan Maharaj did not give him Sannyas Diksha. When he expressed his desire to take Sannyas Diksha, Tapovan Maharaj said that you did not need Sannyasa (the ritual to become a renunciate). âYou take Sannyas yourself,â said Tapovan Maharaj. He himself did not create any organization and he continues to live in the hearts of people as a true saint of the Himalayas.