Early Years of Swami Tapovan Maharaj (1889-1957)

Sri Swami Tapovan Maharaj (1889-1957) is one of the most renowned saints of the 19th century. He was a contemporary of Swami Sivananda Sarasvati who was the Guru of Swami Chinmayananda Sarasvati. Swami Tapovan was born in 1889 on the auspicious Suklapaksha Ekadasi day of Mrigaseersha month. His mother, Kunchamma belonged to an ancient aristocratic Nair family in Palghat Taluk of Kerala. His father, Achutan Nair, belonged to Koduvayur in Kerala. Even as a little boy, Swami Tapovan Maharaj exhibited a marked partiality for spiritual life. He delighted in worshipping idols fashioned with his own hands. He was admitted to the local English school, but not liking the thoroughly materialistic education, he decided to quit the school and continued his studies in English, Malayalam and Sanskrit with still greater vigor by himself. Under competent teachers he mastered poems, dramas, grammar and logic. He read all available religious literature in Malayalam, Tamil, English and Sanskrit. He also engaged in spiritual e