Born in 1924 in village Gurjung in the forest-dominated Phulbani (Kandhamal) district of Odisha, he had always aspired since childhood to dedicate his life for the society.
Despite being a householder and father of two children, one day he finally took the path to Himalayas for spiritual practices with the aim of fulfilling his resolve. In 1965, he returned and joined the Goraksha (Cow protection) movement.
Initially, he made Chakapad, a village in the forest-dominated Phulbani (Kandhamal) district, his place of work. In a few years, his service work started to resonate in the forest areas all around.
Besides social and religious development of the tribal people, he worked for four decades to empower them. He established a school based on Gurukul system and a college to teach Sanskrit in Chakapada, a remote place of Kandhamal.
Sankaracharya Kanyashram, a residential school at Jalespatta is another ashram of Swamiji in the district, where education is being imparted to girls.......
In 1969 he started his first ashram at Chakapada and the ashram became a hub of activities aimed at the welfare of the local tribal population. He renovated the temples: Birupakshya, Kumareswar and Jogeswar.
Swamiji was well versed in Vedanta philosophy, Sanskrit grammar and hence was known as "VEDANTA KESARI".
He stood firm in Phulbani district for a long time and struggled hard to preserve and protect the tribal culture and dharma, the Shankaracharya of Govardhan Pitha, Puri awarded him with the title of "BIDHARMI KUCHAKRA VIDARAN MAHARATHI.".
While he started his work in Kandhamal, a devoted RSS Pracharak, Sri Raghunath Sethi got associated with him for a long period. He initially selected his place of activities at Chakapad because it has famous Birupakhya temple. Subsequently he established Kanyashram at Jalespatta, a Seva school at Tulasipur, Banki in Cuttack district and an Ashram at Panigola in Angul district.
The Birupakshya temple at Chakapada is situated in the district of Kandhamal (Phulbani). It stands on an elevation of about 800ft. from sea level. River Burutanga is flowing near the temple. The place is surrounded by beautiful natural sceneries. Chakapada has also been mentioned in the Ramayana. The old age name of Chakapada is Ekachakranagari. The name is connected with Ramayana. Here exists a Shiva temple where Linga is bent to south and all the trees of the place are also bent to south.
Swamiji was a visionary. It has been clearly established by his activities. Taken step by step and transform the total life style of people of Kandhamal. He had started night school for adult education. He stared a Sanskrit School named Kalyan Ashram, Sanskrit Vidyalaya at Chakapad in the year 1969 which has now been elevated as a Sanskrit college.
For the education of the girls, he established 'Sankaracharya Kanyashram' a wholly residential school at Jalespata in Kandhamal, in the year 1988 where 250 girls' students are studying. He also established a school at Banki and ashram at Panigola in Angul district.
Swamiji taught grammar to the student in the class and technique of good cultivation in the field. He taught the villagers when and how to cultivate paddy vegetables etc. Due to his efforts, farmers at Udaygira and Raikia blocks area produce the best quality and highest quantity of beans in Odisha. They also formed a vegetable cooperative society at Katingia. Through these efforts, the economic condition of the local population improved a lot.
Now we can see greenery everywhere in the Kandhmal because it has more forest cover than any other district. It is all due to Swamijis efforts. He also established "Matths" on the hill tops in several parts of the district and told the villagers that the trees in the hill belong to Matths and the village community. If emergency arises one can cut a tree and take wood only after the permission of the village committee. That worked tremendously. The joint forest management system which govt. started now had been started by Swamiji in 1970.
Swamiji was very much serious for preservation and protection of tribal culture and tradition. He has established and renovated the tribal deity place (Dharanipenu) in several places. Similarly he had started a Rathyatra through out the Gajapati and Kandhamal district during which thousands of tribal were motivated to go back and adhere to their own belief systems.
He often said that the area will not prosper where tear or blood falls. He was against the indiscriminate cow slaughter. He taught the people to protect cattle from slaughtering. On several occasions On several occasions he staged demonstration, dharanas and participated in the hunger strike in several parts of the state. He toured through out the state for this cause.
He was associated with several socio-cultural and religious organisations. He has established and renovated several temples in different parts of the state.
His main work in Kandhalmal was protecting the tribals from Christian conversion. He tried his level best to bring back the tribals to their original faith. Inspired by his work, thousands of people in different parts of the states become his disciple.
His main mission was:
- Making the tribal youth strong, fearless, educated and financially sound.
- Tribals should be strong in their belief and check conversion of their brethren and reconvert those who have gone out.
- Protection of cows.
This made him popular thought out the State. During the two big functions at Chakapad in 1986 and 2007, lakhs of people gather in that remote place.
He undertook Padyatras of villages across the district. He connected with many young men and women of that society and travelled from place to place.
Millions of people of Odisha have special reverence for Swami Lakshmanananda ji. He aroused a sense of self-respect in the lives of millions of forest dwellers by performing Padyatras in hundreds of villages. He organized the Srimad Bhagwat Katha in hundreds of villages.
In 1986, Swamiji set up the deities of Lord Jagannath Swami, seated in Jagannathpuri, in a huge chariot, and travelled through the forest districts of Odisha for about three months. Through this chariot, about 10 lakh forest dwellers and women got connected with Lord Jagannath and worshiped reverently. Through this chariot, Swamiji created public awareness against prohibition, social evils and promoted cow protection. This awakened consciousness and devotion among the forest dwellers.
From 1970 to December 2007, Swami Ji was attacked 8 times. But in spite of these attacks, Swamiji's resolve to stop conversions of forest dwellers into Christianity was unwavering. Swamiji used to say - "Whatever they try, they will not be able to obstruct the divine work."
Read more at: https://organiser.org/2023/08/23/191423/bharat/swami-lakshmanananda-saraswati-sacrifice-remembrance-day-the-man-who-rescued-tribals-from-forced-conversions/
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