Swami Ramanand Teerth.

Born in Sindagi, Vijayapura district (then in Bombay Presidency), Karnataka. His birth name was Vyenkatesh Bhagvanrao Khedgikar.

While listening to Lokmanya Tilak's speech at Solapur he saw Mahatma Gandhi, and found his call to national service.

Deeply moved by Tilak's death, he vowed to dedicate his life to the service of the country and to remain celibate. He finished his schooling at Sindagi, Gangapur and the Northcote High School, Solapur.

He joined the National College at Amalner, where the thought of Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Rama Tirtha left a lasting impression.

Having passed the Intermediate examination at Amalner, he moved to Pune for the next stage of his education.

He stood first in the Vangmaya Visharad examination, wrote a dissertation on ‘the development of democracy’, and earned his postgraduate degree in Vangmaya Parangat.

He began work as deputy organiser for the city of Bombay, and later served as private secretary to N. M. Joshi.

A stroke left him in hospital for eighteen months — a time he later remembered for its enforced reflection.

He joined the national school at Hipparga in Osmanabad district as a teacher and headmaster.

Swamiji formally accepted the life of a sanyasi.

From Narayan Swami he learnt more about Swami Rama Tirtha and the life of the sanyasi.

At Hipparga, Narayan Swami initiated him into sanyas for the service of the people. He took the name ‘Swami Ramanand Teerth’.

He took charge of the national school at Hipparga.

He founded Shri Yogeshwari Nutan Vidyalaya, a high school at Ambajogai, and became its headmaster.

He attended the Maharashtra Parishad session at Partur.

At the Parishad session in Latur he accepted the post of secretary of its ad-hoc committee.

He left for Hyderabad and became a member of the Hyderabad State Congress.

With four companions he led the second batch of the State Congress satyagraha near Putlibawdi. The Nizam's government arrested him and imposed a sentence.

The Vande Mataram movement began in the Hyderabad State.

Swamiji was released from custody.

He wrote to the Nizam's government asking that the ban on the State Congress be lifted.

He was arrested once more, imprisoned and later released.

After Gandhi's ‘Do or die’ message to India, the Nizam's police arrested Swamiji at Nampally station.

Swamiji was released from prison.

He attended the meeting of the standing committee of the All India Praja Parishad in Delhi.

The Nizam's government withdrew the State transfer order.

The first public meeting of the movement was held at Hyderabad.

Govind Pansare, a worker of the State Congress, was killed.

The first session of the Hyderabad State Congress was held at Hyderabad.

India became independent, but Hyderabad and Kashmir remained under their rulers. On the eve of independence Swamiji and his colleagues were arrested.

The Government of India and the Nizam's government signed a standstill agreement.

Swamiji and his colleagues were released from prison.

Swamiji wrote to the Nizam. In reply, the government arrested him on 26 January 1948.

The murder of Mahatma Gandhi left Swamiji in deep sorrow.

Razakar mobs attacked satyagrahis in the jail. Bhimsen Desai was killed and many were injured.

The Government of India launched a police action in the Hyderabad State.

The Nizam's government surrendered, the State was freed, and Swamiji was released from prison.

The Constitution of India came into force in the Hyderabad State.

Nanded Education Society founded People's College at Nanded — the first college in Marathwada — with Swamiji as its guiding force.

He founded the Hyderabad Khadi Committee, and later helped start the Bhoodan movement in Marathwada with Vinoba Bhave.

In independent India's first general election he won from the Gulbarga constituency and went to the Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament.

At the All India Congress session at Nanalnagar, Hyderabad, he argued clearly before Nehru for the trifurcation of Hyderabad and for states organised on a linguistic basis.

People's High School was established at Nanded.

Swamiji gave up the leadership of the State Congress for good.

On Swamiji's initiative a technical education school was founded at Latur.

The Hyderabad State was divided into three, and its parts merged with the neighbouring linguistic states.

Yogeshwari College was founded at Ambajogai under the Shri Yogeshwari Shikshan Sanstha.

He won from the Aurangabad constituency and returned to the Lok Sabha for a second term.

Marathwada University was established, with a significant contribution from Swamiji.

The State of Maharashtra was formed, a cause to which Swamiji made an important contribution.

The Shri Yogeshwari Shikshan Sanstha entered its silver jubilee year.

Swamiji retired from active politics.

On the occasion of his sixtieth birthday Swamiji was honoured at several places.

He visited Shanti Ashram near Chintalur in Andhra Pradesh, founded by Omkar Swami, and stayed on there permanently.

At the Shanti Ashram branch in East Godavari, Swamiji established Rama Tirtha Shanti Mahavidyalaya.

Marathwada University honoured him with the degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.).

Poojya Swamiji passed away at Hyderabad. His mortal remains rest at the Swami Ramananda Teerth Memorial at Brahmanvada, Begumpet.