Swami Govindanand Memorial, Rithala (Delhi)

In Sanskrit svami or swami means an ascetic or yogi who has been initiated into the religious monastic order founded by some religious teacher. The word also used by Hindus for a yogi as well as for a religious guru, with or without disciples.
Swami Govindanand was born in a Brahmin family, Village Kaithli Rajora Distt, Dholpur Rajasthan. He had two Guru Brothers; Swami Amar Singh lived in Piswa Garhi and Swami Chattar Singh, lived in Garh Haira. Their Guru was Swami Ganesha Nand Ji Maharaj, who lived in Gwalior.
He came to the village in early 1950s and left the village several times for short period before settling down in Shiv temple. For the first time he was brought by Jeetram and Sankar. He was introduced to them by another swami who belonged to Usmapur village near Khurja, the village of Jeetram’s and Sankar’s wives. Swamiji and the other swami were living in a temple in Khurja, famously known The Ceramics City in the Bulandshahr district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Swamiji’s death anniversary (Shraddha or Punya Tiphi), organised by Dharampal, is observed every year on 1st April at the Hanuman Mandir and DV Public School in Vijay Vihar. In Swamiji’s honour the road from Rithala to Mangolpur via Vijay Vihar is named “Swami Govindanand Marg”.
The association between water and immortality was reflected in the myths of many cultures but in some cases it is still practiced in India. Swamiji’s corps was buried in the holy river Ganges at Brij-Ghat, Garh Ganga.
See more on www.rithala.org
by Shyam Rithalia (SR)