His Holiness Sri Jayendra Puri Swami is the worthy successor to His Holiness Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal, who attained Mahasamadhi on 14th January, 2005 on Friday in the Uttarayana Punyakala. Sri Jayendra Puri Swamiji was officially nominated as the successor to the Peetha at Sri Kailash Ashrama Mahasamsthana in Bangalore, India, on 11th December, 2003 has been incharge of the administration of both Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal’s ashram and its adjoining Sri Rajarajeshwari temple since 1993.

Sri Jayendra Puri Swami was born on the 20th of October 1960 and had a happy and fulfilling childhood. He was a bright student at the top of the class. Yet something was missing. Swamiji had experienced a lot of success in life, but felt a strange hollowness. Coming from a somewhat modern family, Swamiji’s first exposure to Hindu scriptures was when Swamiji was 27 years old. What was amazing was that when Swamiji read these scriptures for the first time, it was like Swamiji knew them already. They all seemed so very familiar.

Sri Jayendra Puri Swamiji felt inspired to make his way to Sri Kailash Ashrama Mahasamsthana to seek guidance on the divine path from His Holiness Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal. The instant Swamiji met His Holiness Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal,Swamiji knew immediately that he had found his guru. There was not even a trace of doubt in his mind.

Swamiji explained that his aim in life was to attain the Divine Mother in all her beauty and divinity. Swamiji came to Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal in 1987. As soon as he met him, he expressed his desire to take sannyas. Swamiji was asked to wait and in due course accepted as disciple. A month later, he was sent to Haridwar to learn Sanskrit and the scriptures and to serve His Holiness Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Prakashanandji Maharaj there, who was then quite aged. Just before he left, he received the robes of brahmacharya. He lived in Haridwar and North India for seven-and-a-half years. Early in 1989, before the Allahabad Kumbhamela, he wrote to Mahaswamigal seeking initiation into sannyas. Mahaswamigal finally gave him permission with instructions that the ceremony in Haridwar be conducted with Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal as his Guru.

In Haridwar, Sri Jayendra Puri Swamiji kept to himself and performed his disciplines well. On completing his duties and study, he returned to Sri Kailash Ashrama Mahasamsthana to serve the Goddess and his guru, His Holiness, Sri Sri Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal.

One of Sri Jayendra Puri Swamiji’s many special talents is his aptitude for learning languages. He can speak all the South Indian dialects, as well as Hindi. He is also fluent in German and Italian. Seeing his flair for languages, Mahaswamigal arranged for a tutor to come here and teach him Italian in the ashram.

When His Holiness Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal was asked why he chose Sri Jayendra Puri Swami as his successor, he said that Sri Jayendra Puri Swami is well educated and sincere. He has a thorough knowledge of the shastras and carries on the tradition of the ashram with complete devotion. He is compassionate. He has concern for the poor and works for the welfare of all. He is calm and composed. He understands our sampradaya (spiritual lineage).

Presently H.H. Sri Jayendra Puri Mahaswamiji is the Peethadhipathi of Sri Kailash Ashrama Mahasamsthana Trust and all other branch trusts, including Sri Jnanakshi Educational Institutions Trust and Sri Rajarajeshwari Charitable Hospital Trust.

Swamiji’s one and sole aim is to revive the glorious heritage of the Bhartiya Sanskriti in its totality with due respect and regard for all other world cultures and present the goodness of all cultures to the entire mankind in such a manner that everyone respects the other, irrespective of geographic, ethnic, language or any other differences, and ultimately attains God in all glory.