Appayya Swamigalu
Encyclopedia
Sadguru Appayya Swamigalu (not to be mistaken with the 17th century Carnatic Musician and scholar of Tamil Nadu with the same name) was born as Palanganda Appaiah, the son of a Kodava
paddy farmer in Kodagu
(Coorg) in 1885. Appayya did his schooling in English and Kannada in Central High School, Mercara. Later he joined the Government Service under the Raj. However he was of a religious bend of mind since childhood, and inspired by the lives of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda
. He sought a spiritual guru, whom he eventually found in Guru Ramagiri. His Guru then ordained him into Sannyas (monkhood) in 1917. In the monastery, Swamigalu learnt and composed several hymns. Through the path of devotion he attained self-realisation. Over time he became a spiritual teacher with several disciples and was hence given the title of Sadguru. Later he became the founder and head of a monastery in Virajpet
known as Kaveri Ashram after the river goddess Kaveri and started in 1941. In 1956, aged 71, he passed away. His work in sustaining Hindu
spirituality and culture in Coorg and it's surrounding regions is being carried on by the Kaveri Ashram (also known as Cauvery Ashram http://maps.google.co.in/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=ixv&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&q=kaveri%20ashram%20virajpet&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=37436l41737l0l42260l9l9l0l8l0l0l313l313l3-1l1l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=512&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl) today. At present, there is a school named after him in Somwarpet
taluk's Kudige town, Kodagu called Sadguru Appayya Swamy High School http://wikimapia.org/19558672/SHREE-SADGURU-APPAIAH-HIGH-SCHOOL-KUDIGE.
2. One among several newspaper articles related to Cauvery/Kaveri Ashram http://www.deccanherald.com/content/48531/geetha-abhiyan-january-28.html
Kodava
The Kodavas are a patrilineal ethno-lingual group from the region of Kodagu, in Karnataka state of southern India who traditionally were land-owning agriculturists with martial traditions and natively speak Kodava takk...
paddy farmer in Kodagu
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
(Coorg) in 1885. Appayya did his schooling in English and Kannada in Central High School, Mercara. Later he joined the Government Service under the Raj. However he was of a religious bend of mind since childhood, and inspired by the lives of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
. He sought a spiritual guru, whom he eventually found in Guru Ramagiri. His Guru then ordained him into Sannyas (monkhood) in 1917. In the monastery, Swamigalu learnt and composed several hymns. Through the path of devotion he attained self-realisation. Over time he became a spiritual teacher with several disciples and was hence given the title of Sadguru. Later he became the founder and head of a monastery in Virajpet
Virajpet
The town of Virajpet is the second town of the district of Kodagu, in Karnataka. It is the main town of the Virajpet taluka, in the south of the district. The name is an abbreviation of Virarajendrapete after the former ruler of Kodagu, Virarajendra, and this latter form is still sometimes used.It...
known as Kaveri Ashram after the river goddess Kaveri and started in 1941. In 1956, aged 71, he passed away. His work in sustaining Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
spirituality and culture in Coorg and it's surrounding regions is being carried on by the Kaveri Ashram (also known as Cauvery Ashram http://maps.google.co.in/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=ixv&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&q=kaveri%20ashram%20virajpet&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=37436l41737l0l42260l9l9l0l8l0l0l313l313l3-1l1l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=512&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl) today. At present, there is a school named after him in Somwarpet
Somwarpet
Somwarpet is a panchayat town in Kodagu district in the Indian state of Karnataka...
taluk's Kudige town, Kodagu called Sadguru Appayya Swamy High School http://wikimapia.org/19558672/SHREE-SADGURU-APPAIAH-HIGH-SCHOOL-KUDIGE.
External links
1. A disciple of Sadguru Appayya speaks :http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/ayurveda-health-wellbeing/901157-flag-sri-ramakrishna-need-not-only-flutter-sri-ramakrishna-mission.html2. One among several newspaper articles related to Cauvery/Kaveri Ashram http://www.deccanherald.com/content/48531/geetha-abhiyan-january-28.html