NTRUTH-001-004-000: Who is Paramahamsa Nithyananda? The Spiritual Revolution
February 27, 2026
),
Mahamandaleshwar (Spiritual Head) of Mahanirvani Peetha, the most ancient apex body of Hinduism ( http://akhada.org/),
Founder and Spiritual Head of Nithyananda University - world's largest Hindu University ( www.nithyanandauniversity.org).
More than 20 million people in 347 cities in 196 countries over 6 continents revere and follow His Divine Holiness. In just 16 years of public life, His Divine Holiness has delivered 3 peta byte (30,00,000 GB) storage worth discourses. His Divine Holiness, through His high activism in serving humanity, is recognized as a renowned leader who has raised the lives of millions, from the grassroots to the decision makers.
How the Avatar was recognized
His Divine Holiness was born in a small temple town called Tiruvannamalai in South India, where He spent His childhood.
He was recognized as the Avatar (incarnation), and raised by a group of spiritual
leaders of the place, belonging to the Hindu ethnic minority group of Adi Shaiva.
His spiritual leadership potential was recognized by the gurus of the community. From the age of 3 years, the gurus (spiritual masters) of His community started training Him for His future spiritual responsibilities. His accession to the throne of several ancient religious monasteries of the community was pre-decided by the leaders.
Spiritual leaders performed tests to recognize the Avatar
His spiritual leadership potential was recognized by the leaders of the community. The spiritual leaders performed some tests to the young children to recognize the next spiritual leader.
As an infant, He was tested to choose amongst various objects. Amongst them were highly spiritual sacred items like rudraksha (rosary) bead, amongst various precious stone jewelry items. He was seen to pick only sacred items like rudraksha.
Recognized as The Incarnation from Childhood
His spiritual leadership was foreseen by His predecessors
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi - described His next two incarnation successors
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (December 30 1879 – April 14 1950) had declared
Yogi Ramsurat Kumar (December 1, 1918 – February 20, 2001) as the successor Avatar, who’s happening Bhagwan had described as “A Saint with a fan.”
When Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi was asked who would come after Yogi Ramsurat Kumar, he assertively said, “A laughing young boy sitting under a banyan tree.”
His predecessor Incarnation identified Him as successor before leaving His body
His Divine Holiness was also recognized by Sri Yogi Ramsurat Kumar (December 1, 1918 – February 20, 2001) as His successor.
Enlightened sages of Tiruvannamalai, India
Mataji Vibhudananada Puri, Yogananda Puri, Isakki Swamigal, were the enlightened sages of Tiruvannamalai, who recognized His Divine Holiness as an Avatar and trained Him.
On one occasion, His Yoga Guru - Yogananda Puri - offered ceremonial worship to His sacred feet when He was a mere 10-year old. When His Divine Holiness asked him why he did it, Yogananda Puri replied, “I know you are an Avatar purusha (incarnation of the Divine) and I wanted to be the first person to offer pada puja (ceremonial worship to one’s sacred feet because of one’s Divinity) to you.”
Recognition by contemporary Avatar - His Holiness Satya Sai Baba
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba coronates Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda as ‘the Avatar’. A living Avatar recognised and coronated by another living Avatar.
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is revered and worshipped as an Avatar, the Divinity Incarnate by millions of people worldwide.
**12th June 2004 -**Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba officially recognized His Holiness Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda and **formally coronated Him as The Avatar (incarnation) as per Sanatana Hindu Dharma.**He personally sent and gifted three divine items to Paramahamsa Nithyananda. The President of the Shri Sathya Sai Trust, along with a group of devotees of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Babaji visited the Bengaluru Aadheenam, Nithyananda Peetham and reverentially performed homa (ceremonial fire ritual) and Paduka Puja (ceremonial worship), and made these divine offerings of Swarna Padukas (two sacred golden sandals) and Kirita (the divine golden crown).
By this ceremonious offering of divine items, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba formally officiated Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda Swamiji as the Avatar, the direct physical manifestation of divine superconsciousness. In Sanatana Hindu Dharma (Hinduism), the formal offerings made by an enlightened spiritual being or an Incarnation to another, is very rare and holds not just the tradition significance of honoring the Divinity, but also holds the cosmic significance of declaring to the world the spiritual legacy and unbroken lineage of Avatars.
Following are the pictures taken as on 12th June 2004 for this divine occasion of coronation of the Avatar.
His Spiritual Training by leaders of the community
The spiritual leaders of the community recognized His potential spiritual leadership. His Divine Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda experientially learnt the complete Vedic education through His spiritual masters and mentors. His places of learning were the great temples where all knowledge systems came alive as applied sciences.
He lived in the temple of Sri Arunachaleshwara and in several other temples where His spiritual masters tested and trained Him, and transmitted the ancient knowledge to Him. They uncompromisingly prepared his physiology, psychology and neurology at all levels – not to be just an adept, but to be the next spiritual leader.
His training by the spiritual leaders of the community continued till the age of 22. During that time, he was staying in the Arunachaleshwara Temple and in various other temples and monasteries within India. He lived most of His early years in various temples and monasteries, and occasionally visited his parents. His parents supported Him to be raised and educated by the group of spiritual leaders of the community. He imbibed the ocean of spiritual sciences from the original source scriptures, which are - VedaAgamas, Yoga, Vedanta, Upanishads, Sri Vidya, Ayurveda, Siddha, Meditation, Nutrition, Vegetarianism, and all the different branches of Hindu philosias.
The Leaders prepared Him to offer ancient knowledge to the whole world
English was not spoken in the community He lived in. His spiritual masters sent Him to a Polytechnic College for Mechanical Engineering (equivalent to university college) to
learn the English language. His spiritual leaders wanted Him to be prepared to offer His knowledge to the whole world. When He was barely 10 years of age, encouraged by His teachers, He delivered a spiritual discourse on the highly advanced subject of ‘Sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras’.
Lifestyle and teachings of the Adi Shaiva Tradition
Non-violence
Living with the truth of “you are consciousness. You cannot be violated by anything’, based on which being established in true non-violence (Ahimsa) with the self, with every living being, and with the world.
Vegetarianism
Not consuming any animal meat or using any item made with animal in any way.
Worship of Nature and Living Beings
Loving nature and animals as the extension of one’s own self. Not cutting trees. Revering and worshipping plants, animals, trees, nature
Organic Lifestyle
The diet is completely organic and natural, without pesticides or genetically modified products.
(Left) His Divine Holiness offers prayers to MahaSadaShiva in form of Banyan Tree in Bengaluru Aadheenam. (Right) Cows of the Aadheenam, decorated with sacred pastes, before they are worshipped.
Temple based Lifestyle
Celebration of deities through various festivals, ritualistic daily worship of deities through chanting vedic mantras (sacred energy syllables), and sacred fire rituals (homas). Study of ancient spiritual texts - VedaAgamas.
(Left): Monastic disciples of His Divine Holiness offer daily ritualistic prayers. (Right) : A homa kunda (sacred fire ritual altar) at the Bengaluru Aadheenam.
Yoga
Lifestyle of Yoga as per original core scriptures (shastras), such as Shivastambha (Pole Yoga) and Kundalini Rajju (Rope Yoga).
Yogic Sciences
Applying the ancient Yogic Sciences of manifesting extraordinary spiritual powers and living it as a lifestyle.
(Left) : A Gurukul (traditional Hindu school) balasant (child saint) practising yoga on the shivastamba as per ancient scriptures. (Right) : A Gurukul balasant manifesting the power of reading without using the physical eyes, using the mystical third eye.
Starting His Divine Mission - 2000
From the age of 22, His Divine Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda started to create His own temple monastery complexes and teach the Science of Superconscious living. He is supported monetarily continuously by contributions from His own home town and others. The monasteries are built as non-profit entities.
In 2001, He built the first ever temple monastery complex in Tiruchengode in South India. In 2003, He inaugurated His headquarter-monastery in Bangalore. The land was donated by a devotee.
In mere five years of public life - spreading to 33 countries
Spread your bliss to the world
“Swamiji, it is such a joy to experience your blissful smile. When we were children we lived blissfully, smiled a lot and were really happy and fulfilled. But as we grow we lose our smile. Yet when I see you, I see you carry and radiate such a divine bliss. If I could ask you for something Swamiji, I would request you to spread the same bliss that you carry inside you to the entire world. If you could do that, I would be very happy.”
His Divine Holiness with Former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
- Message of Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam to His Divine Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda during a meeting.
Year 2007 was only five years since His Divine Holiness had started His mission. In mere five years, He had already reached the hearts of millions of people worldwide across 33 countries.
Having experienced oneness with the Source and realizing the purpose of His incarnation, His Divine Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyanandastarted His mission of giving superconscious breakthrough to humanity.
As of 2018, more than 20 million people in 347 cities in 196 countries over 6 continents revere and follow His Divine Holiness.
Contributions
World’s largest Hindu University
Nithyananda University (started in 2003).
**270,000+**Enrollments
2700+ courses. 550+ faculty
150+ nations. 347+ campuses & centers worldwide
More than 10,000 hoursof spiritual discourses on ancient rare spiritual manuscripts.
Primary school with highest ratio of under age children appearing for and clearing high school graduation
Nithyananda Gurukul (started on 2 Oct 2006) - revival of ancient Adi Shaivite Guru-disciple spiritual education tradition.
2018 : Recognized as - The Primary school with highest ratio of under age children appearing for high school graduation( under IGCSE Edexcel ).
2018 : Awarded the - Leadership in Education- 12th World Education Summit 2018, New Delhi
Stress free educationbased on learning through divine insights of the third eye, where academic excellence is just a natural consequential byproduct.
Lifestyle of Yoga and Expression of Yogic Powers of an awakened Third Eye
World largest Hindu library, storing, marinating and collecting all ancient Hindu texts, manuscripts and palm leaves
Nithyananda Jnanalaya (started - 2003)
Over 70,000 titlesin printed, soft and palm‑leaf manuscript /fo lio forms.
Largest collection of ancient religious texts of extinct Hindu religious sects.
Largest archival records of “atrocity literature”, as evidence of systematic State justified persecution of minority religious sects, and for protection of humanity from recurrence of similar genocides.
Indigenously developed indological classification system.
One of the largest collection of most ancient Yoga manuscripts, for research, digitization and publication.
Reviving ancient branches of original yoga - setting multiple Guinness World Records®
Reviving Mallakhamba - Pole Yoga - Shivasthamba Yoga℠ - Guinness World Records® holder for largest pole yoga (Shivasthamba Yoga℠) class - 3 October 2017
Reviving - Rope Yoga - Kundalini Rajju Yoga℠ Guinness World Records® holder for largest rope yoga (Kundalini Rajju Yoga℠) class - 30 September 2017
Reviving ancient lost science of ‘Shashtanga Yoga’ as per ancient scriptures.
Spreading Yoga along with world’s largest compilation of original scriptural references to Yoga
Nithyananda Yoga Book - original ancient 1008 scriptural evidenceson yoga
- with original Sanskrit verses, scriptural references and English translation - as a free to download and print Yoga Book for Yoga teachersand practitioners world-wide.
Ancient Yogic Scriptures are rare and written in cryptic ancient verses, which makes the research by individual freelancer and professional Yoga Teachers prohibitive. The greed around the $100 Billion USD Yoga business has adulterated it by health-risking, dangerous manipulations such as ‘beer yoga.’ To provide sincere Yoga Teachers with proper scriptural reference in English (with original Sanskrit verses and references) for their personal research and development, and well being of their students, His Divine Holiness researched and published, Nithyananda Yoga Book, which is available for free download.
The only reviver of sacred Yogic Sciences - record holder for demonstration of extraordinary Yogic powers
Nithyananda Yogic Sciences
Reviving 460 Yogic powers as described in ancient scriptures such as Agamas
Record Holder - MOST PEOPLE DEMONSTRATE READING BLINDFOLDED
USING POWERS OF THIRD EYE AWAKENING - India Book of Records
Initiated and trained more than 100,000 people, in expressing similar extraordinary sacred Yogic powers of the third eye.
Practise of sacred Yogic Power as per ancient enlightened teachings liberates the practitioner from deepest innermost sufferings by realizing his sacred connection with the cosmos. Manifesting Yogic Powers empowers, the practitioner to experience a powerful, peaceful , loving coexistence with nature, plants, animals, inanimate objects and human life.
Released the first ever compilation of manuals of - Jnana Pada. Ancient sacred text - Agamas has 4 parts called Padas : Charya (community lifestyle) , Kriya (extols of worship and temple rituals), Yoga (meditation and yoga), Jnana (achieving ultimate state - Shiva). Until this, the paddhatis (manuals) have been written only on the Charyapada and Kriya Pada.
Humanitarian and Peace Efforts
As a humanitarian, His Divine Holiness is deeply concerned for every human to manifest his highest conscious potential, which is the greatest possibility for ‘human to divine’ evolution.
He is dedicated to nurturing and enriching harmonious powerful existence for the people of all ethnicities, cultures and religions, established in the universal truth of Oneness or Advaita.
2003 till date – Extraordinary humanitarian servicesthat include free nutritious everyday meals, free holistic energy healing either personally or through initiated spiritual healers, free Vedic call centers and television shows for public outreach, free medical camps, educational benefits for rural children, financial independence for rural women and more.
Grounded in tradition, Universalist in delivery
His Divine Holiness is grounded in ancient sacred tradition, scriptures and knowledge. He has knowledge of the ocean of ancient scripts in Tamil, Sanskritand a few rare ancient Indic scripts. Whereas when it comes to sharing the traditional knowledge, His Divine Holiness has delivered more than 10,000 hours of spiritual discourses in English. He has also given discourses in various regional and international languages such as Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, French. His talks have been compiled into more than 300 books published in 27 global languages. His disciples are from various ethnicities from 47 countries, who are benefiting from His teaching.
Recognition of Contributions
Recognition by apex ancient bodies and spiritual leaders of Hinduism
12th June 2004 - Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba officially recognized and coronated His Holiness Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda as the successor Avatar.
On 27 Apr 2012, He was coronated as the 293rd Pontiff of the world’s most ancient living Hindu religious organization in South India - The Madurai Aadheenam.
Paramahamsa Nithyananda was named the lawful successor to the 232nd Guru Maha Sannidhanam of Thondaimandala Aadheenam, making Him the 233rd Guru Maha Sannidhanam (pontiff).
In 2007 His Divine Holiness was declared as the Mahamandaleshwar (spiritual head) of the most ancient apex body of Hinduism, Sri Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani with over 1.2 million monks. On Feb 2013, His pattabhishekam (coronation) ritual was performed.
Some of the Awards and recognitions to His Divine Holiness by world leaders and organizations
22 Mar 2007: The California Legislature Assembly, Norwalk, California, USA recognized His Divine Holiness as an enlightenment master, modern mystic, and greatest saint of modern India who has taught the science of attaining endless happiness.
**09 Nov 2007 :**The Senate of the State of California, USA recognized His Divine Holiness for His spirit, dedication, and efforts to raise awareness of the Vedic tradition, and to usher positively on global peace and universal brotherhood.
**29 Mar 2009 :**Keys to the City, Artesia, California, USA was awarded to His Divine Holiness.
**01 Sep 2009 :**Hon. Jim Karygiannis, P.C., M.P., Scarborough-Agincourt, Toronto, recognized His Divine Holiness for His contributions as a humanitarian peace ambassador.
**18 Oct 2017 :**Declared as Paramahamsa Nithyananda Day – by the City of Montclair, California, USA in recognition of His Divine Holiness’ contribution to the superconscious evolution of humanity.
**01 Jan 2012 :**His Divine Holiness was named among the world's 100 most spiritually influential personalities by renowned esoteric magazine – Body Mind Spirit.
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