Kashi Math is a matha (monastery) and a spiritual organisation followed by the Madhva section of Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, who are also referred as Madhwa Saraswat Brahmins or Vaishnava Saraswat Brahmins. It dates back to the 16th century. With its headquarters in Brahma Ghat, Varanasi. Kashi Math has followers all over the Konkan belt, prominently in Mumbai, Goa, Udupi, Mangalore, Kochi and other parts of Karnataka and Kerala.
Shri Chitrapur Math is the central math for the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin sect. It has been located at Shirali in the Bhatkal Taluk in the North Kanara district of Karnataka since 1757. The other maths of the community are located in Gokarna, Karla, Mangalore and Mallapur. All of the maths have the insignia of the saffron flag.
Shri Gokarna Math or Partagali Math is the first Gaud Saraswat Mathas of the Dvaita order, a system established by Jagadguru Madhvacharya in the 13th century AD. This matha also called Partagali Jivottama and is headquartered in Partagali, a small town in South Goa, on the banks of the river Kushavati.
The Chitrapur Guru Parampara or Guru Heritage of the Chitrāpur Sāraswat Brahmins is the lineage of spiritual teachers (gurus), also known as Mathadhipatis who have led the community throughout its history.
Swami Parijnanashram II was the third Guru and Mathādhipati of the Chitrāpur Sāraswats whose reign was between 1757 and 1770. He was ordained as the guru by the elders of the community after Swami Shankarāshram I died without selecting a shishya (disciple). Normally it is the shishya who ordained by the guru, who succeeds as the guru of the community.
Swami Shankarāshram II was the fourth head guru or Mathādhipati of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community. He reigned from 1770 to 1785.
Swami Ramanand Tirtha was an Indian politician, freedom fighter, educator and social activist who led the Hyderabad liberation struggle during the reign of Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad State. Swami Ramanand Tirtha was the principal leader of the Hyderabad State Congress. Before taking Sanyasa, his family name was Vyenkatesh Bhagvanrao Khedgikar.
Puthige Matha or Puttige Mutt in some records and literature is a Madhwa Vaishnava monastery. It is one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi founded by Dvaita philosopher Madhvacharya of Udupi. The first pontiff of Puttige matha was Sri Upendra Tirtha, who was a direct disciple of Sri Madhvacharya, the founder of the Dvaita school of philosophy. The main idols worshipped in the Puttige matha are that of Panduranga (Vittala), which was given to Sri Upendra Tirtha by Sri Madhvacharya. Till date, there have been 29 pontiffs who have headed the matha.
Shri Gaudapadacharya Math, also known as Kavaḷē maṭha, located in Kavale, Ponda, Goa, is the oldest matha of the Smarthan Saraswat Brahman Samaj. It was founded by Gauḍapāda around 740 AD, whose student was Govinda Bhagavatpada, the guru of Adi Shankara, a highly influential figure in Hinduism. There is also a belief that Gauḍapāda himself established the Shri Gaudapadacharya matha when he lived in Gomantak (Goa). Thus, the matha came to be known as Shri Saunstan Gaudapadacharya matha. Unlike other mathas, Shri Gaudapadacharya matha is not a polemical center established to influence the faith of all Hindus, its jurisdiction is limited to only Dakshinatya Saraswat Brahmins. The Peetadhipathi "head monk" is Śrī Gauḍapadācārya. Smartist Goud Saraswat Brahman Samaj and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin are its main disciples.
The Uttaradi Math, is one of the main monasteries (matha) founded by Madhvacharya with Padmanabha Tirtha as its head to preserve and propagate Dvaita Vedanta (Tattvavada) outside Tulunadu region. Uttaradi Math is one of the three primary Dvaita monasteries or Mathatraya that descended from Madhvacharya in the lineage of Padmanabha Tirtha through Jayatirtha. After Jayatirtha and Vidyadhiraja Tirtha, Uttaradi Math continued in the lineage of Kavindra Tirtha and later in the lineage of Vidyanidhi Tirtha. The Moola Rama and Moola Sita idols worshipped in the Uttaradi Matha have a long history and are revered among adherents.
Shri Raghavendra Math, better known as Rayara Math is one of the Dvaita Vedanta monasteries (matha) descended from Madhvacharya through Sri Jayatirtha further with Vibudhendra Tirtha. It is one of the three premier monasteries descended in the lineage of Jayatirtha the other two being Uttaradi Math and Vyasaraja Math and are jointly referred as Mathatraya. It is the pontiffs and pandits of the Mathatraya that have been the principle architects of post-Madhva Dvaita Vedanta through the centuries.
Sree Venu Gopala Swamy Temple, Purakkad is one of the oldest Gowda Saraswath temples in the world. The main deity is Sree Venu Gopala Swamy. Located in the ancient port city of Purakkad, in Alappuzha the temple was built around 400 years back. Gowda Saraswath Brahmin devotees from all over the world bring their children to perform "Devak Deevop" and "Sodovop".
The Sri Laxmi Venkatesh Temple is foremost temple of Gowda Saraswatha Brahmins in and around Kanhangad.
Jagadguru Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswami was the 35th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, which has been occupied by an unbroken lineage of gurus stretching back to the Advaitic philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, who established the matha for the propagation of Advaitha Vedanta.
The Advaita Guru-Paramparā is the traditional lineage (parampara) of divine, Vedic and historical teachers of Advaita Vedanta. It begins with the Daiva-paramparā, the gods; followed by the Ṛṣi-paramparā, the Vedic seers; and then the Mānava-paramparā, with the historical teachers Gaudapada and Adi Shankara, and four of Shankara's pupils. Of the five contemporary acharyas, the heads of the five Advaita mathas, four acharyas trace their lineage to those four pupils and one to Adi Shankara himself.
Nava Brindavana ;, is located on an island in the Tungabhadra River at Anegundi, near Hampi, Karnataka, India. The Brindavanas of nine Hindu Madhva saints present in Nava Brindavana belongs to Uttaradi Math, Vyasaraja Math and Raghavendra Math. All these saints are descended from Padmanabha Tirtha, direct disciple of Jagadguru Madhvacharya.
The Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is the foremost temple of Gowda Saraswatha Brahmins in and around Thalassery.
Shrimat Sudhindra Thirta Swami, also referred to as Shri Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji, was the legal and spiritual head (mathadipathi) of the Kashi Math and the twentieth successive person called the swamiji of guru parampara.
Cochin Tirumala Devaswom, also called Gosripuram is the biggest and most important socio-religious institution of Gowda Saraswat Brahmins of Kerala, India. The temple is situated at Cherlai in the heart of Mattancherry town in Cochin area which is one of the earliest settlements of GSBs in Kerala. The temple was established in the later half of the 16th century. The history of GSBs in Kerala is inter-woven with that of this temple and its Venkateswara idol.
Sukrathindra Thirta, also referred to as Shri Sukrathindra Thirtha Swamiji, was the legal and spiritual head (mathadipathi) of the Kashi Math and the nineteenth successive person called the swamiji of guru parampara.
