Swami Vishnu Tirtha ji Maharaj

Swami Vishnu Tirtha ji Maharaj is the senior most of Vidya Peeth. He embarked on his spiritual journey in 1971, while he was still a teenager, wandering in distant lands in his quest.

After spending a few years in the holy town of Kashi, Vishnu Tirtha ji left for and spend over three years studying the Srimad Bhagavatam. In 1978, his quest took him to Uttarkashi. He spent a year and a half there, staying at Pashupati Ashram, engaged in the study of scriptures. Swamiji then made his way to Gangotri, where he found his Dandi Swami ji. Vishnu Tirtha ji stayed with his Guru till he breathed his last breath in 1988.

He came back to Uttarkashi for further studies but had to leave for Rishikesh due to a spell of illness. At Kailash Ashram in Rishikesh, he had the good fortune of studying the scriptures by at the feet of great like Mahamandaleshwar Swami Vidyananda Giri ji Maharaj, Swami Tirtha ji Maharaj and Mahamandaleshwar Divyananda Saraswati ji Maharaj.

Swamiji then shifted to Swargashram, on the other side of the holy Ganga, living on bhiksha (alms) and continuing his scriptural studies with the Acharyas. After having studied for around five years, he started teaching at Kailash Ashram, mainly Nyaya and Vyakarna.

In 1998, Swami Vishnu Tirtha ji relocated to Uttarkashi and started selflessly sharing scriptural wisdom with earnest seekers from all over. Swami Haribrahmendrananda ji and Swami Sharvananda ji, current acharyas of ASBVP, as well as Swami Janardhanananda ji, Swami Hariomananda ji and many other renowned swamis and sadhakas of Uttarkashi were among his students who are now dedicated to take the torch forward, along with him.

When he had lost his small hermitage to the Ganga floods he shifted temporarily to Himachal Pradesh, only to return three years later.

As a resident Acharya since 2016, Swamiji has been a pillar of strength to Adi Shankara Brahma Vidya Peeth, and to all the spiritual seekers.