Anand Rishiji Maharaj Biography 
Anand Rishiji Maharaj was the second pattadhar Acharya of Jains. He served in this position from 1964 to 1992 until his death. He inspired not only Jain people but also the people of many castes. He had started many educational institutions and was given the title Rastra Sant.
He was born on 27th July 1900 in Chichondi village of Pathardi Tahsil of Ahmednagar district. His birth name was Nemichand. He was born on the day of Shravan Shukla Pratipat. His father’s name was Devichandji Gugale and his mother’s name was Hulsabai. He had one elder brother named Uttamchandji. He was a pious boy since his childhood days and took religious lessons at a very young age. His mentor was Ratna Rishiji Maharaj.
He decided to dedicate his life for religion and spend the life as a Jain Saint when he was just 13 years old. He undertook his Diksha on 7th December 1913 which is called as Margashirsha Shukla Navami. His consecration took place at Miri in Ahmednagar district. He was called as Anand Rishiji Maharaj from that time onwards. He learnt Sanskrit and Prakrit Stotras from his guru Pandit Rajdhari Tripathi. His first pravachan to the public took place in 1920 at Ahmednagar.
Ratna Rishiji Maharaj and Anand Rishiji Maharaj together promoted Jainism. According to this religion a sadhu should not stay in one place and should move from one vihar to other. Only in Chaturmas they could stay in one place. Chaturmas means spending four months for spiritual enhancement to uplift dharma. His followers call him Guru Dev.
Ratna Rishiji Maharaj died in 1927 and he was very sad. His first Chaturmas was in Hinganghat in 1927. In 1931 he had religious discussions with Jain dharma divakar Chuathmalji Maharaj and it was he who realized that Anand Rishiji Maharaj has all the qualities of Acharya.
He was announced as the Prime Minister of Jain Shraman Sangha in 1952 at the Sadri Sadhu Sammelan in Rajasthan. In 1953 common chaturmas was held in Jodhpur Rajasthan. On 13th May 1964, he became the second Acharya of Shraman Sangha. This ceremony was conducted in Ajmer, in Rajasthan.
He went to Pune after his chaturmas in 1974 and he was welcomed at Shaniwar Wada. He was given the award of Rashtra Sant by the then Maharashtra’s chief minister Vasantrao Naik on 13th February 1975, the same year of his 75th birthday. Anand Foundation was established the same year. In 1987, the diamond jubilee celebrations for his consecration as a sadhu were held with nine consecrations in the presence of Pujya Shankaracharya and Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan. He died on 28th March 1992.
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Updated: August 24, 2011
