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Draft:Swami Chidananda Puri

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  • Comment: In preparing this draft, I disclose that AI assistance was used as follows: I got the initial draft from a couple of AI tools including Google Gemini and ChatGPT. Final article is edited by myself. Subashmu (talk) 11:56, 4 October 2026 (UTC)

Swami Chidananda Puri is an Indian Hindu spiritual teacher associated with Advaithashramam at Kolathur, Kozhikode district, Kerala.[1] He has participated in public discussions and events concerning Hindu religious and social issues, and has held leadership positions in religious organisations in Kerala.[2][3]

Religious activities

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In April 2017, Puri took part in a public debate organised by The Times of India in Thiruvananthapuram on the question of whether the Bhagavad Gita endorses the caste system. The other principal participant was rationalist C. Ravichandran. During the debate, Puri argued that the Gita referred to varna in terms of people's qualities and aptitudes rather than inherited caste.[4]

In November 2018, Puri inaugurated a meeting of Hindu organisations held under the banner of the Sabarimala Karma Samithi in Kottayam. The meeting discussed protests concerning the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple and decided to organise peaceful prayer sessions across Kerala.[1]

In January 2019, Puri delivered the presidential address at the Ayyappa Bhakta Sangamam in Thiruvananthapuram. The event brought together religious figures and political leaders during the dispute over women's entry to Sabarimala. In his address, Puri criticised the Kerala government's handling of the issue.[2]

Religious organisations

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Puri has held leadership roles in Hindu religious organisations in Kerala. In August 2023, The New Indian Express identified him as chairman of the Kerala Dharmacharya Sabha. The newspaper reported that he inaugurated a procession organised by the Sabha in Thiruvananthapuram in response to remarks made by Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker A. N. Shamseer about Lord Ganesha and mythology.[3]

In October 2025, Malayalam-language news outlet TV9 Malayalam identified Puri as chairman of the Margadarsaka Mandalam. It reported that he made public remarks during the Dharmasandesha Yatra, a religious journey by Hindu ascetics from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram.[5]

Academic association

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Puri was associated with the establishment of the Sanathana Dharma Peethom at the University of Calicut. According to the university's account, the Sanathanadharma Trust, of which Puri was chairman, was founded in 2003 and applied to the university to establish a chair for the study and research of Sanathana Dharma. The university's syndicate decided to establish the chair in January 2005.[6]

The University of Calicut records that Puri assumed charge as visiting professor of the chair on 12 December 2005.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Sabari row: Hindu outfits slam CM, plan peaceful stir". The Times of India. 2 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 "A show of strength at Ayyappa Bhakta Sangamam: Sanyasis and right wing leaders come together". The News Minute. 21 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Kerala Dharmacharya Sabha up in arms, holds 'namajapa' procession against Shamseer's statements". The New Indian Express. 18 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "Debate casts light on Gita & caste system". The Times of India. 7 April 2017.
  5. ↑ M. K., Shiji (17 October 2025). "Swami Chidananda Puri: 'ഹിന്ദുക്കള്‍ ജനസംഖ്യ വര്‍ധിപ്പിക്കണം, മൂന്നില്‍ കുറയാത്ത കുട്ടികള്‍ വേണം, നാലുണ്ടായാല്‍ ഒരു കുട്ടിയെ സന്യാസിയാക്കണം'" [Swami Chidananda Puri urges Hindus to have at least three children]. TV9 Malayalam (in Malayalam).
  6. ↑ "Sanathanadharma Peethom: Chair for Sanathanadharma Studies and Research" (PDF). University of Calicut. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "Chair for Sanathana Dharma Studies and Research". University of Calicut. Retrieved 4 October 2026.