Baba Sevananda Saraswati Maharaj

Baba Sevananda Saraswati Maharajji (or Baba Sewanand or "Babaji") was a renunciant who communicated silently with each person that came to him. Babaji was given the duty to carry on the tradition of ‘seva,’ or selfless service, as a path to spiritual enlightenment by his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba Maharajji, who nominated Babaji to be his spiritual successor. Babaji's notable disciples include Sri Sri Poonamji, referred to by her disciples as The Awakening Guruji, who currently serves as his appointed successor. Baba Sevanandaji's most noted quote was “Love All, Serve All, Feed All.” Baba Sevanandaji served as Spiritual Head of Baba Neem Karoliji New Delhi Ashram from 1974 till leaving the physical body in 2008.
Early Life
Baba Sevananda Saraswati Maharajji was born in Chennai, India. At the age of four years old, Baba Sevanandaji's spiritual fervor and love for God led to leaving home with a group of mendicant monks who were passing through his hometown. Baba Sevanandaji's spiritual search included a trip to Rishikesh, a significant holy town where the confluence of the Ganges and the Northern Indian plains begins.
Baba Sevanandaji's enthusiasm to tirelessly serve led to earning the monastic title Baba Sevananda Saraswati. “Seva” is the Sanskrit word for selfless service, while “ananda” is Sanskrit for the bliss attained by divine contact. Babaji's deep love for the Divine saw the typical day at 2am each day to collect flowers for many temples, where he was acknowledged as a particularly talented decorator of Divine altars.
Spiritual Leadership
On visiting an ashram where Babaji's was staying, the renowned Baba Neem Karoli Maharajji recognized the spiritual talent of young Sevanandaji and prophesized Baba Sevanandaji would be take over Neem Karoli Maharajji's spiritual lineage to continue loving and selfless service to mankind. While wandering as a monk, Babaji reached Brindhavan, where he once again met Baba Neem Karoliji. Baba Neem Karoliji took Baba Sevanandaji under his tutelage, giving Baba Sevanandaji physical charge of running the Brindhavan ashram, where Baba Sevanandaji remained until the passing of Baba Neem Karoliji.
Baba Neem Karoliji instructed Baba Sevanandaji to take charge of the Delhi ashram in 1974. Some older devotees of Baba Neem Karoliji recount that when the land for the Delhi ashram was first granted, Baba Neem Karoliji predicted the ashram would flourish under the guidance of a ‘Madrasi’ baba, the term in North India for a saint from Tamil Nadu, long before Baba Sevanandaji had arrived.
When Baba Sevanandaji arrived in Delhi, the land allocated for the ashram resembled an overgrown forest, lacking food and water sources, whilst teeming with snakes and wild animals. Once Baba Sevanandaji established himself, local villagers arrived seeking blessings and spiritual guidance. With the grace of Guru Neem Karoli Maharajji, Baba Sevananda Maharrajji’s fame spread. Due to Baba Sevanandaji's enthusiasm and compassion, many came forward to assist as donors or volunteers, contributing towards the dream of Baba Neem Karoliji to establish a vibrant spiritual center in Delhi, infused with a feeling of love and peace.
Over the years, Baba Sevanandaji developed an ashram complex, school, hospital and grazing space for cows. Despite overseeing construction of many temples, schools and hospitals for surrounding communities, Baba Sevanandaji credited the Guru’s guidance from the astral world for their creation. He created numerous beautiful temples at this ashram as a form of loving service to his Guruji, although not publicizing his involvement in leading their construction. Baba Sevanandaji also directed the founding of the Omrit Awakening Centre in Singapore and a healing charity called ASHA in Australia.
Story of the Snake Temple
When Baba Sevanandaji first arrived at the Delhi ashram space, the area was teeming with snakes. Deaths due to snake bites were reported every few days in surrounding communities.
Many villagers approached Baba Sevanandaji for his Divine intercession. Knowledgeable of the subtle energies causing the snakes to behave in this way, Baba Sevanandaji performed severe spiritual austerities to heal the energies and lift the vibrational frequency of the surrounding communities to end the fatalities. Baba Sevanandaji then encouraged the local villagers and devotees to build a Snake Temple to honour the energies of the snakes. Since completion of the temple, there have since been no deaths due to snake bites in the entire area.
Departure from Physical Form
Baba Sevanandaji died on December 13th 2008 in New Delhi, India.

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