Trailanga Swami Samadhi, Trailanga Swami Ashram, Kotwali, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Sri Trailanga Swami Ji was a Hindu yogi and mystic famed for his spiritual powers. It is believed that Sri Trailanga Swami ji was incarnation of the Lord Shiva and referred as the “The walking Lord Shiva of Varanasi”

There are many stories and anecdotes about Sri Trailanga Swami ji’s spiritual and yogic powers. He is believed to have lived for more than 300 years, 150 of which were lived in Varanasi, until his death in 1887. In varanasi, he lived at different places including Assi Ghat, the Vedavyas Asharama at Hanuman Ghat and Dashashwamedh Ghat. He was often found roaming the streets or the ghats, stark naked and “carefree as a child”. He was reportedly seen swimming or floating on the river Ganges for hours.

His fame had spread and a vast number of people seeked him to allievate their pain and suffereings.

During his stay in Varanasi, several prominent contemporary Bengali saints like Lokenath Brahmachari, Benimadhava Brahmachari, Bhagaban Ganguly, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa , Vivekananda, Mahendranath Gupta, Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Abhedananda, Bhaskarananda, Vishuddhananda, Vijaykrishna and Sadhak Bamakhepa met him and were convinced of his divinity.

Life and Biography of Sri Trailanga Swami ji

Sri Trailanga Swami ji was born in the year 1607, in Kumbilapuram (now known as Kumili of Puspatirega Tehisil) at Vizianagaram District in Andhra Pradesh, with the name of Shivarama. His parents Narashingha Rao and Vidyavati Devi.

After 20 years of spiritual practice (sadhana), he met his preceptor swami, Bhagirathananda Saraswati, in 1679 from the Punjab. Bhagirathananda initiated Shivaram into monastic vows (sannyasa) and named him Swami Ganapati Saraswati in 1685. Ganapati reportedly led a life of severe austerities and went on a pilgrimage, reaching Prayag in 1733, before finally settling in Varanasi in 1737

A member of the Dashanami order, Sivarama became known as Sri Trailanga Swami ji after he settled in Varanasi, living the monastic life.In Varanasi, till his death in 1887, he lived at different places including Assi Ghat, the Vedavyas Asharama at Hanuman Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat. A number of people became attracted to him upon hearing of his yogic powers to ameliorate their sufferings.

In the later stage of his life, as his fame spread, crowds of pilgrims visited Sri Trailanga Swami ji. During his last days, he took up living like a python (ajagaravritti) in which he sat still without any movement, and devotees poured water (abhisheka) on him from early morning till noon, looking upon him as a living incarnation of Shiva.