KRANTI TEERTH, A Tribute to Shyamji Krishna Varma
In my recent tour of Kutch in Gujarat, I discovered a unique shrine called “Kranti Teerth” in Mandvi. There, I learned about an important piece of history related to the Indian independence fight. Many know about freedom fighters such as Gandhiji, Nehruji, and Netaji. However, there were equally fervent unsung heroes before Gandhiji arrived on the centre stage of the freedom struggle. One such person is Shyamaji Krishna Varma.
Kranti Teerth is a shrine built in memory of Shyamji and to offer tribute, appropriately called “Veeranjali,” to him.
Early Life
Shyamaji Krishna Varma was born on October 4, 1857, in Mandvi, Kutch, Gujarat. After completing secondary education in Bhuj, he went to Bombay (Mumbai) for further education at Wilson High School. There, he learned Sanskrit.
Shyamaji was married in 1875 to Bhanumati, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. He then got in touch with Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj. Dayananda was a nationalist, a radical reformer, and an exponent of the Vedas. Influenced by his writings on philosophy and the spirit of nationalism, Shyamji became his ardent admirer and disciple. Shyamaji soon started conducting lectures on Vedic philosophy and religion. He became the first non-Brahmin to receive the prestigious title of Pandit by the Pandits of Kashi in 1877.
In England
Shyamji arrived in England in 1879 and joined Balliol College, Oxford, on the recommendation of Professor Monier Williams, a Professor of Sanskrit. Passing his B.A. in 1883, he became the first Indian to be an Oxonian. In 1900, he bought an expensive house in Highgate, which became a base for all political leaders of India. Gandhi, Lenin, Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale visited him to discuss the Indian Independence Movement.
In 1905, Shyamaji focused his activity as a political propagandist and organizer for the complete independence of India. Shyamji made his debut in Indian politics by publishing the first issue of his English monthly, The Indian Sociologist. This was an assertive, ideological monthly aimed at inspiring mass opposition to British rule, which stimulated many intellectuals to fight for the freedom of India. On 18 February 1905, Shyamji inaugurated a new organization called the Indian Home Rule Society to secure Home Rule for India.
As many Indian students faced racist attitudes when seeking accommodations, he founded India House as a hostel for Indian students, based at 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate. Shyamji hoped India House would incubate Indian revolutionaries. Bhikaiji Cama, S. R. Rana, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, Madan Lal Dhingra, Bhagat Singh, Madam Cama, and Lala Hardayal were all associated with it.
Shyamaji was also an admirer of Lokmanya Tilak and supported him during the Age of Consent bill controversy of 1890. However, he rejected the Congress Party’s petitioning, praying, protesting, cooperating, and collaborating policy, which he considered undignified and shameful.
Shyamji’s activities in England aroused the concern of the British government. His movements were closely watched by British Secret Services, so he decided to shift his headquarters to Paris, leaving India House in charge of Vir Savarkar. Shyamji left Britain secretly before the government tried to arrest him.
In Paris & Geneva
He arrived in Paris in early 1907 to continue his work. Shyamaji’s efforts in Paris helped gain support for Indian Independence from European countries. In 1914, his presence became an embarrassment as French politicians had invited King George V to Paris. Shyamji foresaw this and shifted his headquarters to Geneva. Here, the Swiss government imposed political restrictions during the entire period of World War I. Although he kept in touch with his contacts, he could not support them directly. He spent time with Dr. Briess, president of the Pro India Committee in Geneva, whom he later discovered was a British government-paid secret agent.
He published two more issues of Indian Sociologist, the paper he started in England, in 1922, before ill health prevented him from continuing. He died in hospital at 11:30 pm on March 30, 1930, leaving his wife, Shrimati Bhanumati Krishna Varma.
After Death
News of his death was suppressed by the British government in India. Nevertheless, tributes were paid to him by Sardar Bhagat Singh and his co-revolutionist brothers in Lahore Jail, where they were undergoing a long-term, drawn-out trial. Maratha, a daily newspaper started by Shri Tilak in Marathi, paid a very touching tribute to him as a great revolutionary.
Pandit Shyamaji Krishna Varma did not live to witness the independence of Bharat, but his confidence in India gaining its freedom from British rule in the future was so strong that he made prepaid arrangements with the local government of Geneva and St Georges cemetery to preserve his and his wife’s ashes (Asthis) at the cemetery for 100 years and to send their urns to India whenever it became independent during that period.
The Congress Party, which took over control of India at the end of British rule, did not bother to pursue the matter of bringing his ashes for sectarian reasons. Dr. Prithwindra Mukherjee (a Paris-based historian) informed the late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi, in 1980, about Shyamaji’s wishes. She showed interest in the favor of repatriating these relics. Due to the joint efforts of several individuals, including politicians, the Ville de Genève and the Swiss government finally returned the urns of Pandit Shyamaji and his wife Bhanumati, which were officially handed over to the Chief Minister of Gujarat State in 2003, 55 years after Indian Independence and 73 years after he passed away.
Kranti Teerth is a memorial to offer tribute to the legend of Shyamaji and to educate the young generation about those great Indians who sacrificed everything for India’s freedom. A replica of India House in London has been constructed as a part of the Memorial complex. The Memorial was dedicated to the nation on 13th December 2010 by the Hon. Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi.
In my recent tour of Kutch in Gujarat, I discovered a unique shrine called Kranti Teerth, in Mandvi. There, I learned about an important piece of history related to the Indian independence fight. Many know about freedom fighters such as Gandhiji, Nehruji, and Netaji. However, there were equally fervent unsung heroes before Gandhiji arrived on the centre stage of the freedom struggle. One such person is Shyamaji Krishna Varma.Kranti Teerth is a shrine built in memory of Shyamji and to offer tribute, appropriately called Veeraanjali, to him.
Shyamaji Krishna Varma was born on October 4, 1857, in Mandvi, Kutch, Gujarat. After completing secondary education in Bhuj, he went to Bombay (Mumbai) for further education at Wilson High School. There, he learned Sanskrit. Shyamaji was married in 1875 to Bhanumati, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. He then got in touch with Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj. Dayananda was a nationalist, a radical reformer, and an exponent of the Vedas. Influenced by his writings on philosophy and the spirit of nationalism, Shyamji became his ardent admirer and disciple. Shyamaji soon started conducting lectures on Vedic philosophy and religion. He became the first non-Brahmin to receive the prestigious title of Pandit by the Pandits of Kashi in 1877.
Shyamji arrived in England in 1879 and joined Balliol College, Oxford, on the recommendation of Professor Monier Williams, a Professor of Sanskrit. Passing his B.A. in 1883, he became the first Indian to be an Oxonian. In 1900, he bought an expensive house in Highgate, which became a base for all political leaders of India. Gandhi, Lenin, Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale visited him to discuss the Indian Independence Movement In 1905, Shyamaji focused his activity as a political propagandist and organizer for the complete independence of India. Shyamji made his debut in Indian politics by publishing the first issue of his English monthly, The Indian Sociologist. This was an assertive, ideological monthly aimed at inspiring mass opposition to British rule, which stimulated many intellectuals to fight for the freedom of India. On 18 February 1905, Shyamji inaugurated a new organization called the Indian Home Rule Society to secure Home Rule for India.
As many Indian students faced racist attitudes when seeking accommodations, he founded India House as a hostel for Indian students, based at 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate. Shyamji hoped India House would incubate Indian revolutionaries. Bhikaiji Cama, S. R. Rana, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, Madan Lal Dhingra, Bhagat Singh, Madam Cama, and Lala Hardayal were all associated with it.
Shyamaji was also an admirer of Lokmanya Tilak and supported him during the Age of Consent bill controversy of 1890. However, he rejected the Congress Party's petitioning, praying, protesting, cooperating, and collaborating policy, which he considered undignified and shameful.
Shyamji’s activities in England aroused the concern of the British government. His movements were closely watched by British Secret Services, so he decided to shift his headquarters to Paris, leaving India House in charge of Vir Savarkar. Shyamji left Britain secretly before the government tried to arrest him.
Shyamji arrived in Paris 1907 to continue his work. Shyamaji's efforts in Paris helped gain support for Indian Independence from European countries. In 1914, his presence became an embarrassment as French politicians had invited King George V to Paris. Shyamji foresaw this and shifted his headquarters to Geneva. Here, the Swiss government imposed political restrictions during the entire period of World War I. Although he kept in touch with his contacts, he could not support them directly. He spent time with Dr. Briess, president of the Pro India Committee in Geneva, whom he later discovered was a British government-paid secret agent. He published two more issues of Indian Sociologist, the paper he started in England, in 1922, before ill health prevented him from continuing. He died in hospital at 11:30 pm on March 30, 1930, leaving his wife, Shrimati Bhanumati Krishna Varma.
News of his death was suppressed by the British government in India. Nevertheless, tributes were paid to him by Sardar Bhagat Singh and his co-revolutionist brothers in Lahore Jail, where they were undergoing a long-term, drawn-out trial. Maratha, a daily newspaper started by Shri Tilak in Marathi, paid a very touching tribute to him as a great revolutionary. Pandit Shyamaji Krishna Varma did not live to witness the independence of Bharat, but his confidence in India gaining its freedom from British rule in the future was so strong that he made prepaid arrangements with the local government of Geneva and St Georges cemetery to preserve his and his wife’s ashes (Asthis) at the cemetery for 100 years and to send their urns to India whenever it became independent during that period. The Congress Party, which took over control of India at the end of British rule, did not bother to pursue the matter of bringing his ashes for sectarian reasons. Dr. Prithwindra Mukherjee (a Paris-based historian) informed the late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi, in 1980, about Shyamaji’s wishes. She showed interest in the favor of repatriating these relics. Due to the joint efforts of several individuals, including politicians, the Ville de Genève and the Swiss government finally returned the urns of Pandit Shyamaji and his wife Bhanumati, which were officially handed over to the Chief Minister of Gujarat State in 2003, 55 years after Indian Independence and 73 years after he passed away.
Kranti Teerth is a memorial to offer tribute to the legend of Shyamaji and to educate the young generation about those great Indians who sacrificed everything for India’s freedom. A replica of India House in London has been constructed as a part of the Memorial complex. The Memorial was dedicated to the nation on 13th December 2010 by the Hon. Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi.
