Swami Manmathan

Ten years ago, Swami Manmathan, known across for his crusades against religious superstition, illiteracy and environmental degradation across Garhwal, stopped by at Anjanisain, a small village some 50 kilometres from the district seat of Tehri Garhwal.

Manmathan caused a stir with his arrival among the villages lying in the shadow of a temple devoted to the fierce goddess Chandrabadni, who was customarily propitiated by animal sacrifices. The Swami saw the custom as an expensive gesture which served only to deepen the poverty among the hill families of Dapoli valley. The women from the villages led a protest and the custom of sacrifice was abolished, but only after the Swami agreed to stay on at Anjanisain to lead a broader movement of social reform and development.