Sri Sri Babamoni was born as Bankim Chandra, in the Gangopadhyay family of Chandpur in the last decade of 19th century. Eldest son of Satish Chandra, poet singer and engineer and Mamata Moyi Debi, he was the grandson of Harihor Gangopadhyay – renowned lawyer, patriot, sage and philanthropist . Bankim Chandra alias Baltu had school education in Chandpur and Dhaka and Ripon College – Calcutta. In Childhood his favourite pastime was chanting the name of God (Nam Jop) in competition with his close school mates. . His passion was love for motherland, but he didnot associate himself with any political party. Along with a few schoolmates, he took the vow of devoting themselves for character building , thus the seed of morality campaign was woven sometimes in 1914.
Absorbed in the thought of finding out root cause of our social maladies , he left college and home and took the life of a wonderer. He met with many saints and great men and ultimately settled in Himalayan caves for meditation. Prolonged meditation gave him permanent bliss and the guidelines for his future journey in life.
Swamiji practiced Sadhan with different Mantras of different Deities and realized all mantras and Gods merge into supreme Mantra Omkar. Joyously he sang “HariOm HariOm HariOm”: God is One, God is omnipresent, God is everything. The idea of One God Of Upanishad was thus brought back to life by him, breaking the barriers of superstitions and inhibitions. Samabeta Upasana where people of all caste , creed, sex and followers of all sects could assemble under the common banner of Pranab Mantra was revealed to him. His journey for eradication of idleness, establishment of values of self restraint and Brahmacharya started from Village to Village and from school to school. His followers and admirers called Akhandas started formingAkhandalis in villages and towns. The First Akhanda Mandali was established in 1915. The main task of the Mandali was to perform weekly Samabeta Upasana, self improvement by observing discipline as eunicated by Babamini and doing social work for Jagatmangal. The Morality Campaign caught the attention of general Public and young and aspiring young men flocked around him in large numbers. Gradually Ashramas based on the foundation of Abhiksha came to be established in Pupunuki (1927), Rahimpur (1930), Benaras (1937), Mochagora and other places. For making men with courage , character , education and conviction he founded The Multiversity in the year 1974 based in Pupunuki Ashram and headquartered in Gurudham , Kolkata.
Swamiji’s name evoked immense respect and regards among the saints and the common men. In one of the Kumbha Melas where sadhus of all sects congregate once in 12 years, he was given the title Paramhansa. Babamoni was a prolific writer and a forceful orator. He was awarded the prize for the best writer in Bengali by Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan in Varanasi in 1973. He wrote innumerable letters to students, teachers, boys , girls and people of all ages whoever sought his advice and guidance. Some of these letters and his lecturers have been compiled in book viz. Akhanda Sanhita (24 volumes) Dhritam Premna (38 volumes), Dinolipi, etc.
Babamoni was an eminent physician and a master of Ayurvedic Medicine. He invented many Ayurvedic formulations and immensely helped the ailing and the distressed. To remove the drinking water crisis in water starved Pupunuki he dug a deep well by cutting stones himself. He also created a big water reservoir named MangalSagar by applying his engineering skills and harvesting of rain water. He also encouraged cultivation of vegetables and afforestation in neighbouring villages. By Following “Food for work” policy to save hundreds of villagers from starvation during natural calamities creating an example for the local government.
This untiring personality whose motto was “rest after death please” finally took rest on 21st April 1984 in Gurudham Kolkata. Swamiji’s unique life sketch cannot be drawn by any common man like us . He was a great patriot , skilled cultivator, great orator, fine artist, very skilled engineer, a great poet and a writer, eminent doctor a lover of all humanity and holiest of the holy men.