EARLY LIFE & DIVINE BEGINNINGS
Param Pujya Janardan Swami was born on 23rd June 1927, in Baroda, Gujarat, at his maternal uncle’s home, to Sou. Parvati and Dr. Shankar Kher. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father, Dr. Shankar Kher, was a renowned doctor and Theosophist. But due to his early voluntary retirement from state service, fortune took a turn, and young Janardan had to undergo great hardship. He had to shoulder the responsibility of the family. Yet his devotional inclination led him to the spiritual path on a remarkable journey.
The Inner Transformation and Spiritual awakening Begins
At the mere age of four, he had an extraordinary experience of an Eagle the vehicle of Lord Vishnu waking him up at midnight and taking his subtle body to various places of pilgrimage, guiding him to navigate the minds of devotees.
At the age of 13, God’s blessings bestowed upon him when he got an opportunity to meet P.P. Rangavdhoot Swami of Nareshwar, a great realized soul of the Datta Sampradaya.
He received blessings from Lord Shri Krishna and went into a state of total thought-free mind with perfect peace. Soon after this, he had an extraordinary vision of Mahakali and a divine realization of a cosmic glow radiating from his body. Following this, he entered into a state of profound peace or trance, Samadhi, for 14 hours.
Blessings that Shaped the Path_
Blessings of P.P. Tembe Swami
Later, during his Government service at Tilakwada, he was blessed by the great saint P.P. Tembe Swami. It was due to His grace alone that Swamiji could reach Baroda wading through flood waters just in time to meet and fulfill the promise given to his ailing mother. And from then on, his reputation for keeping the promise given to his disciples has remained intact to this day.
The most important milestone in his spiritual journey came around 1975, when his mother-in-law, a disciple of P.P. Nana Maharaj Taranekar of Indore, took Swamiji to him.
Shaktipat Diksha by P.P. Nana Maharaj
P.P. Nana Maharaj blessed him with Shaktipat Diksha, which invoked many yogic kriyas and Ashta Satwik Bhaav in him. His personality began to change. P.P. Nana Maharaj also predicted that soon Janardan Swami would be blessed by Akkalkot Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj which indeed happened around March 1976. Shri Datta Prabhu also blessed him by activating his Adnya Chakra.
From Sadhak to Sadguru
Soon, Swamiji started guiding many devotees at Dhyan-Mandir at his Samarth Vihar residence in Baroda and at Jambhekar-Wada in Ahmedabad. This noble journey saw gradual growth in his devotees, and his work expanded to many cities of Gujarat as well as Pune, Mumbai, other cities of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.
On Shri Swami Samarth’s command, in 1980 he took voluntary retirement and devoted himself fully to meditation and disciples’ welfare.
Following that, he started to travel extensively. A regular practice of Datta Sampradaya is to stay at one place for not more than three days. Janardan Swami took great efforts and used to plan his tours to cover different cities by any available mode of transport to fulfill his commitment to disciples, sometimes visiting two places in one day.
The Divine Plan for Takerkheda
God had a different plan in mind when a distant village named Takerkheda, on the banks of the river Tapi in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, and the old, ruined Shri Datta temple there in particular, was waiting for Him to come and take the mantle of shaping the place as sacred as Shri Kshetra Ganagapur.
Priest and owner of the temple, Shri Buva Maharaj Pandharkar, donated this temple and the surrounding land to Swamiji. Swamiji restored and rebuilt the temple, developed the land, and a beautiful pilgrimage started taking shape.
"A ruined temple transformed into a Tirth-Kshetra by Swamiji's sankalp."
This is Swamiji's abode which disciples find as their own home and experience supreme bliss.
Swamiji’s Family Rooted in Sanskars
Janardan Swami was born to Sou Parvati & Dr. Shankar Ganesh Kher. He had three brothers Harishchandra, Bhalchandra, and Suresh and four sisters Sushila, Malati, Nalini, and Aruna. All were well-settled in their lives.
In 1955, he married Shanta Shridhar Nandendkar of Ujjain, who became Mrs. Maya Janardan Kher. She lived a life of complete support to her husband’s noble mission while shouldering all household responsibilities.
Four Children, One Sanskar
Eldest Sanjay, then Abhay, Uday, and youngest Sugandha. Raised with good values and sanskars by Swamiji and their mother, all four excelled in studies, received scholarships, earned good degrees, and grew into good human beings.
1983– A Personal Loss, An Unbroken Resolve
In 1983, wife Maya lost her battle to cancer. Swamiji shouldered the responsibility of his children and their marriages while remaining devoted to his spiritual and social cause. Despite age and illness even with an oxygen cylinder his journey for his disciples never stopped.
Mahasamadhi & Continuing Legacy
By 2013, Swamiji had decided to conclude
his Avatar Karyaand relinquish his body.
On 22nd February 2013, Swamiji attained mahasamadhi while traveling near Sai Samadhi, Shirdi. His last rites were performed at Takerkheda, where now his Samadhi stand. His temple is built in the Ashram campus where his serene idol continues to bless disciples who visit the Ashram.
“He left for his eternal abode in Shirdi, but his presence remains at Takerkheda.”
P.P. Janardan Swami Kher Charitable Trust
As per his will and wish and to continue his mission, his family and disciples established the P.P. Janardan Swami Kher Charitable Trust in 2014. Under the mentorship of Shri Abhay Dada, his second son, the Trust has expanded the campus , built Swamiji’s Samadhi & temple, installed his idol, and constructed rooms for visiting disciples.
Education, healthcare, and upliftment of the underprivileged remain the Trust’s guiding principles, carrying Swamiji’s vision forward for generations to come