The Jagadguru Veerasimhaasana Peetha was established in the 11th Century A.D. at Sutturu by Adi Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Shivayogi Mahaswamiji. Sutturu is a village in Nanjangud taluk, Mysuru District in Karnataka. It is about 28 km from Mysuru city, in the south east direction.
The Peetha with its high ideals has been making remarkable contribution in religious, social, educational and economic spheres in the state and across the country. It is striving for social development by responding to the community needs. It strongly believes that, unless the problems of the socially backward communities and the poor are taken care, there will not be social development. With this objective, the math has initiated several programmes, while at the same time living up to its principle of “work is worship” and is engaged in raising public awareness on issues of social concern.
The establishment of the Samskritha Paathashala by the 22nd Pontiff Sri Shivarathreeshwara Mahaswamiji who was popularly known as the Mantra Maharshi is a landmark in the history of the Sree Math. When the 23rd Pontiff Jagadguru Dr. Sri Shivaratri Rajendra Mahaswamiji came to Mysuru in 1926 to pursue higher education, he observed that many rural students were in need of food and shelter. He gave them shelter at his own place and this marked the beginning of offering education to poor students. In 1942, a hostel was established and offered free food and hostel facilities for poor rural students. This marked Sree Math’s first step in the field of development of the society.
Instead of making students come to cities for education, Jagadguru Dr. Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji thought of starting educational institutions in rural areas. In order to make this possible, he started Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Mahavidya-peetha in 1954. In order to implement the educational programs, it was registered under the Societies’ Registration Act 1960, vide: Reg. No. 12/1962 on 17-07-1962. With the untiring efforts of His Holiness Jagadguru Dr. Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji, the Vidyapeetha has witnessed enormous growth in the field of education.
JSS Mahavidyapeetha which took its first step in the field of education with the starting of a high school has now forayed into Crèches, Primary schools, High schools, Pre-university and Degree Colleges, Law, Engineering, Medicine, Dental Sciences and Pharmacy and has thus provided all classes of the society easy access to educational opportunities. Now, the JSS University, Mysuru (Deemed to be University) has been started and Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Colleges at Mysuru and Ooty are brought under its control since 2008.
A young child who joins a JSS Institution seeking education may go on to become a scientist, or an engineer or a technologist or a doctor or a philosopher. Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Mahavidyapeetha thus has all the facilities that shape the youngster into a good citizen of the country.
Under the leadership of the present pontiff, the 24th Peethadhyaksha, His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Mahaswamiji, the Mahavidyapeetha has not only established educational institutions in places where necessary, it has also made sure that all these institutions impart quality education. Engineering, Medical, Dental and Law colleges run by JSS are reputed to be the best educational institutions of their kind in the state and country. Apart from formal and vocational training, a training institute for Civil Services Examinations (JSSTICE) and Jana Shikshana Samsthans have also been established as the Mahavidyapeetha has realized the need for continuing education.
His Holiness Rajaguru Thilaka Jagadguru Dr. Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji was born in 1916 at Suttur, a village situated on the banks of the holy River Kapila, about 28 km from Mysuru city, Karnataka, India. Suttur is the holy seat of Sri Jagadguru Veerasimhasan Mahasamsthana Math which has a history of more than one thousand years. His Holiness is the 23rd Pontiff in this holy tradition.
From a young age, with his acute perception and interaction with the rural populace, His Holiness acquired an insight into their social and economic problems that plagued them. These created in him a burning desire to find solutions. In this endeavour, His Holiness traveled to Banaras (Varanasi) to continue his study. But on the persuasion of his predecessor the 22nd Pontiff of Suttur Math, His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Mahaswamiji, popularly known as Manthra Maharshi, which was also endorsed by His Holiness Sri Gowrishankara Mahaswamiji, Pontiff of Sri Panchagavi Math, Mysuru, a well known scholar at Banaras Hindu University, Sri Rajendra Mahaswamiji changed his decision and came back to Mysuru with an inner urge and eagerness to serve the mankind.
His Holiness realized that educating the poor was the best way to enable them to tackle their problems themselves. At that time, educational facilities were few and far between in rural areas and beyond the reach of the impoverished rural poor. His Holiness, therefore, accorded great importance to serve the poor, a majority of whom could scarcely afford even a single meal a day. In the beginning, he established many free hostels and educational institutions for spreading education and awareness among the poor. While doing so, the Swamiji gave due importance also to unemployment and other daunting problems of the society. Thus, the idea of the JSS Mahavidyapeetha (JSSMVP), Mysuru, was conceived to tackle these problems through a more organized framework in a well thought out and planned manner.
The Swamiji with his implicit faith in God created an organization with excellent capabilities, to think, plan and execute his ideals. He achieved great success in whatever he undertook and accomplished so much in his life time.
His Holiness was indeed an incarnation of selfless service to mankind. He dedicated every minute of his life for over five decades for serving the society selflessly. He set exemplary standards in the service of society in general and the poor in particular in keeping with the lofty ideals and values enshrined in our holy scriptures of yore. His Holiness merged in divinity on the 6th December 1986, blessing his successor to continue the glory of this great institution.
In Sutturu, around 4,000 underprivileged children from across the state and the country as well, are receiving free primary and high school education. Under this project, students from the 1st to 10th standard are provided with free uniforms, books, boarding and lodging facilities. This project, which reaches out to children without any discrimination of caste and religion, is highly lauded by the public. The JSS Krishi Vignana Kendra (Agricultural Sciences Centre) was established in Suttur in 1994 to improve the economic conditions of farmers in the field of agriculture, animal husbandry and rural development. The centre offers training, transfer of technology, material assistance and holds demonstrations and exhibitions in order to educate the farmers in modern agricultural methods. The publication division not only sponsors priceless books, but is also involved in religious publicity activities.
JSS Mahavidyapeetha has expanded its jurisdiction by establishing and registering another Mahavidyapeetha at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. Through this, it is running an engineering college (JSSATE, Noida) and a public school in Noida, Uttara Pradesh.
The JSS Mahavidyapeetha has also started a polytechnic for the differently abled (JSSPPH) with the aim of empowering them to have self employment and lead a good life. For the first time in the country, such a polytechnic was started with grant in aid from the World Bank. The students are being trained in several subjects. A hostel for differently abled working women and girl students is also being run.
It is worth mentioning here about the educational institutions established abroad – JSS Academy of Technical Education, Mauritius and two schools viz. JSS International School and JSS Private School and also JSS Academy, Dubai. The JSS Mahavidyapeetha has been undertaking public welfare programmes in various fields that help the holistic development of the society.
JSS University of Science & Technology has been established at Mysuru in August 2016. At present, it has several Under Graduate, Post Graduate and Research programmes in Engineeing along with MBA programmes.
JSS Academy of Technical Education, Bengaluru has been established at Bengaluru in the year 1997. At present, it has several Under Graduate, Post Graduate and Research programmes in Engineeing along with MBA programmes.