Sri Sri Swami Swarupananda Paramhansa Dev, affectionately known as Sri Sri Babamoni, was a versatile genius born in the late 19th century in Chandpur (now in Bangladesh). He was the son of the most respected Sri Satish Chandra Gangopadhyay, a renowned Advocate and the most revered Smt. Mamata Devi. His grandfather most respected Sri Harihar Gangopadhyay was a Zamindar and a great scholar, who was honoured with the title "Kolir Bashishtha" by the great saint Sri Sri Bholananda Giri Maharaj.

A Multitalented Personality
Sri Sri Babamoni was an extraordinary individual with expertise in various fields including spiritual leadership, education, philosophy, medicine, poetry, music, painting, agriculture, engineering and writing. He was a very impactful orator.

A Life of Service and Spirituality 
Despite His many talents, Sri Sri Babamoni chose a simple celibate life dedicating Himself to serving humanity. He believed that true freedom and happiness could only be achieved through character building and development of a strong morale.

The Character Building Movement 
In 1914, Sri Sri Babamoni launched the Character Building Movement, which aimed to transform society by promoting morality and character development among individuals. He emphasized the importance of self-control, purity, and selflessness and encouraged people to adopt a lifestyle with the ideals of "Abhiksha" (non-begging).

A Vision for a Divine Society 
Sri Sri Babamoni envisioned a society where every individual would be divine personalities like Lord Buddha, Guru Nanak, Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Chaitanya Dev and Acharya Shankar. He believed that this could be achieved through the practice of "Brahmacharya through Generations" where individuals would cultivate self-control and purity for generations to build a divine society. He suggested that if this practice is continually followed for 300 years (9 generations), it would lead to the birth of divine personalities to every household.

Historical Insights and Predictions 
Sri Sri Babamoni's teachings were much ahead of His time. He predicted the downfall of France due to moral degradation, which came true during World War II. He also drew parallels with ancient Rome, highlighting the importance of moral values in a society.

Inspiring Freedom Fighters 
Although Sri Sri Babamoni was not directly involved in politics, His teachings inspired many freedom fighters including Masterda Surya Sen, the leader of the Chittagong Armory Raid. The British authorities recognized the influence of Sri Sri Babamoni and imprisoned Him on multiple occasions.

A Legacy of Wisdom
Sri Sri Babamoni's teachings and legacy continue to inspire people to work towards building a better society. His emphasis on character building, morality and selflessness remains relevant even today; and His vision for a divine society continues to motivate individuals to strive for excellence. He left for the heavenly abode on April 21, 1984. Smt. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, wired a telegram message conveying deep condolence and stating His passing away as a ‘great loss to the nation.’

Two unique institutions were founded by Sri Sri Babamoni —

1. AYACHAK ASHRAMA
2. THE MULTIVERSITY