One of the ten divisions of the Dashanami
Sanyasis, who are renouncers and Shiva worshipers (bhakta).
Shankaracharya, a ninth-century philosopher, is said to have
founded the Dashanamis in order to establish a corps of erudite men who might
assist rejuvenate Hindu life.
Each division is given a separate name, such as giri
("mountain" in this example).
New members are given this name as a surname to their new
ascetic names at the time of initiation, allowing for quick group
identification.
These 10 "named" divisions are grouped into four
larger organizational groups: Anandawara, Bhogawara, Bhuriwara, and Kitawara,
apart from their unique identities.
Each group is based at one of the four monastic centers
(maths) that Shankaracharya is said to have founded.
Each of the four groups is linked to one of the four Vedas,
India's earliest holy writings, a distinct geographical region, a separate
profound utterance (mahavakya), and a different ascetic trait.
The Giri Dashanamis are members of the Anandawara sect,
which is linked with the Jyotir math in Joshimath, Himalayas.
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