The intelligent, enterprising, deeply spiritual and disciplined Ṛg Vedin, Smārta Sāraswat-s, who are today spread all over the globe, initially flourished on the banks of the River Saraswatī in the Himālayan region, north of Kuruks̲h̲etra.
The drying up of this sacred river and the repeated assaults by Muslim Invaders in the 15th century forced them to migrate southwards. So they moved from Pun͂jāb province along the course of the Saraswatī, through Rājasthān and Gujarāt to first settle in the territory of Gomāntak.Here again, the Portuguese attempts to forcibly convert the locals made many of them move further south to Karnāṭaka, where they set up home in and around the township of Gokarṇa. The saga of this amazing journey of the Sāraswat-s from the banks of the sacred Saraswatī down to a hamlet called Chitrāpur in Karnāṭaka where they established their spiritual centre is truly fascinating.
When the king of Nagar, under whom many Sāraswat-s served in high positions, demanded their credentials and asked them to present their Guru, the elders of the community offered penance and intense prayers on the banks of Koṭitīrtha. Thereupon their Ārādhya Devatā - Lord Bhavānīshaṅkar blessed them with a vision and as per its assurance, with their Guru – Parama Pūjya Parijn͂ānāshram Swāmījī I on the following evening. Upon fulfilling the further demand of the Nagar King, that official recognition and a letter of consent be obtained from Jagadguru Shaṅkarācharya of Sṛngerī, Swāmījī was finally accorded the reverence He fully deserved by the sovereignty and thus began the hallowed, present Guruparamparā which is now over 300 years old.