Kitawara

One of four major organizational groups
of the Dashanami Sanyasis, renunciant
ascetics who are devotees (bhakta)
of the god Shiva; the other three
divisions are Bhuriwara, Bhogawara,
and Anandawara. Each of these
groups has its headquarters in one of
the four monastic centers (maths)
supposedly established by philosopher
Shankaracharya. Each of the groups
are associated with one of the four
Vedas, one of the “great utterances”
(mahavakyas) expressing the ultimate
truth, a particular ascetic quality, and
several of the ten Dashanami divisions.
The Kitawara group is affiliated with the
Sharada math in Dwaraka, and is thus
368
Kirtimukha
Ruins of the Sun Temple in Konarak. Built during the Ganga dynasty,
the temple was designed in the shape of the chariot believed to carry the sun.
connected with the western quarter of
India. The Kitawara’s Veda is the Sama
Veda. Their mahavakya is “tattvamasi”
(“That thou art”) and their ascetic quality
is to eat very little. The Dashanami
divisions associated with this group are
Tirtha and Ashrama.