Sivananda Math was founded by the great spiritual luminary Paramahamsa Satyananda in 1984, in memory of his guru, Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh. Since its inception it has facilitated the growth of the weaker and deprived sections of society, especially focusing on Rikhia Panchayat, in the remote areas of Santhal Parganas of Jharkhand district, so that what was once a deprived, desolate panchayat, now flourishes with vitality and prosperity.
Sivananda Math aims to uplift the impoverished in rural and underdeveloped areas, not by creating a culture of dependency, but by fostering peace, health, plenty and prosperity, and above all, self-sufficiency for one and all. The activities are not rendered as charity, rather as an aradhana or worship of God in human form based upon the highest vedantic teachings of atmabhava. The selfless service offered is an expression of the spiritual precepts of Swami Sivananda whose central teachings of “Serve, love and give”, were bestowed by Swami Satyananda as the foundation of all activities at Rikhiapeeth.