Shri Shiva Chandra Vidyarnava Bhattacharyya Mahodaya

Shri Shiva Chandra Bhattacharyya was born in the village of kumArkhAli in Nadia district of Bengal in 1860. He earned the honorific vidyArnava (ocean of learning) in his youth. He was introduced to writing script by the writer saint kAngAl harinAth. He went to vAraNasi and studied vedanta, agamas and nigamas with leading proponents. He returned home and began study and practice in tantra from his grandfather kRSNasundar.

Shiva Chandra travelled to kailAsh, manas sarovar, jwalamukhi and other places in his spiritual quest. He returned to his home and a temple to sarvamangallA (the goddess who bestows all blessings).

He was a great orator and authored books of poetry and prose, gitAnjali, rAslilA, and the famous tantra tattva.
The last was translated by his famed disciple, Sir John Woodroffe, aka Arthur Avalon, as the Principles of Tantra.
In this, Woodruffe was helped by Shri Pramathanath Mukhopadhaya, who was later known as Swami Pratyagatmananda.

Shri Shiva Chandra passed away in 1913.