The founder of these two monasteries is Sri Nanak Dev’s elder son, the Udasi Acharya, Jagat Guru Sri Chand, who later came to be known as Sri Chand.
The stone idols of Sri Chand are installed in both Mangu Math and Bauli Math. The guru-parampara (lineage of spiritual teachers) of these two monasteries has continued since the time of Sri Chand. All the regions of India that Sri Nanak Dev visited during his travels were also visited by Sri Chand.
Inside the Math, there is a well constructed in the traditional style of Punjab, known as Bauli Saheb. In the sacred town of Puri, this Math is popularly known as Bauli Matha
Sri Chand, an incarnation of Lord Shiva, was born on the ninth day (Navami) of the bright fortnight of the month of Bhadra in 1494 CE in a village of the then Punjab Province, to Sri Nanak’s wife Sulakhshana Devi. At the time of his birth, his body bore marks of holy ash (vibhuti) and a divine earring on his ear.
At the young age of 31, Sri Chand travelled across many important pilgrimage centres of India and eventually set foot in the sacred land of Shrikshetra Puri.
The Math where Sri Nanak and Sri Chand once stayed is more than 450 years old. Similarly, the antiquity of Mangu Math also exceeds 450 years.
