A Visit to a Gñani: From Adam's Peak to Elephanta

Edward Carpenter was born on August 29, 1844, and was considered a pioneering force in advocating for gay rights, animal rights, against pollution and for vegetarianism. He was a philosopher, writer and anthologist. As a child, he was praised for his academic and musical talents. Carpenter attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge where he had a chance to experience same sex relationships. He found Victorian culture stifling and hypocritical so, as part of the University Extension Movement he began to explore other parts of England. After his father passed away, Carpenter was left with a comfortable fortune.

Carpenter became interested in Hindu philosophy, and with his newfound wealth he traveled to Ceylon (today known as Sri Lanka) and India in 1890. This work, A Visit to a Gñani, features Carpenter's travels and meetings with the guru, Ramaswamy. After Carpenter returned, he began a relationship with George Merrill which lasted their entire lives. Carpenter's work, life and friendships were hugely influential on a variety of people and movements, novels and historians. He passed away in 1929, a year after Merrill, and both are interned together in Mount Cemetery in Guildford.