Shivprasad Gupta was born in Varanasi on 28th June 1883. He graduated from Allahabad University where thinkers and national leaders like Acharya Narendra Deo and Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant were his college-mates. Inspired by Lokmanya Tilak, he joined the Congress. A close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, he was the treasurer and member of the Working Committee of the Congress from 1924 to 1931. Elected President of the Congress Political Conference of the United Provinces at Kashipur, he announced the ultimate goal of total independence in his presidential  address.

In 1914 and 1930, he visited the USA, England, Japan and Europe. He first met Mahatma Gandhi in London. During these visits, he met several Indian revolutionaries and freedom fighters living abroad. On his way back to India, he was arrested by the British Police in Singapore, jailed and tortured. Taking active part in all the movements after 1920, he was sent to jail several times. A successful leader of the national movement in Eastern U.P. and Varanasi, people honoured him with the title of "Rashtra-Ratna".

His house in Varanasi-Seva Upvan was a shelter for the freedom fighters and revolutionaries. Mahatma Gandhi's proposal of  'Asahayog Satyagarah'  (Non-Cooperation  Movement) was first discussed at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee at Seva Upvan. Guptaji spread the message of the national movement through a Hindi daily AJ which he began publishing from Varanasi. It continues to be published in seven cites of U.P. and Bihar. He also started the Kashi Vidyapeeth  as an institution to prepare educated youth to work for  the  cause  of  freedom. Inaugurated  by Gandhiji in  1921, today this University is a leading educational institution of the country, whose alumni include erstwhile Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Kamalapati Tripathi, Dr. Balkrishna Keskar and many other leaders and freedom  fighters Jawaharlal  Nehru  was the Chairman of  its governing body  for several years.

In 1936 Gandhiji inaugurated the Bharatmata Temple founded by Guptaji in Varanasi. It became  a  source  of  national  inspiration.

Shivprasad Gupta, philanthropist, freedom fighter  and  educationist,  died  on  24th  April 1944.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India