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Robin Banerjee [Buddharakshita]
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/17/20

In Calcutta I lost no time contacting Robin Banerjee, the idealistic young Bengali whom I had met in Singapore. He was there as part of the Congress Medical Mission to Malaya, we had become good friends, and on the Mission’s return to India we had agreed that as soon as I was free we would meet in Calcutta and somehow work together. When my leave ended I therefore said goodbye to my uncle and his family, and Robin and I moved first to the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture and then, a month or so later, to the Maha Bodhi Society. We were not very happy in either place. In neither of them did we find the sort of conditions that were, we believed, essential to our ethical and spiritual development. Moreover, towards the end of March, when we were staying at the Maha Bodhi Orphanage and looking after the boys, there occurred a renewal of the communal rioting of the previous year. Throughout the city Muslims attacked Hindus and Sikhs, and Hindus and Sikhs retaliated by attacking Muslims. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed, and I witnessed more bloodshed and violence than I had ever seen while in the army. Calcutta was not a particularly healthy place to be just then. But the Maha Bodhi Society’s headquarters, to which the orphans had been removed for their safety, was not a particularly healthy place either, morally and spiritually speaking, and the longer my friend and I stayed the more we became aware of this unpleasant fact. When I left Calcutta the following month to attend an inter-religious gathering in Ahmedabad, on the other side of the country, as a representative of Buddhism, it was therefore with the hope that I would be able to contact other Buddhists and make arrangements for us to join a more genuinely Buddhist organization.

At the week-long Dharma Parishad, which was dominated by Hindu holy men of various colourful persuasions, I met Pandit-ji, an aged Bengali scholar of venerable appearance who had plans for the revival of Buddhism in India. He invited me to accompany him to Kishengunj in the UP, I accepted, and not long after our arrival there we were joined by Robin. Pandit-ji had assured me that his plans had the approval and support of Anandamayi, the famous Bengali mystic, who was then staying at her ashram in Kishengunj with a band of devotees; but as the weeks passed it became obvious that Anandamayi, many of whose followers believed her to be a divine incarnation, had not the slightest interest either in Buddhism or in Pandit-ji’s schemes. She was an orthodox Hindu who insisted on the strict observance of the caste system. But Pandit-ji refused to give up hope. When Anandamayi left for her ashram in Raipur we left for Raipur too, and when she left Raipur for Delhi he and Robin followed her there. I remained in Raipur, studying and meditating, and after a week or so Robin rejoined me. Eventually the three of us were reunited in Kasauli, a hill station in East Punjab where Anandamayi had stayed the previous year. Here Robin and I discovered that none of Pandit-ji’s schemes (he now talked of starting a girls’ boarding school in Anandamayi’s name) had ever progressed beyond the fund-raising stage and that the old man was well known for his chicanery. Shocked and horrified, we decided we would have nothing more to do with religious organizations of any kind. We would give up the household life and go forth as homeless wanderers in search of Truth. Having shaved our heads and dyed our clothes saffron (I had already adopted Indian dress), on the morning of 18 August, three days after Independence Day [15 August 1947], we accordingly left Kasauli on foot for the plains. The path of our descent was spanned by a series of double and even triple rainbows, through which we passed as though through a triumphal arch. It was an auspicious beginning.

But the auspiciousness did not last. Our intention had been to study Buddhism in Ceylon and perhaps become monks there, but as we had no means of identification and refused to disclose our nationality (we had decided that as sadhus we had none) on our arrival at Colombo we were not allowed to land and had to return to India by the same boat. Disappointed but not downhearted, we therefore travelled to Cape Comorin, the southernmost point of India, and having paid a visit to the famous Kenya Kumari temple started walking up through what then was the princely state of Travancore, eventually settling at Muvattupuzha, a subdivisional town in the interior, where we took up our abode in a deserted ashram situated on a low ridge amid rice-fields.

We stayed in Muvattupuzha for about eighteen months. During that time we learned something of the history and culture of the state (now part of Kerala), and came to appreciate its distinctive character; we also picked up a little Malayãlam. The reason for our settling in Muvattupuzha was that we wanted to deepen our experience of meditation, which we had not been able to do while on the move, and our day was organized accordingly. We meditated in the morning, rising before dawn, and again in the evening, sometimes sitting on until quite late. During the day we studied (Buddhism in my case, English in Robin’s), paced up and down the veranda, or sat contemplating the view. We also experimented with periods of fasting and silence, and once or twice a month we went calling on the ashram’s supporters, some of whom we got to know quite well. This arrangement suited me perfectly, but it soon proved too restrictive for Robin, who for a while therefore put his abundant energies into plans for starting an industrial school at the ashram, leaving me to my studies and literary work.

I was thus enabled to reflect on the Dharma uninterruptedly for long periods. Six years ago I had read the Diamond Sûtra and realized that I was a Buddhist. Since then I had delved not only into Buddhist but also into many Hindu scriptures, as well as into Western philosophy and Christian mysticism, and though my commitment to the Buddha and his teaching was basically unimpaired I needed to get the various spiritual and intellectual influences that had been impinging upon me into some kind of perspective, especially as I was now living in a predominantly Hindu environment. I needed to clarify my doctrinal position as a Buddhist. This I did with the help of the first fifty discourses of the Majjhima-Nikãya or Collection of Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, Šãntarakëita’s encyclopedic Tattvasaægraha or Compendium of Principles, and Mrs Rhys Davids’ meaty little book on Buddhism in the Home University Library series. I concentrated on three basic formulations of the Buddha’s teaching: the doctrine of dependent origination (or conditioned co-production), the Four Noble Truths, and the Three Characteristics of Conditioned Existence. Though all three formulations were well known to me, I had not previously given them much systematic attention; but at that juncture, as I have written elsewhere, ‘they occupied my mind virtually to the exclusion of everything else. Besides reflecting on them during the day I meditated on them at night. Or rather, as I meditated, flashes of insight into the transcendental truths of which they were the expression in conceptual terms would sometimes spontaneously arise.’ By the time these ‘sessions of sweet silent thought’ had come to an end, and Robin had switched his energies from plans for an industrial school to the intensive practice of hatha yoga, including prãäãyãma or breath control, I had succeeded in clarifying my ideas on a number of important doctrinal issues. As a result, my approach to the Dharma changed, becoming as much a rational understanding of principles as an emotional response to an ideal.

Our eighteen months in Muvattupuzha were followed by six weeks in Kanhangad, in North Malabar, with the famous Swami Ramdas, and six weeks in Tiruvannamalai, in the Tamil country, with the still more famous Ramana Maharshi. In Tiruvannamalaiwe stayed in a cave on the slopes of Arunachala, the Hill of Light, from which we had a panoramic view of the courtyards, shrines, and gopurams of the great Shiva temple below. Once a day we descended to the town for alms, and every few days we walked round the hill to the ashram, in the hall of which the Maharshi sat giving darshan to sixty or seventy inmates and visitors. [One night I had a vision. I saw Amitãbha, the Infinite Light, the Buddha of the West. Ruby-red in colour, he sat cross-legged on an enormous red lotus and held up by the stalk a single red lotus in full bloom. The lotus on which he was seated floated on the sea, across which the light from the red hemisphere of the setting sun made a glittering golden pathway. Visions had come to me before, but this one was unique, and it stirred me deeply. I took it to mean that our apprenticeship to the homeless life had come to an end, and that it was time for us to return to North India and seek ordination in one of the Buddhist centres there.

But we did not leave the South immediately. Friends we had met at Tiruvannamalai invited us to Bangalore, and from there another friend took us on a ten-day excursion into the heart of what then was the princely state of Mysore. We drove through vast sandalwood forests, visited marvellously beautiful Hindu temples, and spent a night at an important centre of Jain pilgrimage, where a 60-foot nude statue of Gomateshwara towered against the sky.

Shravanabelagola (Kannada: ಶ್ರವಣಬೆಳಗೊಳ) is a city located in the Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is 158 km from Bangalore. The statue of Gomateshwara or Bahubali, at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important Jain pilgrim centers. It reached a peak in architectural and sculptural activity under the patronage of Gangas of Talakad.

In Kannada language, "Bel" means white while "kola", the pond, is an allusion to the beautiful pond in the middle of the town.

The 57 feet monolithic statue of the Bhagavan Gomateshwara Bahubali is located on the Vindyagiri. It is considered to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue and was erected by Chamundaraya, a general of King Gangaraya. The base of the statue has an inscriptions in Kannada and Tamil, as well as the oldest evidence of written Marathi, dating from 981 AD. The inscription praises the Ganga king who funded the effort, and his general Chamundaraya, who erected the statue for his mother. Every twelve years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is covered with milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins. The next Mahamastakabhisheka will be held in 2018.

Gomateshwara Bahubali, by Purushottam Samarai

We even penetrated into the Shringeri Math, the Vatican of Hinduism, and met the Shankaracharya. In Bangalore itself we made the acquaintance of Yalahankar Swami, a one-eyed guru with highly unconventional methods of dealing with his disciples’ egos, who was reputed to be 600 years old. At his suggestion we spent some time in the nearby mountains, where we found shelter in a ruined temple that at night was surrounded by leopards. We then left for Bombay.

In Bombay we stayed with a devotee of Swami Ramdas, who besides taking us to see the Kanheri Caves, an ancient Buddhist monastic complex, also bought us tickets for our journey to Benares. From Benares, after spending a few days sightseeing, we walked out to Sarnath, where the Buddha had first taught the Dharma and where we hoped to be ordained. We were disappointed. The Sinhalese monks of the Maha Bodhi Society wanted nothing to do with the two barefoot, penniless strangers (since leaving Kanhangad we had not been handling money), and we therefore decided to walk up to Kushinagar, where the Buddha had died, and seek ordination there. It was the worst time of year to be doing so. The hot wind was blowing, the temperature was 120°F or more, and people were dropping dead from the heat. But there was no alternative. Doing as much of our walking as we could in the early morning, and at night staying at temples and ashrams, we covered the distance in ten days.

The Burmese senior monk in Kushinagar received us kindly, ordained us as šrãmaneras or novice monks on Vaishakha Purnima Day, the anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment, named Robin Buddharakshita and me Sangharakshita (previously we were Anagarikas Satyapriya and Dharmapriya), and told us to go and preach the Dharma to his disciples in Nepal. Up through the jungles of the Terai we therefore went, still on foot, but now carrying bowls with which to go for alms in the traditional Buddhist manner. We spent two months in Nepal, in the course of which we visited Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, and ministered as best we could to the spiritual needs of the tiny Buddhist communities in Butaol and Tansen. Longer we could not stay, as the autocratic Rana regime was still in power and our unauthorized presence aroused the suspicions of the local police.

Buddharakshita and I therefore returned to Benares. Here we parted company. Buddharakshita left for Ceylon, while I went to live with Bhikkhu Jagdish Kashyap at Buddha Kuti, his cottage on the campus of the Benares Hindu University, where he was professor of Pali and Buddhist philosophy.

I was sorry to lose my friend, but also relieved. The practice of prãnãyãma, which on Ramdas’s advice he had given up, had inflamed his naturally hot temper, and relations between us were at times strained. I stayed at Buddha Kuti for nine months, studying Pali, Abhidhamma, and logic, and making extensive use of the University library. With a monk from Sarnath, I went on pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya, the scene of the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

-- Moving Against the Stream: The Birth of a new Buddhist Movement, by Sangharakshita [Dennis Lingwood]

Robin Banerjee
Banerjee in his later years
Born: 12 August 1908, Baharampur, West Bengal, India
Died: 6 August 2003 (aged 94)
Nationality: Indian
Occupation: environmentalist, painter, photographer, documentary filmmaker
Awards: Padma Shri (1971)

Robin Banerjee (12 August 1908 – 6 August 2003) was a noted wildlife expert, environmentalist, painter, photographer and documentary filmmaker who lived at Golaghat in the Indian state of Assam.

Biography

Robin Banerjee was born on 12 August 1908 at Baharampur in West Bengal and received primary schooling at Santiniketan. He went on to pursue medical education at the prestigious Calcutta Medical College in Kolkata, and later at Liverpool (1934) and Edinburgh (1936).

Banerjee had joined the Royal Navy in 1937 at Liverpool, and saw action in World War II. After the war, Banerjee decided to move back to India. In 1952, he visited Assam as a locum-tenens to a Scottish doctor. in 1952 he joined Chabua Tea Estate, Assam, as Chief Medical Officer, and later moved to the Dhansiri Medical Association, Bokakhat as the Chief Medical Officer.

During a visit to Kaziranga National Park some time in the 1950s, Banerjee fell in love with the wilds of Assam and decided to settle down at Golaghat, near Kaziranga. Banerjee's first film on the Kaziranga National Park (one of the most important refuges of the Indian rhinoceros) on Berlin TV in 1961 was one of the first widely distributed media items on the park to reach Western audiences. It also garnered him international recognition as a wildlife film-maker. He made 32 documentaries in his career as a film-maker, and was the recipient of 14 international awards.

Banerjee remained a bachelor, and worked actively as an environmentalist besides his film-making career. Well known and loved among the local community as "Uncle Robin", he donated lands for setting up the local school, and health camps. He was particularly active regarding issues concerning Kaziranga National Park and was the founder of the non-governmental organization Kaziranga Wildlife Society, which actively protects the interests of the park.

Recognition and remembrance

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1971, an honorary Doctorate of Science from Assam Agricultural University (AAU) in 1991, and also an honorary Ph.D. from Dibrugarh University. A book based on his life and experiences has been written in Assamese named "Xeujia Xopunar Manuh".

Robin Banerjee died at his residence suffering from old age ailments on 6 August 2003. The pyre of Dr Banerjee was lit by his caretaker Jitoo Tamuli. The cremation was attended by Assam Minister of State for Tourism Ajanta Neog. The Golaghat district administration declared a half-holiday in memory of Banerjee.

Robin Banerjee told everyone, "Think twice before you kill an animal, think twice before you catch a butterfly, think before you cut a tree, because it may be the last member of the species that is left in the world."

Uncle Robin's Museum

Banerjee's house on Mission Road in Golaghat is a tourist spot for wildlife lovers[1] and, in 2009, was converted into a natural history museum and contains a large number of his photographs and paintings. It is named Uncle Robin's Museum, containing natural history items from all over India (especially Kaziranga), and other personal collections of Robin Banerjee, including a set of toys from across the world that he collected.[2]

The Natural History Museum[3] or the Uncle Robin's Museum also known as the Robin Banerjee Museum is a Science and History Museum located on Mission Road in the tea city of Golaghat. The museum is contains dolls, artefacts, mementos, movies and other personal collections of Dr Banerjee's lifetime.[4] There are 587 dolls and 262 other show pieces.[5]

History

Uncle Robin's Museum is situated in the house of the late Dr. Robin Banerjee,[6] a Padma Shri awardee naturalist and environmentalist in Golaghat.[7]

It was named Uncle Robin’s Museum, containing natural history items from all over India (especially Kaziranga), and other personal collections of Dr. Robin Banerjee.

Today it is a tourist spot[8] for wildlife lovers, and for other enthusiasts to see a large number of Banerjee's photographs and paintings.

The museum is jointly maintained by ABITA (Assam Branch of Indian Tea Association)[9] and Golaghat District administration.

Filmography

Robin Banerjee altogether made 32 documentaries, as listed below:

• Kaziranga (50 min)
• Wild Life of India (35 min)
• Rhino Capture (30 min)
• A Day at Zoo (45 min)
• Elephant Capture (20 min)
• Monsoon (20 min)
• Nagaland (30 min)
• Echidna, & On Wild Fowls (Australia)
• Lake Wildness (35 min)
• 26 January (India) (40 min)
• Flying Reptiles of Indonesia (50 min)
• Through These Doors (35 min)
• Animals of Africa (50 min)
• Underwater (50 min)
• Peace Game (30 min)
• Flowers of Africa (40 min)
• Adventures of Newfoundland (45 min)
• Dragons of Komodo Island (35 min)
• Underwater World of Snakes (50 min)
• White Wings in Slow Motion (winner of the Madame Pompidou Award) (60 min)
• The World of Flamingo (50 min)
• Wild but Friendly (55 min)
• Birds of Africa (45 min)
• Dresden (60 min)
• My Nature (60 min)
• Birds of India (50 min)
• Wild Flowers of the world (45 min)
• The Monarch Butterfly of Mexico (60 min)
• Alaskan Polar Bear (180 min)
• In the Pacific (55 min)
• Call of the Blue Pacific part I & II (45 min)
• So They May Survive (40 min)

Awards

• 1971: Padma Shri
• 1991: Honorary Doctorate of Science from Assam Agril University, Jorhat
• 1994: Honorary PhD from Dibrugarh University
• 2001: 'Prakiti Konwar' from Prakiti (an NGO), Jorhat, Assam
• 2001: Service to Society through individual excellence NECCL, Guwahati, Assam

See also

Science and Nature Museum, Golaghat

References

1. Swati Mitra, ed. (2011), Assam Travel Guide, Delhi: Eicher Goodearth, p. 107, ISBN 978-93-80262-04-8
2. "Uncle Robin’s dream finally takes shape - DoNER ministry to preserve and turn wildlife expert’s house into nature tourism hub", The Telegraph (India), 12 August 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
3. "Uncle Robin's Natural History Museum to be opened for public, The Sentinel". Sentinel Correspondent. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
4. "Dr. Robin (Uncle) Banerjee – August 12, 1908–August 5, 2003".
5. "Robin Banerjee Museum".
6. "Assam Travel Guide, page 107". Assam Tourism. 2011.
7. "Poor preservation of Dr Robin Banerjee's house". Assam Tribune. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
8. "From Sir, with love, The Hindu". Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty. 3 February 2008.
9. "Naturalist Dr Robin Banerjee's Death Anniversary Observed, The Eastern Today". ET Correspondent. 6 August 2016.
• Personalities of Golaghat district. Retrieved on 2007-03-22
• Another government article on Robin Banerjee. Retrieved on 2007-03-22
• Lover of the wild, Uncle Robin no more.[dead link] The Sentinel (Gauhati) 2003-08-06 Retrieved on 2007-03-22

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Anandamayi Ma
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/176/20


Sri Anandamayi Ma
Studio photo of Anandamayi Ma
Personal
Born: Nirmala Sundari[1], 30 April 1896, Kheora, Brahmanbaria, Bengal, British India (Now Bangladesh)
Died: 27 August 1982 (aged 86), Kishenpur, Dehradun, Uttrakhand, India
Religion: Sanatana Dharma - Eternal Dharma
Order: Self-realization
Philosophy: Vedic

Anandamayi Ma (née Nirmala Sundari; 30 April 1896 – 27 August 1982) was a Bengali Saint, described by Sivananda Saraswati (of the Divine Life Society) as "the most perfect flower the Indian soil has produced."[2] Precognition, faith healing and miracles were attributed to her by her followers.[3] Paramahansa Yogananda translates the Sanskrit epithet Anandamayi as "Joy-permeated" in English. This name was given to her by her devotees in the 1920s to describe her perpetual state of divine joy.[4]

Biography

Early life


Ramna Kali Mandir in 1967

Anandamayi was born Nirmala Sundari Devi on 30 April 1896 to the orthodox Vaishnavite Brahmin couple Bipinbihari Bhattacharya and Mokshada Sundari Devi in the village of Kheora, Tipperah District (now Brahmanbaria District), in present-day Bangladesh.[4][1] Her father, originally from Vidyakut in Tripura, was a Vaishnavite singer known for his intense devotion. Both parents were from well regarded lineages, though the family lived in poverty. Nirmala attended village schools of Sultanpur and Kheora for approximately 2–4 months.[5] Although her teachers were pleased with her ability, her mother worried about her daughter's mental development because of her constantly indifferent and happy demeanor. When her mother once fell seriously ill, relatives too remarked with puzzlement about the child remaining apparently unaffected.

In 1908 at the age of twelve years, 10 months, in keeping with the rural custom at the time, she was married to Ramani Mohan Chakrabarti of Bikrampur (now Munshiganj District) whom she would later rename Bholanath.[5][6] She spent five years after her marriage at her brother-in-law's home, attending to housework in a withdrawn meditative state much of the time. It was at Ashtagram that a devout neighbor Harakumar, who was widely considered insane, recognised and announced her spiritual eminence, developed a habit of addressing her as "Ma", and prostrated before her morning and evening in reverence.[7]

When Nirmala was about seventeen, she went to live with her husband who was working in the town of Ashtagram. In 1918, they moved to Bajitpur, where she stayed until 1924. It was a celibate marriage—whenever thoughts of lust occurred to Ramani, Nirmala's body would take on the qualities of death.[8]

On the full moon night of August 1922, at midnight, twenty-six-year-old Nirmala enacted her own spiritual initiation.[9] She explained that the ceremony and its rites were being revealed to her spontaneously as and when they were called for.[7] Although uneducated on the matter, the complex rites corresponded to those of traditional, ancient Hinduism, including the offerings of flowers, the mystical diagrams (yantra) and the fire ceremony (yajna). She later stated, "As the master (guru) I revealed the mantra; as the disciple, I accepted it and started to recite it."[10]

Dhaka


Anandamayi Ma on a 1987 stamp of India

Nirmala moved to Shahbag with her husband in 1924, where he had been appointed as the caretaker of the gardens of the Nawab of Dhaka.[6] During this period Nirmala went into ecstasies at public kirtans.[5] Jyotiscandra Ray, known as "Bhaiji," was an early and close disciple. He was the first to suggest that Nirmala be called Anandamayi Ma, meaning "Joy Permeated Mother", or "Bliss Permeated Mother". He was chiefly responsible for the first ashram built for Anandamayi Ma in 1929 at Ramna, within the precinct of the Ramna Kali Mandir.[11] In 1926, she reinstated a formerly abandoned ancient Kali temple in the Siddheshwari area.[6] During the time in Shahbag, more and more people began to be drawn to what they saw to be a living embodiment of the divine.[12]

Dehradun


Anandamayi Ma Ashram, Haridwar (Kankhal)

From her shift Dehradun onwards various scholars were drawn to Anandamayi Ma's light, gift, power and message of love, though she continued to describe herself as "a little unlettered child". Prangopal Mukerjee[5] Mahamahopadhyay Gopinath Kaviraj, Sanskrit scholar, philosopher, and principal of Government Sanskrit College in Varanasi and Triguna Sen were among her followers.[6]

Triguna Sen (24th December,1905 – 11th January,1998) was Union Minister for education in Government of India. He got Padma Bhushan in 1965. He was first Vice-Chancellor of Jadavpur University (from 1956 to 1966) and Banaras Hindu University.

Banaras Hindu University (Hindi: [kaʃi hind̪u viʃvəvid̪yaləy], BHU), formerly Central Hindu College, is a public central university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It was established jointly in 1916 by Maharaja of Darbhanga Rameshwar Singh, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Sir Sunder Lal and British Theosophist and Home Rule League founder Annie Besant. With over 30,000 students residing in campus, it is the largest residential university in Asia.

-- Banaras Hindu University, by Wikipedia

He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1967 to 1974.

-- Triguna Sen, by Wikipedia

Uday Shankar, the famous dance artist, was impressed by Anandamayi Ma's analysis of dance, which she used as a metaphor for the relationship between people and God.[6] She was a contemporary of the well known Hindu saints like Udiya Baba, Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Ramdas, and Paramahansa Yogananda.[4]

Death

Ma died on 27 August 1982 in Dehradun, and subsequently on 29 August 1982[1] a Samadhi (shrine) was built in the courtyard of her Kankhal ashram, situated in Haridwar in North India.[6][13]

Teachings and public image

"As you love your own body, so regard everyone as equal to your own body. When the Supreme Experience supervenes, everyone's service is revealed as one's own service. Call it a bird, an insect, an animal or a man, call it by any name you please, one serves one's own Self in every one of them."

-- Ananda Varta Quarterly

Anandamayi Ma never prepared discourses, wrote down, or revised what she had said. People had difficulty transcribing her often informal talks because of their conversational speed. Further the Bengali manner of alliterative wordplay was often lost in translation. However her personal attendant Gurupriya Devi, and a devotee, Brahmachari Kamal Bhattacharjee, made attempts to transcribe her speech before audio recording equipment became widely available in India.[7]

"Who is it that loves and who that suffers? He alone stages a play with Himself; who exists save Him? The individual suffers because he perceives duality. It is duality which causes all sorrow and grief. Find the One everywhere and in everything and there will be an end to pain and suffering."[14]

A central theme of her teaching is "the supreme calling of every human being is to aspire to self realization. All other obligations are secondary" and "only actions that kindle man's divine nature are worthy of the name of actions". However she did not advise everyone to become a renunciate. She would dismiss spiritual arguments and controversies by stating that "Everyone is right from his own standpoint".[5] She did not give formal initiations and refused to be called a guru, as she maintained that "all paths are my paths" and "I have no particular path".[15]

She did not advocate the same spiritual methods for all: "How can one impose limitations on the infinite by declaring this is the only path—and, why should there be so many different religions and sects? Because through every one of them He gives Himself to Himself, so that each person may advance according to his inborn nature." She herself has said (ref. Mother Reveals Herself), all forms of sadhana, known and unknown, just occurred to her in the form of a lila (play) without any conscious effort on her part. Thus her Sadhana cannot be slotted into a specific area, for to do so would mean that she was somehow limited to that area and her mastery was also limited. She welcomed and conversed with devotees of different paths and religions from Shaivaite, Vaishnavite, Tantric, or from Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism. Everyone was welcome and she was equally at ease while giving guidance to all practitioners of different faiths. Even now, the Muslim population of Kheora still refer to her as "our own Ma".[7]

She taught how to live a God-centered life in the world and provided the living inspiration to enable thousands to aspire to this most noble ideal.[5] She also advocated spiritual equality for women; for example, she opened up the sacred thread ritual, which had been performed by men only for centuries, to women, but only those who met the moral and personal requirements. Her style of teaching included jokes, songs and instructions on everyday life along with long discourses, silent meditation and recommended reading of scriptures.

She frequently referred to herself in the third person as either "this body" or "this little girl", which is a common spiritual practice in Hinduism in order to detach oneself from Ego.[16] Paramhansa Yogananda wrote about her in his book Autobiography of a Yogi.[1][17] His meeting with her is recounted in the chapter titled "The Bengali 'Joy-Permeated Mother'", where she explains her background:

"Father, there is little to tell." She spread her graceful hands in a deprecatory gesture. "My consciousness has never associated itself with this temporary body. Before I came on this earth, Father, I was the same. As a little girl, I was the same. I grew into womanhood, but still I was the same. When the family in which I had been born made arrangements to have this body married, I was the same... And, Father, in front of you now, I am the same. Ever afterward, though the dance of creation change around me in the hall of eternity, I shall be the same.[18]"

The Publication Department of the Shree Shree Anandamayee Sangha in Varanasi regularly publishes her teaching in the periodical Amrit Varta quarterly in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Bengali. The Sri Sri Anandamayi Sangha in Haridwar organizes the annual Samyam Mahavrata congregation to devote a week to collective meditation, religious discourse and devotional music.[5]

See also

• Bhakti yoga
• Robert Adams
• Ravi Shankar

References

1. Hawley, John Stratton (2006). "Anandamayi Ma: God came as a Women". The life of Hinduism. Univ. of California Press. pp. 173–183. ISBN 0520249135.
2. Mother, as Seen by Her Devotees. Shree Shree Anandamayee Sangha. 1995.
3. Chaudhuri, Narayan (1986). That Compassionate Touch of Ma Anandamayee. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 16–18, 24–26, 129–133. ISBN 978-81-208-0204-9.
4. Lipski, Alexander (1993). Life and Teaching of Sri Anandamayi Ma. Motillal Benarsidass Publishers. p. 28.
5. Introduction Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, As the Flower Sheds Its Fragrance, Shree Shree Ma Anadamayee Sangha, Kankhal, Haridwar; Retrieved: 8 December 2007
6. Ghosh, Monoranjan (2012). "Anandamayi, Ma". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
7. Richard Lannoy; Ananadamayi: Her Life and WisdomArchived 30 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine; Element Books Ltd; 1996; ISBN 1-85230-914-8
8. McDaniel, June (1989). The Madness of the Saints: Ecstatic Religion in Bengal. University of Chicago Press. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-226-55723-6.
9. In Hindu diksha, when the mind of the guru and the disciple become one, then we say that the disciple has been initiated by the guru.
10. Hallstrom, Lisa Lassell (1999). Mother of Bliss. Oxford University Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-19-511647-X.
11. Lipski, Alexander (1993). Life and Teaching of Sri Anandamayi Ma. Motillal Benarsidass Publishers. p. 66.
12. Hallstrom, Lisa Lassell (1999). Mother of Bliss. Oxford University Press. pp. 42–43. ISBN 0-19-511647-X.
13. Life History: Chronology of Mothers life Archived 21 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Anandamayi Ma Ashram Official website. "Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi arrives at noon, Ma's divine body given Maha Samadhi at about 1.30 pm near the previous site of an ancient Pipal tree, under which she used to sit on many occasions and give darshan."
14. Ananda Varta, Vol. 28, No. 4, p. 283.
15. Mataji's Methods Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, As the Flower Sheds Its Fragrance, Shree Shree Ma Anadamayee Sangha, Kankhal, Haridwar; Retrieved: 8 December 2007
16. Aymard, Orianne (1 May 2014). When a Goddess Dies: Worshipping Ma Anandamayi after Her Death. ISBN 978-0199368631.
17. Sharma, Arvind (1994). "Women in Hinduism". Today's Woman in World Religions. State University of New York Press. pp. 128–130. ISBN 0-7914-1687-9.
18. Hallstrom, Lisa Lassell (1999). "Anandamayi, Ma". Indian Religions: A Historical Reader of Spiritual Expression and Experience. Hurst & Company, London. p. 538.

Bibliography

• Banerjee, Shyamananda (1973). A Mystic Sage: Ma Anandamayi: Ma Anandamayi. s.n.
• Bhaiji (1975). Sad Vani: A Collection of the Teaching of Sri Anandamayi Ma. translated by Swami Atmananda. Shree Shree Anandamayee Charitable Society.
• Bhaiji. Matri Vani — From the Wisdom of Sri Anandamayi Ma. translated by Swami Atmananda.
• Chaudhuri, Narayan (1986). That Compassionate Touch of Ma Anandamayee. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-0204-7.
• Datta, Amulya Kumar. In Association with Sri Ma Anandamayi.
• Fitzgerald, Joseph; Alexander Lipski (2007). The Essential Sri Anandamayi Ma: Life and Teaching of a 20th Century Indian Saint. World Wisdom. ISBN 978-1-933316-41-3.
• Ganguli, Anil. Anandamayi Ma the Mother Bliss-incarnate.
• Ganguly, Adwaita P (1996). Yuga-Avatar Sri Sri Ma Anandamayee and Universal Religion. VRC Publications. ISBN 81-87530-00-6.
• Giri, Gurupriya Ananda. Sri Ma Anandamayi.
• Joshi, Hari Ram (1999). Ma Anandamayi Lila, Memoirs of Hari Ram Joshi. Kolkata: Shree Shree Anandamayee Charitable Society.
• Kaviraj, Gopinath (1967). Mother as Seen by Her Devotees. Varanasi: Shree Shree Anandamayee Sangha.
• Lipski, Alexander (1983). Life and Teachings of Sri Anandamayi ma. Orient Book Distributors.
• Maschmann, Melita (2002). Encountering Bliss: My Journey Through India with Anandamayi Ma. trans. S.B. Shrotri. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-1541-6.
• Mukerji, Bithika (1998). A Bird on the Wing — Life and Teachings of Sri Ma Anandamayi. Sri Satguru Publications. ISBN 81-7030-577-2.
• Mukerji, Bithika (2002). My Days with Sri Ma Anandamayi. India: Indica Books. ISBN 81-86569-27-8.
• Mukerji, Bithika (1970). From the Life of Sri Anandamayi Ma. India: Sri Sri Anandamayi Sangha, Varanasi.
• Ramananda, Swami (2002). Bliss Now: My Journey with Sri Anandamayi Ma. India: Select Books. ISBN 978-1-59079-019-9.
• Ray, J. Mother As Revealed To Me, Bhaiji.
• Yogananda, Paramhansa (1946). Autobiography of a Yogi. New York: Philosophical Library.

External links

• Anandamayi Ma at Curlie
• Works by or about Anandamayi Ma at Internet Archive
• A timeline of events
• MatriVani, a compendium of Anandamayi's teachings
• The personal papers of Anandamayi are in the Andover-Harvard Theological Library at Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Bodh Gaya
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/17/20


Great Buddha Statue
Country: India
State: Bihar
District: Gaya

Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment (Pali: bodhi) under what became known as the Bodhi Tree.[2] Since antiquity, Bodh Gaya has remained the object of pilgrimage and veneration for both Hindus and Buddhists.[3]

For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha,[4] the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[5]

History


The Bodhi Tree under which Gautama Buddha is said to have obtained Enlightenment

Bodh Gaya is the most holy place for Buddhists.[6] Situated by the bank of river Neranjana the place was then known as Uruwela. King Ashoka was the first to build a temple here.[7]

Traditionally, Buddha was born in 563 BC[8] on the following auspicious Baisakhi purnima. As Siddhartha, he renounced his family at the age of 29 in 534 BC[9][10] and travelled and meditated in search of truth. After practicing self-mortification for six years at Urubela (Buddhagaya) in Gaya, he gave up that practice because it did not give him Vimukthi. Then he discovered Noble Eight-fold path without help from anyone and practiced it, then he attained Buddhatva or enlightenment. Enlightenment is a state of being completely free from lust (raga), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha). By gaining enlightenment, you enter Nirvana, in which the final stage is Parinirvana.

At this place, the Buddha was abandoned by the five men who had been his companions of earlier austerities. All they saw was an ordinary man; they mocked his well-nourished appearance. "Here comes the mendicant Gautama," they said, "who has turned away from asceticism. He is certainly not worth our respect." When they reminded him of his former vows, the Buddha replied, "Austerities only confuse the mind. In the exhaustion and mental stupor to which they lead, one can no longer understand the ordinary things of life, still less the truth that lies beyond the senses. I have given up extremes of either luxury or asceticism. I have discovered the Middle Way". This is the path which is neither easy (a rich prince) nor hard (living in austere conditions practicing self-denial). Hearing this, the five ascetics became the Buddha's first disciples in Deer Park, Sarnath, 13 km n.e. of Benares.

The disciples of Gautama Siddhartha began to visit the place during the full moon in the month of Vaisakh (April–May), as per the Hindu calendar. Over time, the place became known as Bodh Gaya, the day of enlightenment as Buddha Purnima, and the tree as the Bodhi Tree.

The history of Bodh Gaya is documented by many inscriptions and pilgrimage accounts. Foremost among these are the accounts of the Chinese pilgrims Faxian in the 5th century and Xuanzang in the 7th century. The area was at the heart of a Buddhist civilization for centuries, until it was conquered by Turkic armies in the 13th century. The place-name, Bodh Gaya, did not come into use until the 18th century CE. Historically, it was known as Uruvela, Sambodhi (Sambodhi inscription.jpgSaṃ+bodhi, "Complete Enlightenment" in Ashoka's Major Rock Edict No.8),[11] Vajrasana (the "Diamond Throne" of the Buddha) or Mahabodhi ("Great Enlightenment").[12] The main monastery of Bodh Gaya used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihāra (Pali). Now it is called the Mahabodhi Temple.

Mahabodhi Temple

Main article: Mahabodhi Temple


Mahabodhi temple, built under the Gupta Empire, 6th century CE.

The complex, located about 110 kilometres from Patna, at 24°41′43″N 84°59′38″E,[13] contains the Mahabodhi Temple with the Vajrasana or "diamond throne" and the holy Bodhi tree. This tree was originally a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka, itself grown from a what is claimed to be a sapling of the original Bodhi tree.

In approximately 250 BCE, about 200 years after the Buddha attained Enlightenment, Buddhist Emperor Asoka visited Bodh Gaya in order to establish a monastery and shrine on the holy site.[5]

Representations of this early temple are found at Sanchi, on the toraṇas of Stūpa I, dating from around 25 BCE, and on a relief carving from the stupa railing at Bhārhut, from the early Shunga period (c. 185–c. 73 BCE).[14]

Other Buddhist temples


Buddhist Monks Meditating in Bodh Gaya

Kittisirimegha of Sri Lanka, a contemporary of Samudragupta, erected with the permission of Samudragupta, a Sanghārāma near the Mahabodhi Temple, chiefly for the use of the Singhalese monks who went to worship the Bodhi tree. The circumstances in connection with the Sanghārāma are given by Xuanzang (Beal, op. cit., 133ff) who gives a description of it as seen by himself. It was probably here that Buddhaghosa met the Elder Revata who persuaded him to come to Ceylon.

Several Buddhist temples and monasteries have been built by the people of Bhutan, Mongolia, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam in a wide area around the Mahabodhi Temple. These buildings reflect the architectural style, exterior and interior decoration of their respective countries. The statue of Buddha in the Chinese temple is 200 years old and was brought from China. Japan's Nippon temple is shaped like a pagoda. The Myanmar (Burmese) temple is also pagoda shaped and is reminiscent of Bagan. The Thai temple has a typical sloping, curved roof covered with golden tiles. Inside, the temple holds a massive bronze statue of Buddha. Next to the Thai temple is 25-metre statue of Buddha located within a garden which has existed there for over 100 years.

Sujata Stupa

Across the Phalgu river is the Sujata Stupa, in the village of Bakraur. The stupa was dedicated to the milkmaid Sujata, who is said to have fed Gautama Buddha milk and rice as he was sitting under a Banyan tree, ending his seven years of fasting and asceticism, and allowing him to attain illumination through the Middle Way.[15][16][17] The stupa was built in the 2nd century BCE as confirmed by finds of black polished wares and punch-marked coins in the attending monastery.[18]

The Great Buddha Statue

Main article: Great Buddha (Bodh Gaya)

The Great Buddha Statue also known as 80 feet statue is in Bodhgaya. The unveiling and consecration of the Great Buddha Statue took place on 18 November 1989. The consecration ceremony was attended by the XIVth Dalai Lama, who blessed the 25-meter statue, the first great Buddha ever built in the history of India. The Statue is now a symbol of the holy place Bodhgaya, next to Mahabohdi Temple which is a World Heritage site, and enjoys constant visits of pilgrims from all over the world. Among local people, it is nicknamed "the 80-foot (25-meter) Buddha Statue."

Under the slogan "Spread Buddha's rays to the Whole World," Daijokyo spent seven years on construction of the Great Buddha Statue, mobilizing 120,000 masons in total. The greatest driving force for this massive project was the pure heart of people, who wish for further expansion of Buddhism from the holy place Bodhgaya, as well as for the realization of world peace. We Daijokyo believers shall never forget this fact.

Mahabodhi Temple Serial Blasts

See also: Bodh Gaya bombings


Illustration of the temple built by Asoka at Bodh-Gaya around the Bodhi tree. Sculpture of the Satavahana period at Sanchi, 1st century CE.

On 7 July 2013, at around 05:15, a low intensity bomb blast took place in the 2500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple complex. This was followed by a series of nine low intensity blasts which resulted in two monks being injured; one was Tibetan and the other Burmese. These blasts were carried out by an Islamic terrorist organization called Indian Mujahideen.[19][20] Two other bombs, one under the 80-foot statue of the Buddha and the other near Karmapa Temple were defused by the police.[21][22]

On 1 June 2018, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court of Patna sentenced life imprisonment for 5 prime accused in this case.[23]

Demographics

As per the 2001 census,[24] Bodh Gaya had a population of 30,883. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Bodh Gaya has an average literacy rate of 51%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 63% and female literacy of 38%. 8% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Transportation


Map of Bodh Gaya in relation to other Eight Great Places Buddhist pilgrimage sites and notable nearby cities

• Buses have been introduced by the BSTDC between Patna and Bodh Gaya via Rajgir.[25]
• A special caravan service called Wonder on Wheel, between Patna and Bodh Gaya, has been introduced by the Bihar Tourism Deptartment.[26]
• Gaya Airport is situated 7 kilometres (4 mi) from Bodh Gaya and approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) from Gaya Junction railway station.
• Bodhgaya has restricted the use of auto rickshaws, cars and buses to make the pilgrimage site more peaceful. A permit is required for the use of cars and buses, and the only taxi available is an electric rickshaw that is mostly noiseless.

See also

• Deo Sun Temple
• Gaya
• Kushinagar
• Rajgir
• Lumbini
• Bakraur
• Gossain Ghamandi Gir
• Bodh Gaya bombings
• Adi Badri (Haryana)
• Kurkihar hoard
• Magadh University
• Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya

References

1. "पत्रांक-213 : राजगीर क्षेत्रीय आयोजना क्षेत्र एवं बोधगया आयोजना क्षेत्र के सीमांकन एवं घोषणा" (PDF). Urban Development Housing Dept., Government of Bihar, Patna. 15 April 2015. Archived (PDF)from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
2. Gopal, Madan (1991). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 176.
3. Kinnard, Jacob. "When Is The Buddha Not the Buddha? The Hindu/Buddhist Battle over Bodhgayā and Its Buddha Image". Journal of the American Academy of Religion: 817. ISSN 0002-7189.
4. "Buddhist Pilgrimage". Asia.
5. "Decisions adopted by the 26th Session of the World Heritage Committee" (PDF). World Heritage Committee. p. 62. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
6. "Holy Sites of Buddhism: Bodh Gaya - Place of Enlightenment". http://www.buddhanet.net. Retrieved 14 December2019.
7. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
8. "Buddha Purnima - Festival of Buddhist". Shaadi.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
9. Barua, Sukomal (2012). "Buddha Purnima". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016.
10. "Spectrum | Sundayobserver.lk - Sri Lanka". Sundayobserver.lk. 22 April 2012. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
11. Juergensmeyer, Mark; Roof, Wade Clark (2011). Encyclopedia of Global Religion. SAGE Publications. p. 148. ISBN 9781452266565.
12. "A History of Bodh Gaya by Venerable S. Dhammika". Buddhanet.net. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
13. "Information Dossier for nomination of Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodhgaya as a World Heritage Site". Government of India. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
14. "Sowing the Seeds of the Lotus: A Journey to the Great Pilgrimage Sites of Buddhism, Part I" by John C. Huntington. Orientations, November 1985 pg 61
15. Prasoon, Shrikant (2007). Knowing Buddha : [life and teachings]. [Delhi]: Hindoology Books. ISBN 9788122309638.
16. Blasi, Abigail (2017). Lonely Planet India. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781787011991.
17. Dwivedi, Sunita; Lama, Dalai (foreword) (2006). Buddhist heritage sites of India. New Delhi: Rupa & Co. ISBN 8129107384.
18. Geary, David; Sayers, Matthew R.; Amar, Abhishek Singh (2012). Cross-disciplinary Perspectives on a Contested Buddhist Site: Bodh Gaya Jataka. Routledge. pp. 35–36. ISBN 9781136320675.
19. Tiwari, Deeptiman (6 November 2013). "Ranchi document helps NIA crack Bodh Gaya blast case". Times of India. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
20. Gaikwad, Rahi; Yadav Anumeha; Pandey Devesh (7 November 2013). "Patna terror cell behind Bodh Gaya strike too: NIA". The Hindu. Patna, Ranchi, New Delhi. The Hindu. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
21. "Serial Blasts rock Mahabodhi temple in Bodha gaya: terror attack, Center says". The Times of India. 7 July 2013. Archived from the original on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 7 July2013.
22. "Nine blasts in Bodh Gaya, 2 injured". The Hindu. 7 July 2013. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
23. "Five sentenced to life imprisonment in Bodh Gaya serial blasts case". Headlines Today. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
24. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
25. "BSTDC halts AC Bus Services to Bodhgaya devoid of Passengers". Archived from the original on 9 August 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
26. "Bihar launches Tourist Caravan Service called Wonder on Wheel". The Biharprabha News. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013.

Bibliography

• Kinnard, Jacob N. (1998). When Is The Buddha Not the Buddha? The Hindu/Buddhist Battle over Bodhgayā and Its Buddha Image. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 66 (4), 817-839
• Geary, David; Sayers, Matthew R; Amar, Abhishek Singh (2012). Cross-disciplinary perspectives on a contested Buddhist site: Bodh Gaya jataka. London, New York: Routledge

External links

• Bodh Gaya travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Detailed history of Bodhgaya by Ven. S. Dhammika.
• Bihar state tourism development corporation (BSTDC).
• Places to Visit in Bodh Gaya
• Photos of Mahabodhi Temple & Bodhgaya
• Description of Bodhgaya by the Chinese pilgrim monk Faxian (399-414 AC)
• Bodhgaya Map

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Banaras Hindu University [Central Hindu College]
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/17/20

-- The Central Hindu College and Mrs. Besant, by Sri Bhagavan Das

Banaras Hindu University
The seal of Banaras Hindu University, depicting Goddess Saraswati
Former name: Central Hindu College
Motto: Vidyayā'mritamașnute
Motto in English: "Knowledge imparts immortality"
Type: Public
Established: 1916; 104 years ago
Founders: Madan Mohan Malaviya; Annie Besant; Rameshwar Singh; Sir Sunder Lal
Chancellor: Giridhar Malaviya[1]
Vice-Chancellor: Rakesh Bhatnagar[2]
Rector: V. K. Shukla
Visitor: President of India
Students: 30,698[3]
Undergraduates: 15,746[3]
Postgraduates: 7,557[3]
Doctoral students: 4,555[3]
Location: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Campus: Multiple sites
Affiliations: ACU AIU NAAC UGC
Mascot: Goddess Saraswati
Website: bhu.ac.in
Coordinates: 25.2677203°N 82.9890695°E

Banaras Hindu University (Hindi: [kaʃi hind̪u viʃvəvid̪yaləy], BHU), formerly Central Hindu College, is a public central university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It was established jointly in 1916 by Maharaja of Darbhanga Rameshwar Singh[4],...

Maharaja Sir Rameshwar Singh Thakur GCIE KCB KBE (16 January 1860 – 3 July 1929) was the Maharaja of Darbhanga in the Mithila region from 1898 to his death. He became Maharaja on the death of his elder brother Maharaja Sir Lakshmeshwar Singh, who died without issue. He was appointed to the Indian Civil Service in 1878, serving as assistant magistrate successively at Darbhanga, Chhapra, and Bhagalpur. He was exempted from attendance at the Civil Courts and was appointed a Member of the Legislative Council of Bengal (MLC of Bengal) in 1885. He was the first Indian appointed to the lieutenant governor's Executive Council.

He was a Member of the Council of India of the Governor General of India in 1899 and on 21 September 1904 was appointed a non-officiating member representing the Bengal Provinces, along with Gopal Krishna Gokhale from Bombay Province.

He was president of the Bihar Landholder's Association, president of the All India Landholder's Association, president of Bharat Dharma Mahamandal,...

Bharat Dharma Mahamandala was a prominent Hindu organization founded by Pandit Din Dayalu Sharma in Hardwar in 1887, who also founded the Hindu College, Delhi, on May 15, 1899. Its objective was to bring together all leaders of the orthodox Hindu community and to work together for the preservation of Sanatan Dharma. The offshoots of the Mahamandala were the Sanatan Dharma Sabhas, founded for the defense of Hinduism from critics both within the community and outside it. In the early years of the 20th century, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was very closely associated with the Mahamandala and the Sanatan Dharma movements.

-- Bharat Dharma Mahamandala, by GKToday

Sanātanī (सनातनी[1]) is a term used to describe Hindu movements that includes the ideas from the Vedas and the Upanishads while also incorporating the teachings of sacred hindu texts such as Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita which itself is often being described as a concise guide to Hindu philosophy and a practical, self-contained guide to life.

Sanatana Dharma denotes duties (righteousness) performed according to one's spiritual (constitutional) identity as Ātman (Hinduism). Sanatana Dharma is presently a large facet of the collective synthesis of beliefs known as Hinduism. It often rejects previously long-established socio-religious systems based on interpretations of sectarian followers of an individual sant (saint or pontiff). The term was used by Gandhi in 1921 while describing his own religious beliefs.

-- Sanātanī, by Wikipedia

a member of the Council of State [Rajya Sabha, upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India], a trustee of the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta, president of the Hindu University Society, M.E.C. of Bihar and Orissa and Member of the Indian Police Commission (1902–03). He was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind medal in 1900. He was the only member of the India Police Commission who dissented with a report on requirements for police service, and suggested that the recruitment to the Indian Police Services should be through a single exam only to be conducted in India and Britain simultaneously. He also suggested the recruitment should not be based on colour or nationality. This suggestion was rejected by the India Police Commission. Maharaja Rameshwar Singh was a Tantric and was known as Buddhist Siddha. He was considered a Rajarshi (sage king) by his people.

He was knighted a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) on 26 June 1902, was promoted to a Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) in the 1915 Birthday Honours List and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Civil Division (KBE) in the 1918 Birthday Honours List.

He was succeeded by his son, Sir Kameshwar Singh.

-- Rameshwar Singh, by Wikipedia

Madan Mohan Malaviya,...

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (25 December 1861 – 12 November 1946) was an Indian scholar, educational reformer and politician notable for his role in the Indian independence movement, as the four times president of Indian National Congress and the founder of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha [Hindu Mahasabha.

Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi

In the 1940s, the Muslim League stepped up its demand for a separate Muslim state of Pakistan. Although the Congress strongly opposed religious separatism, the League's great popularity amongst Muslims forced the Congress leaders to hold talks with the League president, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Even though Savarkar agreed with Jinnah and recognised Hindus and Muslims to be separate nations, he condemned the secular Gandhi's overtures to hold talks with Jinnah and regain Muslim support for the Congress as appeasement. After communal violence claimed the lives of thousands in 1946, Savarkar claimed that Gandhi's adherence to non-violence had left Hindus vulnerable to armed attacks by militant Muslims. When the partition of India was agreed upon in June 1947 after months of failed efforts at power-sharing between the Congress and the League, the Mahasabha condemned the Congress and Gandhi for agreeing to the partition plan.

On January 30, 1948 Nathuram Godse shot Mahatma Gandhi three times and killed him in Delhi. Godse and his fellow conspirators Digambar Badge, Gopal Godse, Narayan Apte, Vishnu Karkare and Madanlal Pahwa were identified as prominent members of the Hindu Mahasabha. Along with them, police arrested Savarkar, who was suspected of being the mastermind behind the plot. While the trial resulted in convictions and judgments against the others, Savarkar was released on a technicality, even though there was evidence that the plotters met Savarkar only days before carrying out the murder and had received the blessings of Savarkar. The Kapur Commission in 1967 established that Savarkar was in close contact with the plotters for many months. Kapur Commission said,

All these facts taken together were destructive of any theory other than the conspiracy to murder (of Gandhiji) by Savarkar and his group.

-- Hindu Mahasabha, by Wikipedia

He was respectfully addressed as Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and also addressed as Mahamana.

Malaviya strived to promote modern education among Indians and eventually cofounded Banaras Hindu University (BHU) at Varanasiin 1916, which was created under the B.H.U. Act, 1915. The largest residential university in Asia and one of the largest in the world, having over 40,000 students across arts, commerce, sciences, engineering, linguistic, Ritual medical, agriculture, performing arts, law and technology from all over the world. He was Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University from 1919–1938.

He is also remembered for his role in ending the Indian indenture system, especially in the Caribbean. His efforts in helping the Indo-Caribbeans is compared to Mahatma Gandhi's efforts of helping Indian South Africans.

Malaviya was one of the founders of Scouting in India. He also founded a highly influential, English-newspaper, The Leader published from Prayagaraj in 1909. He was also the Chairman of Hindustan Times from 1924 to 1946. His efforts resulted in the launch of its Hindi edition named Hindustan Dainik in 1936.

He was posthumously conferred with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, on 24 December 2014, a day before his 153rd Birth Anniversary.

-- Madan Mohan Malaviya, by Wikipedia

Sir Sunder Lal [5]...

Rai Bahadur Sir Sunder Lal CIE was born in Jaspur, near Nainital, on 21 May 1857.

In 1876, he joined Muir Central College at Allahabad then led by Augustus Harrison. While an under-graduate Pandit Sunder Lal passed the Vakil's Examination of the High Court in 1880 and was enrolled as a Vakil on 21 December 1880. He practiced in Allahabad High Court. In 1896 the High Court raised him to the rank and status of Advocate.

The distinction of 'Rai Bahadur' was conferred on him in 1905. He was appointed a CIE in 1907. In 1909 he accepted a seat on the Bench of the Judicial Commissioner's Court at Lucknow for a few months and in 1914 for brief periods officiated as a Judge of the Allahabad High Court.

Appointed Member, Council of Law Reporting, Allahabad; Member of the Board of the Allahabad Court to represent Vakils, 1893; enrolled as Advocate, 1893; Fellow Allahabad University, since 1888 Member of the Syndicate, 1895, represented University in U.P. Legislative Council, 1904; and 1906–1909; one of the Secretaries of the MacDonnell Boarding House, Allahabad; Offg. Additional Judicial Commissioner, Oudh, 1909; Vice-Chairman, U.P. Exhibition, 1910–11; acting Judicial Commissioner for 5 months; Judge, High Court, N.W.P.. 1914; owner of the largest private library in the Province; prominently connected with the establishment of the University School of Law and the Hindu University, Benares; nominated as an Additional Member, Imperial Legislative Council, 1915: resigned his seat in the U.P. Legislative Council, 1915. Address: Allahabad.

In 1906, he became the first Indian Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University. He was reappointed to that office in 1912 and 1916.

In 1916, he was named the founding Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). The Sir Sunderlal Hospital of the Institute of Medical Sciences on the BHU campus is named in his honor.

On 21 February 1917, Sunder Lal received a knighthood. He died in Allahabad on 13 February 1918 at age 61.

-- Sunder Lal (lawyer), by Wikipedia

and British Theosophist and Home Rule League founder Annie Besant.[6] With over 30,000 students residing in campus, it is the largest residential university in Asia.[7]

The university's main campus spread over 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) was built on land donated by the Kashi Naresh Prabhu Narayan Singh, the hereditary ruler of Banaras ("Kashi" being an alternative name for Banaras or Varanasi). The south campus, spread over 2,700 acres (11 km2),[8] hosts the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Agriculture Science Centre)[9] and is located in Barkachha in Mirzapur district, about 60 km (37 mi) from Banaras.[10]

BHU is organised into six institutes and 14 faculties (streams) and about 140 departments.[11][12] As of 2017, the total student enrolment at the university is 27,359[13] coming from 48 countries.[14] It has over 75 hostels for resident students. Several of its faculties and institutes include arts (FA - BHU), commerce (Faculty of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University), management studies (Institute of Management Studies Banaras Hindu University|I.M.St. - BHU), science (I.Sc. - BHU), performing arts (FPA-BHU), law (FL-BHU), agricultural science (Institute of Agricultural Science, Banaras Hindu University|I.A.S. - BHU), medical science (Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University|I.M.S. - BHU) and environment and sustainable development (Institute of Environment And Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University|I.E.S.D. - BHU) along with departments of linguistics, journalism & mass communication, among others. The university's engineering institute was designated as an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT BHU) in June 2012.

BHU celebrated its centenary year in 2015–2016. The Centenary Year Celebration Cell organised various programs including cultural programs, feasts, competitions and Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya Birth Anniversary on 25 December 2015.[15]

History


Statue of Madan Mohan Malaviya at the entrance of Shri Vishwanath Mandir

The Banaras Hindu University was established by Madan Mohan Malaviya. A prominent lawyer and an Indian independence activist, Malaviya considered education as the primary means for achieving a national awakening.[16]

At the 21st Conference of the Indian National Congress in Benares in December 1905, Malaviya publicly announced his intent to establish a university in Varanasi. Malaviya continued to develop his vision for the university with inputs from other Indian nationalists and educationists. He published his plan in 1911. The focus of his arguments was the prevailing poverty in India and the decline in income of Indians compared to Europeans. The plan called for the focus on technology and science, besides the study of India's religion and culture:

"The millions mired in poverty here can only get rid (of it) when science is used in their interest. Such maximum application of science is only possible when scientific knowledge is available to Indians in their own country."[17]

Malaviya's plan evaluated whether to seek government recognition for the university or operate without its control. He decided in favour of the former for various reasons. Malaviya also considered the question of medium of instruction and decided to start with English given the prevalent environment, and gradually add Hindi and other Indian languages. A distinguishing characteristic of Malaviya's vision was the preference for a residential university. All other Indian universities of the period, such as the universities in Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, etc., were affiliating universities which only conducted examinations and awarded degrees to students of their affiliated colleges.[18] Malaviya had supported Annie Besant's cause and in 1903, he had raised 250,000 Rupees in donations to finance the construction of the school's hostel.[19] In 1907 Besant had applied for a royal charter to establish a university. However, there was no response from the British government.

Following the publication of Malviya's plan, Besant met Malviya and in April 1911 they agreed to unite their forces to build the university in Varanasi.[20]

Malaviya soon left his legal practice to focus exclusively on developing the university and his independence activities.[21] On 22 November 1911, he registered the Hindu University Society to gather support and raise funds for building the university.[22] He spent the next 4 years gathering support and raising funds for the university. Malaviya sought and received early support from the Kashi Naresh Prabhu Narayan Singh and Maharaja Sir Rameshwar Singh Bahadur of Raj Darbhanga.[18] Thakur Jadunath Singh of Arkha along with other noble houses of United Provinces contributed for the development of the university.

In October 1915, with support from Malaviya's allies in the Indian National Congress, the Banaras Hindu University Bill was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council.[23]

BHU was finally established in 1916, the first university in India that was the result of a private individual's efforts. The foundation for the main campus of the university was laid by Lord Hardinge, the then Viceroy of India, on Vasant Panchami 4 February 1916.[20][24] To promote the university's expansion, Malviya invited eminent guest speakers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jagadish Chandra Bose, C. V. Raman, Prafulla Chandra Roy, Sam Higginbottom, Patrick Geddes, and Besant to deliver a series of what are now called The University Extension Lectures between 5–8 February 1916. Gandhi's lecture on the occasion was his first public address in India.[24]

Sir Sunder Lal was appointed the first Vice-Chancellor, and the university began its academic session[6] the same month with classes initially held at the Central Hindu School in the Kamachha area, while the campus was being built on over 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) of land donated by the Kashi Naresh on the outskirts of the city. The Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, Mir Osman Ali Khan, also made a donation of ₹1 lakh for the university.[25][26][27]

The university's anthem, known as the Kulgeet, was composed by Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar.[28]

Campus

Main campus


Dept of Electrical Engineering IIT-BHU


Sir Sundarlal Hospital


Ruiya Medical Hostel, BHU

BHU is located on the southern edge of Varanasi, near the banks of the river Ganges. Development of the main campus, spread over 1,300 acres (5.3 km2), started in 1916 on land donated by the then Kashi Naresh Prabhu Narayan Singh. The campus layout approximates a semicircle, with intersecting roads laid out along the radii or in arcs. Buildings built in the first half of the 20th century are fine examples of Indo-Gothic architecture.

The campus has over 60 hostels offering residential accommodation for over 12,000 students.[29] On-campus housing is also available to a majority of the full-time faculty.

The main entrance gate and boundary wall was built on the donation made by Maharaja of Balrampur, Maharaja Pateshvari Prashad Singh.

The Sayaji Rao Gaekwad Library is the main library on campus and houses over 1.3 million volumes as of 2011. Completed in 1941, its construction was financed by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda. In addition to the main library, there are three institute libraries, eight faculty libraries and over 25 departmental libraries available to students and staff.

Sir Sunderlal Hospital on the campus is a teaching hospital for the Institute of Medical Sciences. Established in 1926 with 96 beds, it has since been expanded to over 900 beds and is the largest tertiary referral hospital in the region.


Shri Vishwanath Mandir has the tallest temple tower in the world.[30]

The most prominent landmark is the Shri Vishwanath Mandir, located in the centre of the campus. The foundation for this 252 feet (77 m) high complex of seven temples was laid in March 1931, and took almost three decades to complete.[31]

Bharat Kala Bhavan is an art and archaeological museum on the campus. Established in January 1920, its first chairman was Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, with his nephew Abanindranath Tagore as the vice-chairman. The museum was expanded and gained prominence with the efforts of Rai Krishnadasa.[32] The museum is best known for its collection of Indian paintings, but also includes archaeological artefacts, textiles and costumes, Indian philately as well as literary and archival materials.[33] The Alice Boner Gallery was also set up at Bharat Kala Bhavan with the assistance of the Alice Boner Foundation in 1989 to mark the birth centenary of Alice Boner.[34]

Rajiv Gandhi South Campus

The south campus is located in Barkachha in Mirzapur district,[8] about 60 km (37 mi) southwest of the main campus. Spread over an area of over 2,700 acres (11 km2), it was transferred as a lease in perpetuity to BHU by the Bharat Mandal Trust in 1979.[35]

It hosts the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Agricultural Science Centre), with focus on research in agricultural techniques, agro-forestry and bio-diversity appropriate to the Vindhya Range region.[36] The South Campus features a lecture complex, library, student hostels and faculty housing, besides administrative offices.[37]

Academics

BHU is organised into 6 institutes and 14 faculties (streams). The institutes are administratively autonomous, with their own budget, management and academic bodies.[38]

Institutes

Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi

Main article: Indian Institute of Technology, BHU

The Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi (IIT-BHU) is an engineering institute under the aegis of BHU. IIT-BHU has 14 departments and 3 inter-disciplinary schools,[39] providing technology education with an emphasis on its industrial applications. Established in 1919, it is one of the oldest engineering institutes in India.[40] The institute in its present form was created by the merger of three BHU colleges – the Banaras Engineering College, the College of Mining and Metallurgy, and the College of Technology.

It was designated as Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) by The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 2012[41] of Parliament in 2012[42] and is declared as Institute of National Importance by Government of India under IIT Act.[43]

Institute of Science

Main article: Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University

The Institute of Science (ISc) comprises 13 departments covering various branches of modern science, and several inter-disciplinary schools and research centres. It offers Undergraduate (B.Sc), Post graduate (M.Sc) and Ph.D in most disciplines, MSc (Tech.) in Geophysics, MCA, and conducts research programmes in all areas.Two vocational courses, Industrial Microbiology and Electronics Instrumentation and Maintenance have been introduced in recent years at U.G. level. Aakanksha is its annual cultural fest organised every year in the month of February.[44]

Institute of Agricultural Sciences

Main article: Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University

The Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS) was founded as Institute of Agricultural Research in 1931 and was the first institute in India to provide postgraduate programs (MSc and PhD) in agricultural science. In 1945, undergraduate degrees were introduced and it was renamed as the College of Agriculture. It was renamed as the Faculty of Agriculture in 1968 and was raised to the status of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences in August 1980. It is involved in both education and research in agricultural science.[45]

Institute of Medical Sciences


Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU

Main article: Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University

The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) is a residential, co-educational medical institute. It admits students for its programs in medicine through the NEET entrance examination held across India. In addition to the MBBS programs, it offers specialisations and PhD programs for physicians in medicine and surgery. It also offers graduate and post-graduate programs in Nursing, Ayurvedic medicine, Dentistry and Health Statistics. It is one of the finest institutes in the country. It produces some of the best physicians and results across the country. There are three faculties viz. Medicine, Ayurveda and Dental Sciences.

Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development

The Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development (IESD) aiming to develop and advance the knowledge of technology and processes for sustainable development was started in 2010 in the tenure of the then Vice-Chancellor of BHU, D.P. Singh.[46]

In accordance with the UN visualisation that higher education should contribute significantly to the development of appropriate knowledge and competencies in the area of sustainable development, a nation-level Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development has been established in the Banaras Hindu University. The institute will cover education about sustainable development (developing an awareness of what is involved) and education for sustainable development (using education as a tool to achieve sustainability). The institute will be dedicated to a better understanding of critical scientific and social issues related to sustainable development goals through guided research.[47]

Institute of Management Studies

The Institute of Management Studies is the business school of Banaras Hindu University. Established in 1968 as the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS, BHU), it is among the earliest management schools in India. It was renamed to its current name on 16 December 2015.[48]

The institute offers several two-year Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes. Admission is based on the combined merit acquired by a candidate in CAT, group discussion and interview. Eligibility requirements are a graduate degree under 10+2+3 Pattern / degree in Agriculture, Technology, Medicine, Education or Law / Post-graduate degree in any discipline under 10+2+3+2 pattern from any Indian University/Institution recognised by AIU/AICTE with at least 50% marks in aggregate (at least 45% for SC/ST candidates).[49]

Faculties


Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu University

Academic faculties of the university include:[50]

• Faculty of Arts
• Faculty of Ayurveda
• Faculty of Commerce
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Performing Arts
• Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vijnan Sankaya
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Visual Arts

Faculty of Performing Arts

The Faculty of Performing Arts offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate courses in performing arts. It was founded in 1950 and had several renowned and award-winning artists and musicians as faculty members.[51][52] Faculty of Performing Arts was started by Omkarnath Thakur in 1950. It was initially instituted as a college called "Music and Fine Arts". In 1966, under Govind Malviya and founding principal Omkarnath Thakur, the college was restructured to a faculty, with three departments (Vocal music, Instrumental music and Musicology). Faculty of Performing Arts claims to start the first department of Musicology in India headed by musicologists Prem Lata Sharma.[51]

Faculty of Social Sciences


Samanvaya Bhawan, Faculty of Social Sciences (Old PG Building) as seen from Faculty of Arts building

The Faculty of Social Sciences offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Social science. It was bifurcated from the Faculty of Arts in 1971. It includes the departments of Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology.[53]

Other than the departments, there are five centres which carry on the studies in various fields, namely the Centre for the Study of Nepal, Centre for Women's Study and Development, Centre for Integrated Rural Development, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusion Policy and the Malviya Centre for Peace Research.[54]

The faculty holds three chairs, the currently (as of 2018) vacant Babu Jagjivan Ram Chair for Social Research, commemorating Jagjivan Ram and his contributions,[55] the Dr. Ambedkar Chair for Nationalism & National Integration established in 2016[56] and the Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Chair, established in 2017.[57]

Currently, Koushal Kishor Mishra is the Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences. This faculty also has several professors at administrative positions likewise Professor Sanjay Srivastava as the Member of BHU Court and Professor Ram Pravesh Pathak (Former Dean) as Chairman of Student Grievance Cell.

Faculty of Visual Arts

The Faculty of Visual Arts offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in applied and visual arts. It was founded in 1916.[58] It includes five departments:

• Painting
• Applied arts
• Plastic arts
• Pottery and Ceramics
• Textile designing

Inter-disciplinary schools

School of Biotechnology


School of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University

The School of Biotechnology (SBT) is a center for postgraduate teaching and research under the aegis of Institute of Science of the BHU.[59][60] It was established in 1986 with funding from the Department of Biotechnology,[61] of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. It offers MSc and PhD programmes in Biotechnology.

The interdisciplinary program involves the partnership between the Institute of Science, the Institute of Medical Sciences and the Indian Institute of Technology at BHU. Notable faculty include Arvind Mohan Kayastha.[62]

DBT-BHU Interdisciplinary School of Life Sciences

The Interdisciplinary School of Life Sciences (ISLS) is a joint initiative of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India and the BHU. It was established with a grant of INR 238.9 million from the DBT.[63]

DST Centre for Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences

The Centre for Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences (CIMS) focuses on research and education in mathematics, modelling and statistics. It was established under the management of the Faculty of Science, with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST).[64] The centre imparts post-graduate education and research with participation from the Department of Mathematics, Department of Statistics and Department of Computer Science of the Institute of Science and the Department of Applied Mathematics of the IIT-BHU. It regularly organises training programmes, workshops, Seminars and conferences.

Centre of Food Science and Technology

The Centre of Food Science & Technology (CFST) is an inter-disciplinary research centre with collaboration between the Institute of Agricultural Sciences and the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) focusing on food processing technology.[65]

Research centres

Apart from specialised centres directly funded by DBT, DST, ICAR and ISRO, a large number of departments under the Institutes of Sciences, Engineering & Technology and Faculty of Social Sciences receive funding from the DST Fund for Improvement of Science & Technology Infrastructure (FIST) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) Special Assistance Programme (SAP). UGC SAP provides funds under its Centre of Advanced Study (CAS), Department of Special Assistance (DSA) and Departmental Research Support (DRS) programmes.[66]

BHU research centres include:

• DBT Centre of Genetic Disorders[67]
• Center for Environmental Science and Technology[68]
• Nano science and Technology Center
• Hydrogen Energy Center
• UGC Advanced Immunodiagnostic Training and Research Center
• Centre for Experimental Medicine and Surgery
• Center for Women's Studies and Development (CWSD)[69]
• Center for the Study of Nepal (CNS)[70]
• Malviya Center for Peace Research (MCPR)[71]
• Center for Rural Integrated Development (CIRD)[72]
• Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP)[73]
• DST Centre for Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences

Affiliated colleges and schools

Colleges

• Arya Mahila Mahavidyalaya
• DAV Post Graduate College
• Vasanta College for Women
• Vasant Kanya Mahavidyalaya

Schools

• Ranvir Sanskrit Vidyalaya,[74]
• Central Hindu Boys School[75]
• Central Hindu Girls School[76]

Library system

Main article: Sayaji Rao Gaekwad Library, BHU


Central Library, BHU

The Banaras Hindu University Library system was established from a collection donated by P.K. Telang in the memory of his father Justice Kashinath Trimbak Telang in 1917. The collection was housed in the Telang Hall of the Central Hindu College, Kamachha. In 1921, the library was moved to the Central Hall of the Arts College (now the Faculty of Arts).

The present Central Library of BHU was established with a donation from Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda. Upon his return from the First round Table Conference, Gaekwad wanted a library built on the pattern of the British Library and its reading room, which was then located in the British Museum. On Malviya's suggestion, he made the donation to build the library on the BHU campus.[77]

The Gaekwad Library is a designated Manuscript Conservation Centre (MCC) of the National Mission for Manuscripts,[78] established in 2003.[79]

By 1931, the library had built a collection of around 60,000 volumes. The trend of donation of personal and family collection to the library continued as late as the 1940s with the result that it has unique pieces of rarities of books and journals dating back to the 18th century.

As of 2011, the BHU Library System consisted of the Central Library and 3 Institute Libraries, 8 Faculty Libraries and over 25 Departmental Libraries, with a collection of at least 1.3 million volumes.[77] The digital library is available to students and staff and provides online access to thousands of journals, besides access to large collections of online resources[80] through the National Informatics Centre's DELNET[81] and UGC's INFLIBNET.[82]

Protests

Main article: Banaras Hindu University women's rights protest

On 21 September 2017 a woman reported sexual harassment to the university. She claimed that the university responded by blaming her.[83] The next day, 22 September, students organised a protest of the university's treatment of women.

The university's administration filed a First information report against hundreds of students. Security officers used violence in an attempt to get protesters to disperse. Various protesters reported injuries.[84]

Admissions

Banaras Hindu University conducts national level undergraduate (UET) and postgraduate (PET) entrance tests usually during May–June for admission for which registrations begin usually in February–March.[85] Admissions are done according to merit in the entrance tests, subject to fulfilling of other eligibility requirements. Admissions to BTech/B.Pharm., MTech/M.Pharm. are done through JEE and GATE respectively. Admission to MBA and MBA-IB are done through IIM-CAT score and also through separate BHU-MBA entrance tests. Admissions for PhD are done on the basis of either qualification of National Eligibility Test (NET) by the candidates or through the scores of CRET (Common Research Entrance Test). Admissions in IMS are done through PMT exam.

BHU attracts a number of foreign learners. Foreign students are admitted through the application submitted to the Indian mission in his/her country or by his/her country's mission in India.

BHU conducts UG entrance exam every year in May. The offline exam is held for 5166 seats. The total exam duration is two hours with 150 MCQs and the total marks is 450. There are seven participating colleges including BHU Faculty of Law and six constituent colleges.[86]

Halls of residence

BHU is a fully residential University with a total of 62 hostels - 41 hostels for male and 21 hostels for female students.

There are four separate hostels for international students. These four include an International House Annexe for female students with an intake capacity of 24. Hostels are named after several historically important figures such as Raja Baldev Das Jugal Kishore Birla, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Rani Laxmibai and M. Visvesvaraya.

Birla Hostel 'A'

The faculty has one of the oldest hostels in the University named Birla Hostel constructed in 1921 by the industrialist Shri Jugal Kishore Birla in the memory of his father Raja Baldev Das Birla. It is a large hostel and for administrative purposes it was divided into three sub-hostels - Birla A, Birla B and Birla C; about a decade back[when?]. Undergraduate students are accommodated in Birla A while Birla B is meant for Research Scholars and Birla C for Postgraduate students.[citation needed]

Festivals

BHU observes Saraswati puja day (also known as Vasant Panchami) as its foundation day. Goddess Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and nature. She is a part of the trinity of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati.

There is also an intra-university fest 'Spandan', where students represent their faculty/institute in various arts competition like literature (writing essay, poem, debates), painting, sketches, vocal music, dancing, singing, drama, and mimicry. It is held every year after Vasant Panchami in month of February or March.

Rankings

Internationally, BHU was ranked 801–1000 in the QS World University Rankings of 2020.[87] The same rankings ranked it 177 in Asia in 2020[88] and 90 among BRICS nations in 2019.[89] It was ranked 601–800 in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2020[90] and 167 in Asia in 2020.[91]

In India, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranked it tenth overall in 2020[93] and third among universities.[94] It also ranked it 36 in the management ranking.[104]

Its engineering institute, IIT, was ranked 11 by the NIRF Engineering ranking for 2019.[97] In 2019, it was ranked 9th among engineering colleges in India by The Week.[98]

The Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University was ranked 5th in India by Outlook India's "India's Top 30 Law Colleges In 2019"[103] and seventh in India by The Week's "Top Law Colleges 2019".[102]

The Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University was ranked seventh among medical colleges in India in 2020 by India Today,[101] sixth by The Week[100] and eight by Outlook India.[99]

Awards and medals

The following awards and medals are given to meritorious students in BHU:


BHU Medal is given to students who secure the first position in their respective departments or faculties.

Notable alumni, faculty and staff

Main articles: List of Banaras Hindu University people and List of Vice-Chancellors of Banaras Hindu University

Alumni and faculty of BHU have gained prominence in India and across the world. Among BHU's administrators was Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who went on to become the President of India. Other famous administrators include Sir Sunder Lal, K. L. Shrimali, Moti Lal Dhar.

The university's alumni include Raj Narain, Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay, C.N.R Rao, Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Bhupen Hazarika, Shyam Sunder Surolia, Veena Pandey, A. K. Narain, Kamalesh Chandra Chakrabarty, Ashok Agarwal, Jagdish Kashyap, T. V. Ramakrishnan, Harkishan Singh, Narla Tata Rao, Patcha Ramachandra Rao, Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, Basanti Dulal Nagchaudhuri, Ahmad Hasan Dani, Kota Harinarayana, Kothapalli Jayashankar, Krishan Kant, Manick Sorcar, Satish K. Tripathi, Shashi P. Karna, Tapan Singhel, Raja Ram Jain and Prem Saran Satsangi. Amongst its famous international students are Robert M. Pirsig and Koenraad Elst.

BHU's faculty have included Ganesh Prasad, Birbal Sahni, Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, Prafulla Kumar Jena,[105] Omkarnath Thakur, N. Rajam and A. K. Narain.

See also

·        Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith
·        Aligarh Muslim University
·        Siddharth University

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48.      http://www.bhu.ac.in/fms/NofIoMS-BHU16Dec2015.pdf
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50.      "Faculty & Institute, BHU". Bhu.ac.in. 19 August 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
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52.      "Location". Latlong.net. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
53.      "Welcome to "Faculty of Social Sciences"". Banaras Hindu University. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
54.      "Welcome to "Faculty of Social Sciences"". Banaras Hindu University. Retrieved 8 February 2018. Click "Centers".
55.      "Babu Jagjivan Ram Chair for Social Research (BJRC)". bhu.ac.in. Banaras Hindu University, Faculty of Social Sciences Varanasi. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
56.      "The Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair". bhu.ac.in. Banaras Hindu University. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
57.      "Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Chair". bhu.ac.in. Banaras Hindu University. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
58.      "About Faculty of Visual Arts". BHU website. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
59.      "Home Page of Faculty of Science, BHU". Archived from the original on 2 April 2009.
60.      "About the department - School of Biotechnology, BHU". Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 4 June2012.
61.      "Human Resource Development, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India". Archived from the original on 24 November 2011.
62.      "Lab web page of Prof. A. M. Kayastha, School of Biotechnology". Retrieved 10 February 2020.
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64.      "About us". DST Centre for Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences, BHU. Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
65.      "Overview". Centre of Food Science & Technology, BHU. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
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67.      "About CGD". Centre for Genetic Disorders, BHU. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
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69.      "CWSD". Archived from the original on 15 December 2018.
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Further reading

·        Leah Renold, A Hindu Education: Early Years of the Banaras Hindu University (Oxford University Press).

External links

·        Official website
 

[admin]

Dhardo Rimpoche [Thubten Lhundup Legsang]
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/17/20


Thubten Lhundup Legsang
Born: 1917, Dhartsendo, eastern Tibet
Died: 24 March 1990 (aged 73)
Nationality: Tibetan
Title: Dhardo Rinpoche or Dhardo Tulku (12th Dhardo Tulku in the Nyingmapa lineage, as well as 1st Dhardo Tulku in the Gelugpa lineage)
Predecessor: Dhardo Tulku, 11th tulku of Dorje Drak Gompa
Successor: Tenzin Legshad Wangdi (2nd Dhardo Tulku in the Gelugpa lineage)

Dhardo Rinpoche (1917-1990), born Thubten Lhundup Legsang, was the 12th in a line of tulkus from Dhartsendo on the eastern border of Tibet who hailed from the Nyingma Gompa in Dhartsendo called Dorje Drak (not to be confused with Dorje Drak in Central Tibet). The 11th tulku rose to the Abbot of Drepung and during the 1912 invasion of Tibet by China was the most senior of the retired abbots in the National Assembly. He died in 1916 and the 12th Tulku was born in 1917.[1]

Dhardo Rinpoche was educated in the traditional Tibetan monastic style, taking his Geshe Degree and graduating at the Lharmapa level at Drepung Monastery, and doing further study at Gyud-med Tantric College. In 1951 he was appointed abbot of the Tibetan monastery at Bodh Gaya, and from 1954 onwards combined this with a few months per year stay in Kalimpong near the India-Tibet border. Kalimpong was to become an important staging post for Tibetans fleeing the Chinese invasion. Dhardo Rinpoche founded the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Institute (ITBCI),[2] in 1952 which then opened an orphanage and school for Tibetan refugees. He was abbot of Yiga Choeling Monastery, Ghoom from 1964 till his death in 1990. In 1962 he stopped with the job in Bodhgaya.

During the 1950s and 1960s Dhardo Rinpoche was friend and teacher to Sangharakshita, an English Buddhist who spent 14 years based in Kalimpong before returning to England to found the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), now the Triratna Buddhist Community. Sangharakshita considered Dhardo Rinpoche to be a living bodhisattva and he is still revered as such in the Triratna Community. In the 1980s the FWBO's charity Aid For India (now known as the Karuna Trust (UK))[3] undertook to provide funding for the ITBCI School.

Portions of Dhardo Rinpoche's relics, the ashes from his cremation, have been installed in several stupas in the West: at Sudarshanaloka Retreat Centre (near Thames, New Zealand), at Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre (near Norwich, England), at Guhyaloka Retreat Centre, (near Alicante, Spain), at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre in Wales, at Vimaladhatu Retreat Centre in Sauerland, Germany, and at Aryaloka Buddhist Center in New Hampshire, USA.

Dhardo Rinpoche's motto was: "Cherish the doctrine; live united; radiate love",[4][5] which also became the motto of the school he founded. He was concerned especially to teach the children at his school that "actions have consequences".

The thirteenth in the line of Tulkus, Tenzin Legshad Wangdi, was born in 1991 and still goes by the name of Dhardo Tulku.[6]

References

1. Suvajra, The Wheel and the Diamond : The Life of Dhardo Tulku (Windhorse Publications, 1991) ISBN 0-904766-48-9, pp. 29-37
2. ITBCI
3. Karuna History & Achievements
4. Sara Hagel (ed), Dhardo Rinpoche : A Celebration (Windhorse Publications, 2000) ISBN 1-899579-26-5, pp. 97-110
5. "Dharmalife Magazine, issue 24". Archived from the original on 2011-08-06. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
6. ITBCI - information on founder

Further reading

• Suvajra, The Wheel and the Diamond : The Life of Dhardo Tulku (Windhorse Publications, 1991) ISBN 0-904766-48-9
• Sara Hagel (ed), Dhardo Rinpoche : A Celebration (Windhorse Publications, 2000) ISBN 1-899579-26-5

External links

• Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Institute
• Meetings with Dhardo Rinpoche (video)
• Audio talks about Rinpoche
• A glimpse of light - an account of meeting Dhardo Rinpoche by a Western Buddhist
• Photos of stupas which contain Dhardo Rinpoche's relics
• More photos of the Sudarsanaloka stupa
• Photo of Dhardo Stupa at Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre
• Another photo of Dhardo's Stupa at Padmaloka
• Karuna, charity work in india
• (German) info about the new stupa with Dhardo's ashes at Vimaladhatu[permanent dead link]

[admin]

Theosophical Society
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/17/20

-- Isis Unveiled: A Mastery-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology, by Helena P. Blavatsky
-- The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy, by Helena P. Blavatsky
-- The Esoteric Papers of Madame Blavatsky, by H. P. Blavatsky
-- The Beacon Light of Truth (Le Phare De L'Inconnu), by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
-- Haeckel, "The Riddle of the Universe," and Theosophy, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Old Diary Leaves: The True Story of The Theosophical Society, by Henry Steel Olcott
-- The Key to Theosophy: Being a Clear Exposition, in the Form of Question and Answer, of the ETHICS, SCIENCE, AND PHILOSOPHY for the Study of which The Theosophical Society has been Founded, by H.P. Blavatsky
-- The Life of Philippus Theophrastus Bombas of Hohenheim Known by the Name of Paracelsus and the Substance of His Teachings Concerning Cosmology, Anthropology, Pneumatology, Magic and Sorcery, Medicine, Alchemy and Astrology, Philosophy and Theosophy, by Franz Hartmann, M.D.
-- The Ocean of Theosophy, by William Judge
-- The Transcendental Universe: Six Lectures on Occult Science, Theosophy, and the Catholic Faith, by C.G. Harrison
-- Theosophy: An Introduction to the Supersensible Knowledge of the World and the Destination of Man, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Theosophy of the Rosicrucian, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Order of the Star in the East, by Theosophy Wikipedia
-- 79th Annual General Report of the Theosophical Society [Excerpt], Published by the Recording Secretary,, The Theosophical Society, Adyar, Madras 20. India
-- Alice Bailey, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Charles Carleton Massey, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Christianity and Theosophy, by Wikipedia
-- Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Edward L. Gardner, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Edwin Arnold, by Theosophy Wikipedia
-- Famous People and the impact of the Theosophical Society: Inventory of the influence of the Theosophical Society, by Katinka Hesselink
-- Foster Bailey, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Gandhi Learned Hinduism from Blavatsky's Occult Theosophy, by Gaia Staff
-- German Theosophical Society, by Wikipedia
-- Indra Devi, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Julian B. Arnold, by theosophy.wiki
-- Louis William Rogers, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Lucifer: A Theosophical Magazine Designed to "Bring to Light the Hidden Things of Darkness", Edited by H.P. Blavatsky and Mabel Collins and Annie Besant and G.R.S. Mead
Lucifer: The Light-Bearer, Edited by Moses Harman, Edward C. Walker, and occasionally, during Harman's imprisonments, Lillian Harman, Lois Waisbrooker, et al.
-- Lucis Trust, Alice Bailey, World Goodwill and the False Light of the World, by Terry Melanson
-- Mohandas K. Gandhi, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Mohotiwatta Gunananda, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Montessori and the Theosophical Society, by Winifred Wylie
-- School of the Open Gate, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Sumangala, by Theosophy Wiki
-- The Canadian Theosophist, Volume XXXV, No. 5, Toronto, Canada, July 15, 1954 [Mothers' Research Group]
-- The Mothers' Research Group, by The Theosophical Society in America, The Theosophical Publishing House, Chennai. India
-- The Untold Story of Gandhi and Theosophy, by David Livingstone
-- Theosophical Educational Trust, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Thomas William Rhys Davids, by Theosophy Wiki
-- William Crookes, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Helena Blavatsky, by Wikipedia
-- Blavatsky and the Battle of Mentana, by Cynthia Overweg
-- Blavatsky, Garibaldi, and Mazzini, by Jaigurudeva
-- H.P. Blavatsky involvement in Italian Politics with Garibaldi and Mazzini, and the Carbonari’s Role in the Republican Revolutions, by The American Minvervan
-- Hypatia interview (Greek Theosophical Journal), by Erica Georgiades
-- The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky: Founder of the Modern Theosophical Movement [EXCERPT], by Sylvia Cranston
-- Theosophy in Italy, by Theosopedia
-- Boy Scout Movement and Theosophical Movement, by Theosophy Wiki
-- George S. Arundale, by Theosophy Wiki
-- Rudolf Steiner and the Theosophical Society, by Wikipedia
-- Annie Besant's Many Lives, by Kumari Jayawardena
-- Beatrice Webb, by Wikipedia
-- Bhagwan Das, by Wikipedia
-- Coefficients (dining club), by Wikipedia
-- Order of the Star in the East, by Wikipedia
-- Sidney Webb, 1st Baron Passfield, by Wikipedia
-- The Central Hindu College and Mrs. Besant, by Sri Bhagavan Das
-- The Order of the Star in the East: Its Outer and Inner Work, by Professor E. A. Wodehouse, M.A.
-- The Sources of Madame Blavatsky's Writings, by William Emmette Coleman
-- Annie Besant: An Autobiography, by Annie Besant
-- Occult Chemistry: Clairvoyant Observations on the Chemical Elements, by Annie Besant, P.T.S., and Charles W. Leadbeater
-- A Journal of Her Own: The Rise and Fall of Annie Besant's Our Corner, by Carol Hanbery McKay
-- Annie Besant, by Wikipedia
-- The Buddhist Catechism, by Henry S. Olcott
-- Henry Steel Olcott, by Wikipedia
-- William Quan Judge, by Wikipedia
-- A Road to Self-Knowledge, by Rudolf Steiner
-- An Outline of Occult Science, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Cosmic Memory: Prehistory of Earth and Man, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Christianity as Mystical Face and The Mysteries of Antiquity, by Dr. Rudolf Steiner
-- Four Mystery Plays, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Friedrich Nietzsche, Fighter for Freedom, by Rudolf Steiner
-- From Symptom to Reality in Modern History, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Goddess: From Natura to the Divine Sophia, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and Its Attainment, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Light for the New Millennium: Rudolf Steiner's Association with Helmuth and Eliza von Moltke. Letters, Documents and After-Death Communications, by Rudolf Steiner, Helmuth von Moltke, Eliza von Moltke
-- Mysticism at the Dawn of the Modern Age, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Spiritual Science as a Treasure for Life: The Spiritual World and Spiritual Science, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Anthroposophic Movement, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Apocalypse of St. John, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Being of Man and His Future Evolution, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Essence of the Active Word: Course for Priests of the Christian Community, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Inner Nature of Man and Life Between Death and Rebirth, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Mission of Folk-Souls (In Connection With Germanic Scandinavian Mythology), by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Occult Movement in the Nineteenth Century and Its Relation to Modern Culture, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Philosophy of Freedom (The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity): The Basis for a Modern World Conception, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Theory of Knowledge Implicit in Goethe's World-Conception, by Rudolf Steiner
-- The Threefold Social Order, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Parsifal: Notes From a Lecture Given by Dr. Rudolf Steiner at Landin
-- Rudolf Steiner and the Jews, by Dan Dugan
-- Thoughts during the Time of War: For Germans and those who do not believe they must hate them, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Annie Lennox, Steiner schools and eurythmy/eurhythmics, by The Guardian Corrections and clarifications column editor
-- Eurythmy, by Wikipedia
-- Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man [EXCERPT], by G.I. Gurdjieff
-- Dalcroze Eurhythmics, by Wikipedia
-- In the Company of Visionaries: Dalcroze, Laban, and Perrottet, by Paul Murphy
-- The Contemporary Context of Gurdjieff’s Movements, by Carole M. Cusack
-- The Art of Avoiding History, by Peter Staudenmaier
-- A Picture of Earth-Evolution in the Future, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Anthroposophy and its Defenders, by Peter Staudenmaier and Peter Zegers
-- Aryan Origins: Brief History of Linguistic Arguments, by Madhav M. Deshpande
-- Before Hitler Came: Thule Society and Germanen Order, by Reginald H. Phelps
-- Christ in Relation to Lucifer and Ahriman, by Rudolf Steiner
-- From Jesus to Christ, by Rudolf Steiner
-- Hitler's Racial Ideology: Content and Occult Sources, by Jackson Spielvogel and David Redles
-- Is Anthroposophy Science?, by Sven Ove Hansson
-- Morale and National Character, Excerpt from "Steps to an Ecology of Mind," by Gregory Bateson
-- Social Credit: The Ecosocialism of Fools, by Derek Wall
-- Steiner's Early Nationalism, by Peter Staudenmaier
-- The Dark Side of Political Ecology, by Peter Zegers
-- The Janus Face of Anthroposophy, by Peter Zegers and Peter Staudenmaier
-- The Theory of Aryan Race and India: History and Politics, by Romila Thapar
-- Will Ecology Become ‘the Dismal Science’?, by Murray Bookchin

The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially that of the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century AD. It also encompasses wider religious philosophies like Vedānta, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Qabbalah, and Sufism. The Theosophical Society functions as a bridge between East and West, emphasizing the commonality of human culture.[1]

The term "theosophy" comes from the Greek theosophia, which is composed of two words: theos ("god," "gods," or "divine") and sophia ("wisdom"). Theosophia, therefore, may be translated as "wisdom of the gods", "wisdom in things divine", or "divine wisdom".

Headquarters and Location

The original organization, after splits and realignments, currently has several successors.[2] Following the death of Helen Blavatsky, competition within the Society between factions emerged, particularly among founding members and the organization split between the Theosophical Society Adyar (Olcott-Besant) and the Theosophical Society Pasadena (Judge).

The former group, headquartered in India, is the most widespread international group holding the name "Theosophical Society" today.

Theosophical Society-Adyar is located at Adyar situated in the Indian city of Chennai.[3]

History

Formation and Objectives


Notes of the meeting proposing the formation of the Theosophical Society, New York City, 8 September 1875

The Society's seal incorporated the Swastika, Star of David, Ankh, Aum and Ouroboros symbols
The Theosophical Society was officially formed in New York City, United States, on 17 November 1875 by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge, and 16 others.[4] It was self-described as "an unsectarian body of seekers after Truth, who endeavor to promote Brotherhood and strive to serve humanity." Olcott was its first president, and remained president until his death in 1907. In the early months of 1875, Olcott and Judge had come to realize that, if Blavatsky was a spiritualist, she was no ordinary one.[5] The society's initial objective was the "study and elucidation of Occultism, the Cabala etc."[6] After a few years Olcott and Blavatsky moved to India and established the International Headquarters at Adyar, in Madras (now Chennai). They were also interested in studying Eastern religions, and these were included in the Society's agenda.[7]

After several iterations the Society's objectives were incorporated at Chennai (Madras) on 3 April 1905. The Three Objects of the Theosophical Society are as follows :[8]

1. To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or colour.
2. To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science.
3. To investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in man.

Sympathy with the above objects was the sole condition of admission to the society. The Society was organized as a non-sectarian entity. The following was stated in the Constitution and Rules of the Theosophical Society

ARTICLE I: Constitution

4. The Theosophical Society is absolutely unsectarian, and no assent to any formula of belief, faith or creed shall be required as a qualification of membership; but every applicant and member must lie in sympathy with the effort to create the nucleus of an Universal Brotherhood of Humanity

[…]

ARTICLE XIII Offences

1. Any Fellow who shall in any way attempt to involve the Society in political disputes shall be immediately expelled.

2. No Fellow, Officer, or Council of the Theosophical Society, or of any Section or Branch thereof, shall promulgate or maintain any doctrin[e ]as being that advanced, or advocated by the Society.[9]

The Society reformulated this view in a resolution passed by the General Council of the Theosophical Society on December 23, 1924.[10]


Seal of the Theosophical Society, Budapest, Hungary

The Hidden Masters

One of the central philosophical tenets promoted by the Society was the complex doctrine of The Intelligent Evolution of All Existence, occurring on a cosmic scale, incorporating both the physical and non-physical aspects of the known and unknown Universe, and affecting all of its constituent parts regardless of apparent size or importance. The theory was originally promulgated in the Secret Doctrine, the 1888 magnum opus of Helena Blavatsky.[11] According to this view, humanity's evolution on earth (and beyond) is part of the overall cosmic evolution. It is overseen by a hidden spiritual hierarchy, the so-called Masters of the Ancient Wisdom, whose upper echelons consist of advanced spiritual beings.

Blavatsky portrayed the Theosophical Society as being part of one of many attempts throughout the millennia by this hidden Hierarchy to guide humanity – in concert with the overall intelligent cosmic evolutionary scheme – towards its ultimate, immutable evolutionary objective: the attainment of perfection and the conscious, willing participation in the evolutionary process. These attempts require an earthly infrastructure (such as the Theosophical Society) which she held was ultimately under the inspiration of a number of Mahatmas, members of the Hierarchy.[12]

Schisms


Main building of the Theosophical Society in Adyar, India, 1890

After Helena Blavatsky's death in 1891, the Society's leaders seemed at first to work together peacefully. This did not last long. Judge was accused by Olcott and then prominent Theosophist Annie Besant of forging letters from the Mahatmas; he ended his association with Olcott and Besant in 1895 and took most of the Society's American Section with him. The original organisation led by Olcott and Besant remains today based in India and is known as the Theosophical Society – Adyar. The group led by Judge further splintered into a faction led by Katherine Tingley, and another associated with Judge's secretary Ernest Temple Hargrove. While Hargrove's faction no longer survives, the faction led by Tingley is today known as the Theosophical Society with the clarifying statement, "International Headquarters, Pasadena, California". A third organization, the United Lodge of Theosophists or ULT, in 1909 split off from the latter organization.

In 1902, Rudolf Steiner became General Secretary of the German-Austrian division of the Theosophical Society. He maintained a Western-oriented course, relatively independent from the Adyar headquarters.[13][14] After serious philosophical conflicts with Annie Besant and other members of the international leadership on the spiritual significance of Christ and on the status of the young boy Jiddu Krishnamurti (see section below), most of the German and Austrian members split off in 1913 and under Steiner's leadership formed the Anthroposophical Society, which then expanded to many other countries.[15]

The English headquarters of the Theosophical Society are at 50 Gloucester Place, London. The Theosophical Society in Ireland [3], based in Pembroke Road, Dublin, is a wholly independent organisation which claims to have received its charter directly from Helena Blavatsky. The original group contained (among others) George William Russell (A. E.) poet and mystic, and the leadership role later fell to Russell's friend P. G. Bowen, (author and teacher of practical occultism) and later still to Bowen's long time student Dorothy Emerson. The current leadership of this group were students of Emerson. The independent Dublin organisation should not be confused with a similarly named group affiliated to Adyar which is based in Belfast but claims an all-Ireland jurisdiction.

The "World Teacher"


Theosophical Society, Basavanagudi, Bangalore

In addition to the stated objectives, as early as 1889 Blavatsky publicly declared that the purpose of establishing the Society was to prepare humanity for the reception of a World Teacher: according to the Theosophical doctrine described above, a manifested aspect of an advanced spiritual entity (the Maitreya) that periodically appears on Earth in order to direct the evolution of humankind. The mission of these reputedly regularly appearing emissaries is to practically translate, in a way and language understood by contemporary humanity, the knowledge required to propel it to a higher evolutionary stage.

If the present attempt, in the form of our Society, succeeds better than its predecessors have done, then it will be in existence as an organized, living and healthy body when the time comes for the effort of the XXth century. The general condition of men's minds and hearts will have been improved and purified by the spread of its teachings, and, as I have said, their prejudices and dogmatic illusions will have been, to some extent at least, removed. Not only so, but besides a large and accessible literature ready to men's hands, the next impulse will find a numerous and united body of people ready to welcome the new torch-bearer of Truth. He will find the minds of men prepared for his message, a language ready for him in which to clothe the new truths he brings, an organization awaiting his arrival, which will remove the merely mechanical, material obstacles and difficulties from his path. Think how much one, to whom such an opportunity is given, could accomplish. Measure it by comparison with what the Theosophical Society actually has achieved in the last fourteen years, without any of these advantages and surrounded by hosts of hindrances which would not hamper the new leader.[16]

This was repeated by then prominent Theosophist Annie Besant in 1896, five years after Blavatsky's death.[17] Besant, who became President of the Society in 1907, thought the appearance of the World Teacher would happen sooner than the time-frame in Blavatsky's writings, who had indicated that it would not take place until the last quarter of the 20th century.[18]

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Main article: Jiddu Krishnamurti

One of the people who expected the imminent reappearance of the Maitreya as World Teacher was Charles Webster Leadbeater, then an influential Theosophist and occultist. In 1909 he "discovered" Jiddu Krishnamurti, an adolescent Indian boy, who he proclaimed as the most suitable candidate for the "vehicle" of the World Teacher.[19][20] Krishnamurti's family had relocated next to the Theosophical Society headquarters in Adyar, India, a few months earlier.[21] Following his "discovery", Krishnamurti was taken under the wing of the Society, and was extensively groomed in preparation for his expected mission.

However, by 1925 Krishnamurti had begun to move away from the course expected of him by the leaders of the Theosophical Society Adyar and by many Theosophists. In 1929 he publicly dissolved the Order of the Star, a worldwide organization created by the leadership of the Theosophical Society to prepare the world for the Coming of the Maitreya, and abandoned his assumed role as the "vehicle" for the World Teacher.[22] He eventually left the Theosophical Society altogether, yet remained on friendly terms with individual members of the Society.[23] He spent the rest of his life traveling the world as an independent speaker, becoming widely known as an original thinker on spiritual, philosophical, and psychological subjects.

Related individuals and organizations


Commemorative plaque of Theosophical Society, Adyar, India

The following have been at many times associated, or have claimed association, with the original Theosophical Society, its philosophy, leaders, branches, or descendant organizations. Listed alphabetically.[citation needed]


Theosophical Society, Havana, Cuba, March 2014

• Agni Yoga
• Ananda College
• Anthroposophy
• Alice Bailey
• Andrei Bely
• Ascended Master Teachings
• The Bridge to Freedom
• Benjamin Creme
• Buddhist Theosophical Society (of Ceylon)
• Brother XII
• Church Universal and Triumphant
• C.W. Leadbeater
• Elizabeth Clare Prophet
• Free Masons
• James Cousins
• Halcyon, California
• Cora Linn Daniels
• Hugh Dowding
• Thomas Edison[24]
• "I AM" Activity
• Wassily Kandinsky
• The Summit Lighthouse
• Anna Kingsford
• Liberal Catholic Church
• Order of the Temple of the Rosy Cross
• Nilakanta Sri Ram
• William Butler Yeats[25]
• Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi
• Nicholas Roerich
• Schola Philosophicae Initiationis
• Alexander Scriabin
• Share International
• Shriners
• Victor Skumin
• Vladimir Solovyov
• The Word Foundation
• The Zeitgeist Movement

See also

• Annie Besant
• Ascended Masters
• Charles Webster Leadbeater
• G R S Mead
• William H. Galvani
• Harold W Percival
• Helena Blavatsky
• Jiddu Krishnamurti
• Religion and mythology
• Rerikhism
• Rudolf Steiner
• Alexander Scriabin
• Theosophical mysticism
• William Quan Judge

References

1. "Theosophical Society". encyclopedia.com.
2. Melton, Gordon J. (Sr. ed.) (1990). "Theosophical Society". New Age Encyclopedia. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale Research. pp. 458–461. ISBN 0-8103-7159-6. "No single organization or movement has contributed so many components to the New Age Movement as the Theosophical Society. ... It has been the major force in the dissemination of occult literature in the West in the twentieth century." In same, see sections "Theosophy" and "Theosophical Offshoots", pp. xxv–xxvi [in "Introductory Essay: An Overview of the New Age Movement"]. Note "Chronology of the New Age Movement" pp. xxxv–xxxviii in same work, starts with the formation of the Theosophical Society in 1875.
3. "Theosophical Society International Headquarters, Adyar Chennai Visit, Travel Guide". medium .com. June 19, 2019.
4. Syman, Stefanie (2010). The Subtle Body : the Story of Yoga in America. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 62–63. ISBN 978-0-374-53284-0. OCLC 456171421.
5. The Theosophical Movement 1875–1950, Cunningham Press, Los Angeles 1951.
6. See photographic reproduction of the notes to the meeting proposing the formation of the Theosophical Society, New York City, 8 September, in the image from Wikimedia Commons.
7. Kirby, W. F. (January 1885). "The Theosophical Society". Time XII (1): 47-55 (London: Swan Sonnenschein; OCLC 228708807). Google Books Search retrieved 2011-01-12. Profile by the entomologist and folklorist William Forsell Kirby.
8. "Missions,Objectives and Freedom". T S Adyar.
9. Olcott, H. S. (January 1891). "Constitution and Rules of the Theosophical Society". The Theosophist 12 (4): 65-72. (Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House). ISSN 0040-5892. "As Revised in Session of the General Council, all the Sections being represented, at Adyar, December 27, 1890".
10. "About the TS" Archived 2011-05-14 at the Wayback Machine [see section "Freedom of Thought"]. ts-adyar.org. Adyar: Theosophical Society Adyar. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
11. Blavatsky, Helena (1888). "The Three Postulates of the Secret Doctrine". The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy. Vol. I: Cosmogenesis. London et al.: The Theosophical Publishing Company et al., 1888 (OCLC 8129381), pp. 14–20 [in "Proem"]. Reprint Phoenix, Arizona: United Lodge of Theosophists, 2005. Electronic version retrieved 2011-01-29. "This electronic version of The Secret Doctrine follows the pagination and style of the A FACSIMILE OF THE ORIGINAL EDITION OF 1888" (webpage editor's description). Also in same, see "The pith and marrow of the Secret Doctrine". pp. 273–285 (in "Summing Up").
12. Blavatsky 1888. "Our Divine Instructors". The Secret Doctrine. Vol. II: Anthropogenesis, pp 365–378. Phoenix, Arizona: United Lodge of Theosophists, 2005. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
13. Rudolf Steiner's book Theosophy, An Introduction to Supersensible Knowledge of the World and the Destination of Man(published in German as Theosophie. Einführung in übersinnliche Welterkenntnis und Menschenbestimmung), first appeared in 1904 ([1]).
14. Rudolf Steiner, Theosophy of the Rosicrucian, lectures given in 1907 ([2]).
15. Paull, John (2018) The Library of Rudolf Steiner: The Books in English, Journal of Social and Development Sciences. 9 (3): 21–46.
16. Blavatsky, Helena (1889). "The Future of the Theosophical Society". The Key to Theosophy. London: The Theosophical Publishing Company. pp. 304–307 [context at pp. 306-307. Emphasis in original]. OCLC 315695318. Wheaton, Maryland: Theosophy Library Online. Retrieved 2011-01-29. "Scanned Reproduction from a Photographic Reproduction of the Original Edition as First Issued at London, England: 1889".
17. Lutyens, Mary (1975). Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening. New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux. p. 12. ISBN 0-374-18222-1.
18. Blavatsky 1889 p. 306. Wheaton, Maryland: Theosophy Library Online. Blavatsky, Helena (1966). "Esoteric Instructions (EI): The Esoteric Section: Introduction by the Compiler". Collected Writings. Series. Volume XII. Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books. pp. 478–511 [context at p. 492]. ISBN 978-0-8356-0228-0. Groningen, Netherlands: katinkahesselink.net. Links retrieved 2011-01-29.
19. Washington, Peter (1995) [Originally published 1993]. "Boys and Gods". Madame Blavatsy's Baboon: A History of the Mystics, Mediums, and Misfits Who Brought Spiritualism to America. New York: Schocken Books. Hardcover. pp. 126–144. ISBN 978-0-8052-4125-9.
20. Lutyens pp. 20-21.
21. Lutyens p. 7.
22. Jiddu, Krishnamurti (1929). "Order of the Star Dissolution Speech". J. Krishnamurti Online. Krishnamurti Foundations. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
23. Lutyens pp. 276, 285. Krishnamurti left the Society in 1931; Lutyens considered the "last tie" severed with the death of Besant in 1933.
24. "Theosophical Society Members 1875-1942 – Historical membership list of the Theosophical Society (Adyar) 1875-1942". tsmembers.org. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
25. britannica.com https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wi ... #ref205488. Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

• Theosophical Society Headquarters
• The Theosophical Society in England
• The Theosophical Society in America
• A Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom (PDF).
• Beginnings of the Theosophical Society.
• Blavatsky and The Theosophical Society.
• FAQ on the Theosophical Movement.
• Skeptics Dictionary: entry on Theosophy.
• The Theosophical Network.
• Kerala Theosophical Federation.
• Theosophical Movement 1875–1950.
• The Word Foundation, Inc.
• The Theosophical Society in Ireland

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Iyothee Thass [Kathavarayan] [Pandit C. Ayodhya Dasa] [C. Iyothee Doss] [C. Iyodhi Doss] [C. Iyothee Thoss] [K. Ayottitacar (avarkal)] [K. Ayottitasa (pantitaravarkaḷ)] [Kaathavarayan]
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/17/20


Iyothee Thass
Born: 20 May 1845, Thousand Lights, Madras, Madras Presidency, British India
Died: 1914
Nationality: Indian
Other names: Kathavarayan
Occupation: Siddha physician
Known for: South Indian Sakya Buddhist movement

C. Iyothee Thass (20 May 1845 – 1914) was a prominent Tamil anti-caste activist and a practitioner of Siddha medicine.

Siddha (Sanskrit: सिद्ध siddha; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished". It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual perfection or enlightenment. In Jainism, the term is used to refer to the liberated souls. Siddha may also refer to one who has attained a siddhi, paranormal capabilities.

Siddhas may broadly refer to siddhars, naths, ascetics, sadhus, or yogis because they all practice sādhanā.

The Svetasvatara (II.12) presupposes a Siddha body.

In Jainism, the term siddha is used to refer the liberated souls who have destroyed all karmas and have obtained moksha. They are free from the transmigratory cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra) and are above Arihantas (omniscient beings). Siddhas do not have a body; they are soul in its purest form. They reside in the Siddhashila, which is situated at the top of the Universe. They are formless and have no passions and therefore are free from all temptations. They do not have any karmas and they do not collect any new karmas...

In Hindu theology, Siddhashrama is a secret land deep in the Himalayas, where great yogis, sadhus and sages who are siddhas live. The concept is similar to Tibetan mystical land of Shambhala.

Siddhashrama is referred in many Indian epics and Puranas including Ramayana and Mahabharata. In Valmiki's Ramayana it is said that Viswamitra had his hermitage in Siddhashrama, the erstwhile hermitage of Vishnu, when he appeared as the Vamana avatar. He takes Rama and Lakshmana to Siddhashrama to exterminate the rakshasas who are disturbing his religious sacrifices (i.28.1-20).

-- Siddha, by Wikipedia

He famously converted to Buddhism and called upon the Paraiyars to do the same, arguing that this was their original religion.[1]

Paraiyar or Parayar or Maraiyar (formerly anglicised as Pariah and Paree) is a caste group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

-- Paraiyar, by Wikipedia

He also founded the Punchmar Mahajana Sabha in 1891 along with Rettamalai Srinivasan.

Rettamalai Srinivasan (1859–1945), commonly known as R. Srinivasan, was a Scheduled Caste activist and politician from the then Madras Presidency of British India (now the Indian state of Tamil Nadu). He is a Dalit icon and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and was also an associate of B. R. Ambedkar. He is remembered today as one of the pioneers of the Scheduled caste movement in India...

Rettamalai Srinivasan represented the Paraiyars in the first two Round Table Conferences in London (1930 and 1931) along with B. R. Ambedkar. In 1932, Ambedkar, M. C. Rajah and Rettamalai Srinivasan briefly joined the board of the Servants of Untouchables Society established by Gandhi In 1939, with Ambedkar's support, he established the Madras Province Scheduled Castes' Federation.

-- Rettamalai Srinivasan, by Wikipedia

Punchamas are the ones who do not come under Varna system; they are called as Avarnas.

"Iyothee Thass" is the most common Anglicized spelling of his name; other spellings include Pandit C. Ayodhya Dasa, C. Iyothee Doss, C. Iyodhi Doss, C. Iyothee Thoss, K. Ayōttitācar (avarkaḷ) or K. Ayōttitāsa (paṇṭitaravarkaḷ).[1]

Early life

Iyothee Thass possessed deep knowledge in Tamil, Siddha medicine and philosophy, and literary knowledge in languages such as English, Sanskrit and Pali.[citation needed]

Iyothee Thass was born Kathavarayan on 20 May 1845[2] in Thousand Lights, a neighbourhood in Madras (now Chennai), and later migrated to the Nilgiris district.[1]:9 His family followed Vaishnavism and on that basis he named his children Madhavaram, Pattabhiraman, Janaki, Raman and Rasaram. His grandfather worked for George Harrington in Ootacamund (now Ooty) and little Kathavarayan profited immensely from this association.[3]

Assumption of leadership of Scheduled Caste

In the 1870s, Iyothee Thass organized the Todas and other tribes of the Nilgiri Hills into a formidable force. In 1876, Thass established the Advaidananda Sabha and launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian in collaboration with Rev. John Rathinam.[2]

John Rathinam was the founder of Dravida Pandian magazine together with Iyothee Thass in 1885, focusing on the sufferings of the untouchables in Madras. An "untouchable covert", throughout the 1880s he was involved in the promotion of education for "the depressed classes" within Madras. Before founding the magazine, he founded an association for the promotion of welfare among them called Dravida Kazhgam.

-- John Rathinam, by Wikipedia

In 1886, Thass issued a revolutionary declaration that Scheduled caste people (Dalits) were not Hindus.[2] Following this declaration, he established the "Dravida Mahajana Sabha" in 1891. During the 1891 census, he urged the members of Scheduled castes to register themselves as "casteless Dravidians" instead of identifying themselves as Hindus.[2] His activities served as an inspiration to Sri Lanka's Buddhist revivalist Anagarika Dharmapala.[4]

Conversion to Buddhism

Iyothee Thass met Colonel H. S. Olcott with his followers and expressed a sincere desire to convert to Buddhism.[2] According to Thass, the Paraiyars of Tamilakam were originally Buddhists and owned the land which had later been robbed from them by Aryan invaders.[1]:9–10 With Olcott's help, Thass was able to visit Ceylon and obtain diksha from the Sinhalese Buddhist monk Bikkhu Sumangala Nayake [Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera].[2]

Dīkṣā (Sanskrit: दीक्ष in Devanagari) also spelled diksha, deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru (in Guru–shishya tradition) of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Diksa is given in a one-to-one ceremony, and typically includes the taking on of a serious spiritual discipline. The word is derived from the Sanskrit root dā ("to give") plus kṣi ("to destroy") or alternately from the verb root dīkṣ ("to consecrate"). When the mind of the guru and the disciple become one, then we say that the disciple has been initiated by the guru. Diksa can be of various types, through the teacher's sight, touch, or word, with the purpose of purifying the disciple or student. Initiation by touch is called sparśa dīkṣā. The bestowing of divine grace through diksa is sometimes called śaktipāt.

-- Diksha, by Wikipedia

On returning, Thass established the Sakya Buddhist Society in Madras with branches all over South India. The Sakya Buddhist Society was also known as the Indian Buddhist Association[5] and was established in the year 1898.[6]

Political activism and later life

On 19 June 1907, Iyothee Thass launched a Tamil newspaper called Oru Paisa Tamizhan or One Paise Tamilian.[4]

Iyothee Thass died in 1914 at the age of 69.[3]

Legacy

Iyothee Thass remains the first recognized anti-caste leader of the Madras Presidency. In many ways, Periyar, Dravidar Kazhagam, and B. R. Ambedkar are inheritors of his legacy. He was also the first notable Scheduled Caste leader to embrace Buddhism.

However, Iyothee Thass was largely forgotten until recent times when the Dalit Sahitya Academy, a publishing house owned by Dalit Ezhilmalai, published his writings.[5] Ezhilmalai, then the Union Health Minister, also made a desire to name the planned National Center for Siddha Research after the leader.[5] However, the proposal did not come into effect until 2005, when vehement protests by Se. Ku. Tamilarasan of the Republican Party of India (RPI) forced the Government to take serious note of the matter.[5] The institute for Siddha Research (National Institute of Siddha) was subsequently inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Dr Anbumani Ramadoss the then Union Health Minister on 3 September 2005 and named it after the anti-caste Buddhist leader.[5] At its inauguration, the hospital had 120 beds.[5] The patients were treated as per the traditional system of Siddha medicine.[5]

Manmohan Singh (Punjabi: [mənˈmoːɦən ˈsɪ́ŋɡ] born 26 September 1932) is an Indian economist, academic, and politician who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. The first Sikh in office, Singh was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.

Born in Gah (now in Punjab, Pakistan), Singh's family migrated to India during its partition in 1947. After obtaining his doctorate in economics from Oxford, Singh worked for the United Nations during 1966–69. He subsequently began his bureaucratic career when Lalit Narayan Mishra hired him as an advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. During the 1970s and 1980s, Singh held several key posts in the Government of India, such as Chief Economic Advisor (1972–76), governor of the Reserve Bank (1982–85) and head of the Planning Commission (1985–87).

-- Manmohan Singh, by Wikipedia

Anbumani Ramadoss is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu, India. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India from Tamil Nadu. Anbumani was the Minister of Health and Family Welfare in the First Manmohan Singh ministry from (2004-2009) as a part of the UPA government. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India from Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. He is also the youth wing president of the Pattali Makkal Katchi.

-- Anbumani Ramadoss, by Wikipedia

A commemorative postage stamp on him was issued on 21 October 2005.[7] His works are nationalized and solatium was given to their legal heirs in 2008.[8]

Criticism

In the early part of the 20th century, he indulged in vehement condemnation of the Swadeshi movement and the nationalist press remarked that he could "locate the power of the modern secular brahmin in the control he wielded over public opinion."[9]

See also

• Dalit Buddhist Movement
• Dalit Ezhilmalai

References

1. Bergunder, Michael (2004). "Contested Past: Anti-Brahmanical and Hindu nationalist reconstructions of Indian prehistory" (PDF). Historiographia Linguistica. 31 (1): 59–104.
2. Ravikumar (28 September 2005). "Iyothee Thass and the Politics of Naming". The Sunday Pioneer. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
3. "Death centenary of a Dravidian leader". The Hindu. Coimbatore, India. 13 November 2014.
4. "Taking the Dhamma to the Dalits". The Sunday Times. Sri Lanka. 14 September 2014.
5. Manikandan, K. (1 September 2005). "National Institute of Siddha a milestone in health care". The Hindu: Friday Review. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
6. M. Lynch, Owen (2004). Reconstructing the World: B. R. Ambedkar and Buddhism in India. Oxford University Press. p. 316.
7. "Stamps-2005". Department of Posts, Government of India. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
8. "Tamil development - Budget speech" (PDF). Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. 20 March 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
9. Nigam, Aditya. SECULARISM, MODERNITY, NATION:An Epistemology Of The Dalit Critique(PDF). p. 16.

Further reading

• Geetha, V. (2001). Towards a Non-Brahmin Millennium: From Iyothee Thass to Periyar. Bhatkal & Sen. ISBN 978-81-85604-37-4.
• Geetha, V. Re-making the Past: Iyothee Thass Pandithar and Modern Tamil Historiography.
• Balasubramaniam, J. [1]
• Leonard, Dickens. [2]

*******************************

Iyothee Thass: Founder of the Sakya Buddhist Society
by Round Table India For an Informed Ambedkar Age
Accessed: 8/18/20

Iyothee Thass or Pandit C. Ayodhya Dasa (Tamil: ?????????) (May 20, 1845–1914) was a practitioner of Siddha medicine who is regarded as a pioneer of the Dravidian Movement. Born on 20 May 1845, Thass's original name was Kaathavarayan. His grandfather has served as a butler to Lord Arlington. Kaathavarayan gained expertise in Tamil literature, philosophy, Siddha, and had good knowledge of English, Sanskrit and Pali. After organising the tribal people in the Nilgris in the 1870s, he established the Advaidananda Sabha in 1876. He launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian along with Rev.

John Rathinam in 1885. He issued a statement in 1886 announcing that the so-called untouchables' are not Hindus. He established the Dravida Mahajana Sabha in 1891 and during the very first Census urged the so-called untouchables to register themselves as casteless Dravidians. This in fact makes Tamil Dalits the true descendents of the anti-Brahmin legacy which is today claimed by non-Brahmin non-Dalits.

Early life

Iyothee Thass was born Kathavarayan on May 20, 1845 in a Dalit (Paraiyar) family from Coimbatore district. His grandfather worked for Lord Arlington and little Kathavarayan profitted immensely from this association. Soon, he became an expert on Tamil literature, philosophy and indigenous medicine and could speak Tamil, English, Sanskrit and Pali.

Assumption of leadership of Dalits

In the 1870s, Iyothee Thass organized the Todas and other tribes of the Nilgiri Hills into a formidable force. In 1876, Thass established the Advaidananda Sabha and launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian in collaboration with Rev. John Rathinam.

In 1886, Thass issued a revolutionary declaration that untouchables were not Hindus. Following this declaration, he established the Dravida Mahajana Sabha in 1891. During the 1891 census, he urged Dalits to register themselves as "casteless Dravidians" instead of identifying themselves as Hindus.

Conversion to Buddhism

Iyothee Thass met Colonel H. S. Olcott with his followers and expressed a sincere desire to convert to Buddhism. According to Thass, the Paraiyars of Tamilakam were originally Buddhists and owned the land which had later been robbed from them by aryan invaders. With Olcott's help, Thass was able to visit Ceylon and obtain diksha from the Sinhalese Buddhist monk Bikkhu Sumangala Nayake. On returning, Thass established the Sakya Buddhist Society in Madras with branches all over South India. The Sakya Buddhist Society was also known as the Indian Buddhist Association, and was established in the year 1898.

Political activism and later life

On June 19, 1907, Iyothee Thass launched a Tamil newspaper called Oru Paisa Tamizhan or One Paise Tamilian. In his later days, he was a vehement criticizer of Brahmins.

Iyothee Thass died in 1914 at the age of 69.

Legacy

Iyothee Thass remains the first recognized anti-Brahmin leader of the Madras Presidency. In many ways, Periyar, Dravidar Kazhagam, Dr. Ambedkar, Udit Raj and Thirumavalavan are inheritors of his legacy. He was also the first notable Dalit leader to embrace Buddhism.

However, Iyothee Thass was largely forgotten until recent times when the Dalit Sahitya Academy, a publishing house owned by Dalit Ezhilmalai published his writings.[4] Ezhilmalai, then the Union Health Minister, also made a desired to name the planned National Center for Siddha Research after the leader.However, the proposal did not come into effect until 2005, when vehement protests by Se. Ku. Tamilarasan of the Republican Party of India (RPI) forced the Government to take serious note of the matter.

The institute for Siddha Research was subsequently inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 3, 2005 and named the Dalit leader.At its inauguration, the hospital had 120 beds.The patients were treated as per the traditional system of Siddha medicine.

Criticism

Some later critics labeled Iyothee Thass as an Anglophile, who was staunchly against the Indian freedom movement. In the early part of the 20th century, he indulged in vehement condemnation of the Swadeshi movement and the nationalist press remarking that he could "locate the power of the modern secular brahmin in the control he wielded over public opinion."

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Buddhist Society of India [Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha] [Bharatiya Bauddha Janasangh (Indian Buddhist People's Organisation)]
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/18/20


Buddhist Society of India
Formation: 4 May 1955 (65 years ago)
Founder: B. R. Ambedkar
Legal status: Active
Purpose: Spread of Buddhism
Headquarters: Shop No. 2, MMRDA Building, BMC, Station Road, Bhandup (West), at Mumbai, in Maharashtra, India
Area served: India
Official language: Marathi, Hindi, English
National President: Rajratna Ashok Ambedkar
Affiliations: World Fellowship of Buddhists
Website https://www.tbsi.org.in

The Buddhist Society of India, known as the Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha, is a national Buddhist organization in India. It was founded by B. R. Ambedkar on 4 May 1955 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Ambedkar was the father of the Indian Constitution, polymath, human rights activist and Buddhism revivalist in India. He was first national President of the organization. At a ceremony held on 8 May 1955 in Nare Park, Bombay (now Mumbai), Ambedkar formally announced the establishment of this organization for the spread of Buddhism in India.[1][2] Its headquarters is in Mumbai. Currently Rajratna Ashok Ambedkar, the great grandson of B. R. Ambedkar, is the National President of the Buddhist Society of India.[3] It is a member of the International Buddhist Association World Fellowship of Buddhists.[4]

History


B. R. Ambedkar.

B. R. Ambedkar studied Buddhism all his life. Around 1950, he devoted his attention to Buddhism and travelled to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to attend a meeting of the World Fellowship of Buddhists.[5] While dedicating a new Buddhist vihara near Pune, Ambedkar announced he was writing a book on Buddhism, and that when it was finished, he would formally convert to Buddhism.[6] He twice visited Burma (now Myanmar) in 1954; the second time to attend the third conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Rangoon.[7] In July 1951 he formed the "Bharatiya Bauddha Janasangh" (Indian Buddhist People's Organisation), which became the "Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha" or the "Buddhist Society of India" in May 1955.[8][9]

See also

• World Buddhist Sangha Council
• International Buddhist Confederation

References

1. "The Buddhist Society of India". http://www.thebuddhistsocietyofindia.in. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
2. Rao, Kurukundi Raghavendra; Goswami, Mamani Rayachama; Goswāmī, Māmaṇi Raẏachama; Goswami, Indira; Goswami, Mamani Raisam (1993). Babasaheb Ambedkar. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 9788172011529.
3. https://www.tbsi.org.in
4. https://www.tbsi.org.in
5. Sangharakshita (2006). "Milestone on the Road to conversion". Ambedkar and Buddhism (1st South Asian ed.). New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 72. ISBN 978-8120830233. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
6. Pritchett, Frances. "In the 1950s" (PHP). Archived from the original on 20 June 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2006.
7. Ganguly, Debjani; Docker, John, eds. (2007). Rethinking Gandhi and Nonviolent Relationality: Global Perspectives. Routledge studies in the modern history of Asia. 46. London: Routledge. p. 257. ISBN 978-0415437400. OCLC 123912708.
8. Omvedt, Gail (17 April 2017). Ambedkar: Towards An Enlightened India. Random House Publishers India Pvt. Limited. ISBN 9789351180883 – via Google Books.
9. Quack, Johannes (2011). Disenchanting India: Organized Rationalism and Criticism of Religion in India. Oxford University Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-0199812608. OCLC 704120510.

External links

• Official website
• Battle to head Ambedkar's Buddhist Society of India nears end in the High Court

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Part 1 of 2

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy [E.V.R.] [Vaikom Veerar] [Venthaadi Venthan]
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/18/20


Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
Thanthai Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
President of Dravidar Kazhagam
In office: 27 August 1944 – 24 December 1973
Preceded by: Position Established
Succeeded by: Annai E. V. R. Maniammai
Head of Justice Party
In office: 1939 – 27 August 1944
Inaugural Holder: C. Natesa Mudaliar
Preceded by: Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili
Succeeded by: P. T. Rajan
Personal details
Born: 17 September 1879, Erode, Madras Presidency, British India (present-day Tamil Nadu, India)
Died: 24 December 1973 (aged 94), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
Resting place: Periyar Ninaividam
Nationality: Indian
Political party: Dravidar Kazhagam
Other political affiliations: Indian National Congress; Justice Party
Spouse(s): Annai E. V. R. Nagammai (m. 1899; died 1933); Annai E. V. R. Maniammai (m. 1948)
Occupation: Activist politician social reformer
Nickname(s): E.V.R., Vaikom Veerar, Venthaadi Venthan

Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy[1] (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), commonly known as Periyar, also referred to as Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement'.[2] He did notable work against Brahminical dominance and gender and caste inequality in Tamil Nadu.[3][4][5]

E.V. Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress in 1919, but resigned in 1925 when he felt that the party was only serving the interests of Brahmins. He questioned the subjugation of non-Brahmin Dravidians as Brahmins enjoyed gifts and donations from non-Brahmins but opposed and discriminated against non-Brahmins in cultural and religious matters.[6][7] In 1924, E.V. Ramasamy participated in non-violent agitation (satyagraha) in Vaikom, Kerala. From 1929 to 1932 Ramasamy made a tour of British Malaya, Europe, and Russia which influenced him.[how?][8] In 1939, E.V. Ramasamy became the head of the Justice Party,[9] and in 1944, he changed its name to Dravidar Kazhagam.[10] The party later split with one group led by C. N. Annadurai forming the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1949.[10] While continuing the Self-Respect Movement, he advocated for an independent Dravida Nadu (land of the Dravidians).[11]

E.V. Ramasamy promoted the principles of rationalism, self-respect, women’s rights and eradication of caste. He opposed the exploitation and marginalisation of the non-Brahmin Dravidian people of South India and the imposition of what he considered Indo-Aryan India.[12]

Early years


B. R. Ambedkar with Periyar when they met in connection with a Buddhist conference in Rangoon, Myanmar in 1954.

Erode Venkata Ramasamy was born on 17 September 1879 to a Kannada[13] Balija merchant family[14][15][16] in Erode, then a part of the Coimbatore district of the Madras Presidency.[17] E. V. Ramasamy's father is a,Venkatappa Nayakar (or Venkata), and his mother was Chinnathyee, Muthammal. He had one elder brother named Krishnaswamy and two sisters named Kannamma and Ponnuthoy.[1][17] He later came to be known as "Periyar" meaning 'respected one' or 'elder' in the Tamil.[1][18][19][20][21]

E. V. Ramasamy married when he was 19, and had a daughter who lived for only 5 months. His first wife, Nagammai, died in 1933.[22] E.V. Ramasamy married for a second time in July 1948.[23] His second wife, Maniammai, continued E. V. Ramasamy's social work after his death in 1973, and his ideas then were advocated by Dravidar Kazhagam.[24]

In 1929, E. V. Ramasamy announced the deletion of his caste title Naicker from his name at the First Provincial Self-Respect Conference of Chengalpattu.[25] He could speak three Dravidian languages: Kannada, Telugu and Tamil.[26][26][27][28][29][citation needed][30][31] Periyar attended school for five years after which he joined his father's trade at the age of 12. He used to listen to Tamil Vaishnavite gurus who gave discourses in his house enjoying his father's hospitality. At a young age, he began questioning the apparent contradictions in the Hindu mythological stories.[1] As Periyar grew, he felt that people used religion only as a mask to deceive innocent people and therefore took it as one of his duties in life to warn people against superstitions and priests.[32]

E.V. Ramasamy's father arranged for his wedding when he was nineteen. The bride, Nagammai, was only thirteen. Despite having an arranged marriage, Periyar and Nagammai were already in love with each other.[citation needed] Nagammai actively supported her husband in his later public activities and agitation. Two years after their marriage, a daughter was born to them. However, their daughter died when she was five months old. The couple had no more children.[22]

Kasi Pilgrimage Incident

In 1904, E.V. Ramasamy went on a pilgrimage to Kasi to visit the revered Shiva temple of Kashi Vishwanath.[1] Though regarded as one of the holiest sites of Hinduism, he witnessed immoral activities such as begging, and floating dead bodies.[1] His frustrations extended to functional Hinduism in general when he experienced what he called Brahmanic exploitation.[33]

However, one particular incident in Kasi had a profound impact on E.V. Ramasamy's ideology and future work. At the worship site there were free meals offered to guests. To E.V. Ramasamy's shock, he was refused meals at choultries, which exclusively fed Brahmins. Due to extreme hunger, E.V. Ramasamy felt compelled to enter one of the eateries disguised as a Brahmin with a sacred thread on his bare chest, but was betrayed by his moustache. The gatekeeper at the temple concluded that E.V. Ramasamy was not a Brahmin, as Brahmins were not permitted by the Hindu shastras to have moustaches. He not only prevented Periyar's entry but also pushed him rudely into the street.[1]

As his hunger became intolerable, Periyar was forced to feed on leftovers from the streets. Around this time, he realised that the eatery which had refused him entry was built by a wealthy non-Brahmin from South India.[1] This discriminatory attitude dealt a blow to Periyar's regard for Hinduism, for the events he had witnessed at Kasi were completely different from the picture of Kasi he had in mind, as a holy place which welcomed all.[1] Ramasamy was a theist until his visit to Kasi, after which his views changed and he became an atheist.[34]

Member of Congress Party (1919–1925)


E.V. Ramasamy statue at Vaikom town in Kottayam, Kerala

E.V. Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress in 1919 after quitting his business and resigning from public posts. He held the chairmanship of Erode Municipality and wholeheartedly undertook constructive programs spreading the use of Khadi, picketing toddy shops, boycotting shops selling foreign cloth, and eradicating untouchability. In 1921, Periyar courted imprisonment for picketing toddy shops in Erode. When his wife as well as his sister joined the agitation, it gained momentum, and the administration was forced to come to a compromise. He was again arrested during the Non-Cooperation movement and the Temperance movement.[6] In 1922, Periyar was elected the President of the Madras Presidency Congress Committee during the Tirupur session, where he advocated strongly for reservation in government jobs and education. His attempts were defeated in the Congress party due to discrimination and indifference, which led to his leaving the party in 1925.[7]

Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–1925)

Main article: Vaikom Satyagraha

According to the prevalent caste system in Kerala and the rest of India, low-caste Hindus were denied entry into temples. In Kerala, they were denied permission to walk on the roads that led to the temples also. (Kerala state was formed in 1956; earlier it was broadly divided into Malabar (North Kerala), Cochin and Travancore kingdoms).

In the Kakinada meet of the Congress Party in 1923, T K Madhavan presented a report citing the discrimination faced by the depressed castes in Kerala. That session decided to promote movements against untouchability.

In Kerala, a committee was formed comprising people of different castes to fight untouchability in the region. The committee was chaired by K Kelappan; the rest of the members were T K Madhavan, Velayudha Menon, Kurur Neelakantan Namboodiripad and T R Krishnaswami Iyer. In early 1924, they decided to launch a ‘Keralaparyatanam’ to gain temple entry and also the right to use public roads for every Hindu irrespective of caste or creed.

The movement gained all-India prominence and support came from far and wide. The Akalis of Punjab lend their support by setting up kitchens to provide food to the Satyagrahis. Even Christian and Muslim leaders came forward for support. This was shunned by Gandhiji who wanted the movement to be an intra-Hindu affair. On advice from Gandhiji, the movement was withdrawn temporarily in April 1924. After the talks with caste-Hindus failed, the leaders resumed the movement. Leaders T K Madhavan and K P Kesava Menon were arrested. E V Ramaswamy (Periyar) came from Tamil Nadu to give his support. He was arrested.

On 1 October 1924, a group of savarnas (forward castes) marched in a procession and submitted a petition to the Regent Maharani Sethulakshmi Bai of Travancore with about 25000 signatures for temple entry to everyone. Gandhiji also met with the Regent Maharani. This procession of savarnas was led by Mannath Padmanabhan Nair. Starting with about 500 people at Vaikom, the number increased to about 5000 when the procession reached Thiruvananthapuram in November 1924.

In February 1924, they decided to launch a ‘Keralaparyatanam’ to gain temple entry and also the right to use public roads for every Hindu irrespective of caste or creed.

In Vaikom, a small town in Kerala state, then Travancore, there were strict laws of untouchability in and around the temple area. Dalits, also known as Harijans, were not allowed into the close streets around and leading to the temple, let alone inside it. Anti-caste feelings were growing and in 1924 Vaikom was chosen as a suitable place for an organised Satyagraha. Under his guidance a movement had already begun with the aim of giving all castes the right to enter the temples. Thus, agitations and demonstrations took place. On 14 April, Periyar and his wife Nagamma arrived in Vaikom. They were immediately arrested and imprisoned for participation. In spite of Gandhi's objection to non-Keralites and non-Hindus taking part, Periyar and his followers continued to give support to the movement until it was withdrawn. He received the title Vaikom Veeran, given by his followers who participated in the Satyagraha.[35][36][37]

The way in which the Vaikom Satyagraha events have been recorded provides a clue to the image of the respective organisers. In an article entitle Gandhi and Ambedkar, A Study in Leadership, Eleanor Zelliot relates the 'Vaikom Satyagraha', including Gandhi's negotiations with the temple authorities in relation to the event. Furthermore, the editor of E.V. Ramasamy's Thoughts states that Brahmins purposely suppressed news about E.V. Ramasamy's participation. A leading Congress magazine, Young India, in its extensive reports on Vaikom never mentions E.V. Ramasamy.[33]

In Kerala, a committee was formed comprising people of different castes to fight untouchability in the region. The committee chaired by K Kelappan, composed of T K Madhavan, Velayudha Menon, Kurur Neelakantan Namboodiripad and T R Krishnaswami Iyer. In February 1924, they decided to launch a ‘Keralaparyatanam’ to gain temple entry and also the right to use public roads for every Hindu irrespective of caste or creed.

Self-Respect Movement

Main article: Self-Respect Movement


Periyar during the early years of Self-Respect Movement

Periyar and his followers campaigned constantly to influence and pressure the government to take measures to remove social inequality,(abolish untouchability, manual scavenging system etc) even while other nationalist forerunners focused on the struggle for political independence. The Self-Respect Movement was described from the beginning as "dedicated to the goal of giving non-Brahmins a sense of pride based on their Dravidian past".[38]

In 1952, the Periyar Self-Respect Movement Institution was registered with a list of objectives of the institution from which may be quoted as

for the diffusion of useful knowledge of political education; to allow people to live a life of freedom from slavery to anything against reason and self respect; to do away with needless customs, meaningless ceremonies, and blind superstitious beliefs in society; to put an end to the present social system in which caste, religion, community and traditional occupations based on the accident of birth, have chained the mass of the people and created "superior" and "inferior" classes... and to give people equal rights; to completely eradicate untouchability and to establish a united society based on brother/sisterhood; to give equal rights to women; to prevent child marriages and marriages based on law favourable to one sect, to conduct and encourage love marriages, widow marriages, inter caste and inter-religious marriages and to have the marriages registered under the Civil Law; and to establish and maintain homes for orphans and widows and to run educational institutions.[33]

Propagation of the philosophy of self respect became the full-time activity of Periyar since 1925. A Tamil weekly Kudi Arasu started in 1925, while the English journal Revolt started in 1928 carried on the propaganda among the English educated people.[39] The Self-Respect Movement began to grow fast and received the sympathy of the heads of the Justice Party from the beginning. In May 1929, a conference of Self-Respect Volunteers was held at Pattukkotai under the presidency of S. Guruswami. K.V. Alagiriswami took charge as the head of the volunteer band. Conferences followed in succession throughout the Tamil districts of the former Madras Presidency. A training school in Self-Respect was opened at Erode, the home town of Periyar. The object was not just to introduce social reform but to bring about a social revolution to foster a new spirit and build a new society.[40]

International travel (1929–1932)

Between 1929 and 1935, under the strain of World Depression, political thinking worldwide received a jolt from the spread of international communism.[8] Indian political parties, movements and considerable sections of leadership were also affected by inter-continental ideologies. The Self-Respect Movement also came under the influence of the leftist philosophies and institutions. E.V. Ramasamy, after establishing the Self-Respect Movement as an independent institution, began to look for ways to strengthen it politically and socially. To accomplish this, he studied the history and politics of different countries, and personally observed these systems at work.[8]

E.V. Ramasamy toured Malaya for a month, from December 1929 to January 1930, to propagate the self-respect philosophy. Embarking on his journey from Nagapattinam with his wife Nagammal and his followers, E.V. Ramasamy was received by 50,000 Tamil Malaysians in Penang. During the same month, he inaugurated the Tamils Conference, convened by the Tamils Reformatory Sangam in Ipoh, and then went to Singapore. In December 1931 he undertook a tour of Europe, accompanied by S. Ramanathan and Erode Ramu, to personally acquaint himself with their political systems, social movements, way of life, economic and social progress and administration of public bodies. He visited Egypt, Greece, Turkey, the Soviet Union, Germany, England, Spain, France and Portugal, staying in Russia for three months. On his return journey he halted at Ceylon and returned to India in November 1932.[8]

The tour shaped the political ideology of E.V. Ramasamy to achieve the social concept of Self-Respect. The communist system in the Soviet Union appealed to him as appropriately suited to deal with the social ills of the country. Thus, on socio-economic issues Periyar was Marxist, but he did not advocate for abolishing private ownership.[41] Immediately after his return, E.V. Ramasamy, in alliance with the enthusiastic communist, M. Singaravelar, began to work out a socio-political scheme incorporating socialist and self-respect ideals. This marked a crucial stage of development in the Self-Respect Movement which got politicised and found its compatibility in Tamil Nadu.[8]

Opposition to Hindi

Main article: Anti-Hindi agitations

In 1937, when Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari became the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, he introduced Hindi as a compulsory language of study in schools, thereby igniting a series of anti-Hindi agitations.[11] Tamil nationalists, the Justice Party under Sir A. T. Panneerselvam, and E.V. Ramasamy organised anti-Hindi protests in 1938 which ended with numerous arrests by the Rajaji government.[42]

During the same year, the slogan "Tamil Nadu for Tamilians"[43] was first used by E.V. Ramasamy in protest against the introduction of Hindi in schools. He claimed that the introduction of Hindi was a dangerous mechanism used by the Aryans to infiltrate Dravidian culture.[43] He reasoned that the adoption of Hindi would make Tamils subordinate to the Hindi-speaking North Indians. E.V. Ramasamy claimed that Hindi would not only halt the progress of Tamil people, but would also completely destroy their culture and nullify the progressive ideas that had been successfully inculcated through Tamil in the recent decades.[44]

Cutting across party lines, South Indian politicians rallied together in their opposition to Hindi.[44] There were recurrent anti-Hindi agitations in 1948, 1952 and 1965.[45]

As President of the Justice Party (1938–1944)

Main article: Justice Party (India)

A political party known as the South Indian Libertarian Federation (commonly referred to as Justice Party) was founded in 1916, principally to oppose the economic and political power of the Brahmin groups. The party's goal was to render social justice to the non-Brahmin groups. To gain the support of the masses, non-Brahmin politicians began propagating an ideology of equality among non-Brahmin castes. Brahmanical priesthood and Sanskritic social class-value hierarchy were blamed for the existence of inequalities among non-Brahmin caste groups.[10]

In 1937, when the government required that Hindi be taught in the school system, E.V. Ramasamy organised opposition to this policy through the Justice Party. After 1937, the Dravidian movement derived considerable support from the student community. In later years, opposition to Hindi played a big role in the politics of Tamil Nadu. The fear of the Hindi language had its origin in the conflict between Brahmins and non-Brahmins. To the Tamils, acceptance of Hindi in the school system was a form of bondage. When the Justice Party weakened in the absence of mass support, E.V. Ramasamy took over the leadership of the party after being jailed for opposing Hindi in 1939.[9] Under his tutelage the party prospered, but the party's conservative members, most of whom were rich and educated, withdrew from active participation.[10]

Dravidar Kazhagam (1944–onwards)

Main article: Dravidar Kazhagam

Formation of the Dravidar Kazhagam

At a rally in 1944, Periyar, in his capacity as the leader of the Justice Party, declared that the party would henceforth be known as the Dravidar Kazhagam, or "Dravidian Association". However, a few who disagreed with Periyar started a splinter group, claiming to be the original Justice Party. This party was led by veteran Justice Party leader P. T. Rajan and survived until 1957.

The Dravidar Kazhagam came to be well known among the urban communities and students. Villages were influenced by its message. Hindi, and ceremonies that had become associated with Brahmanical priesthood, were identified as alien symbols that should be eliminated from Tamil culture. Brahmins, who were regarded as the guardians of such symbols, came under verbal attack.[10] From 1949 onwards, the Dravidar Kazhagam intensified social reformist work and put forward the fact that superstitions were the cause for the degeneration of Dravidians. The Dravidar Kazhagam vehemently fought for the abolition of untouchability amongst the Dalits. It also focused its attention on the liberation of women, women's education, willing marriage, widow marriage, orphanages and mercy homes.[46]

Split with Annadurai

Main article: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

In 1949, E.V. Ramasamy's chief lieutenant, Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai, established a separate association called the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), or Dravidian Progressive Federation.[10] This was due to differences between the two, while Periyar advocated a separate independent Dravidian or Tamil state, Annadurai compromised with the Delhi government, at the same time claiming increased state independence.[47] E.V. Ramasamy was convinced that individuals and movements that undertake the task of eradicating the social evils in the Indian sub-continent have to pursue the goal with devotion and dedication without deviating from the path and with uncompromising zeal. Thus, if they contest elections aiming to assume political power, they would lose vigour and a sense of purpose. But among his followers, there were those who had a different view, wanting to enter into politics and have a share in running the government. They were looking for an opportunity to part with E.V. Ramasamy.[citation needed] Thus, when E.V. Ramasamy married Maniammai on 9 July 1948, they quit the Dravidar Kazhagam, stating that E.V. Ramasamy married Maniammayar who was the daughter of Kanagasabhai when he was 70 and she 32. Those who parted company with E.V. Ramasamy joined the DMK.[23] Though the DMK split from the Dravidar Kazhagam, the organisation made efforts to carry on E.V. Ramasamy's Self-Respect Movement to villagers and urban students. The DMK advocated the thesis that the Tamil language was much richer than Sanskrit and Hindi in content, and thus was a key which opened the door to subjects to be learned.[10] The Dravidar Kazhagam continued to counter Brahminism, Indo-Aryan propaganda, and uphold the Dravidians' right of self-determination.[48]

Later years


Periyar Thidal at Vepery, where Periyar's body was buried.

In 1956, despite warnings from P. Kakkan, the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, Periyar organised a procession to the Marina to burn pictures of the Hindu God Rama.[49] Periyar was subsequently arrested and confined to prison.[49]

The activities of Periyar continued when he went to Bangalore in 1958 to participate in the All India Official Language Conference. There he stressed the need to retain English as the Union Official Language instead of Hindi. Five years later, Periyar travelled to North India to advocate the eradication of the caste system. In his last meeting at Thiagaraya Nagar, Chennai on 19 December 1973, Periyar declared a call for action to gain social equality and a dignified way of life. On 24 December 1973, Periyar died at the age of 94.[23]

Principles and legacy

Periyar spent over fifty years giving speeches, propagating the realisation that everyone is an equal citizen and the differences on the basis of caste and creed were man-made to keep the innocent and ignorant as underdogs in the society. Although Periyar's speeches were targeted towards the illiterate and more mundane masses, scores of educated people were also swayed.[50] Periyar viewed reasoning as a special tool. According to him, all were blessed with this tool, but very few used it. Thus Periyar used reasoning with respect to subjects of social interest in his presentations to his audiences.[50] Communal differences in Tamil society were considered by many to be deep-rooted features until Periyar came to the scene.[51]

Rationalism

The bedrock of E.V. Ramasamy’s principles and the movements that he started was rationalism. He thought that an insignificant minority in society was exploiting the majority and trying to keep it in a subordinate position forever. He wanted the exploited to sit up and think about their position, and use their reason to realise that they were being exploited by a handful of people. If they started thinking, they would realise that they were human beings like the rest, that birth did not and should not endow superiority over others and that they must awaken themselves and do everything possible to improve their own lot.[50]

Likewise, E.V. Ramasamy explained that wisdom lies in thinking and that the spear-head of thinking is rationalism. On caste, he stated that no other living being harms or degrades its own class. But man, said to be a rational living being, does these evils. The differences, hatred, enmity, degradation, poverty, and wickedness, now prevalent in the society are due to lack of wisdom and rationalism and not due to God or the cruelty of time. E.V. Ramasamy had written in his books and magazines dozens of times of various occasions that the British rule is better than self-rule[52]

E.V. Ramasamy also blamed the capitalists for their control of machineries, creating difficulties for the workers. According to his philosophy, rationalism, which has to lead the way for peaceful life to all, had resulted in causing poverty and worries to the people because of dominating forces. He stated that there is no use of simply acquiring titles or amassing wealth if one has no self-respect or scientific knowledge. An example he gave was the West sending messages to the planets, while the Tamil society in India were sending rice and cereals to their dead forefathers through the Brahmins.[52]

In a message to the Brahmin community, Periyar stated, "in the name of god, religion, and sastras you have duped us. We were the ruling people. Stop this life of cheating us from this year. Give room for rationalism and humanism".[53] He added that "any opposition not based on rationalism, science, or experience will one day or another, reveal the fraud, selfishness, lies and conspiracies".[53]

Self-respect

Main article: Self-Respect Movement

Periyar's philosophy of self-respect was based on his image of an ideal world and a universally accepted one. His philosophy preaches that human actions should be based on rational thinking. Further, the outcome of the natural instinct of human beings is to examine every object and every action and even nature with a spirit of inquiry, and to refuse to submit to anything irrational as equivalent to slavery. Thus, the philosophy of self-respect taught that human actions should be guided by reason, right and wrong should follow from rational thinking and conclusions drawn from reason should be respected under all circumstances. Freedom means respect to thoughts and actions considered 'right' by human beings on the basis of 'reason'. There is not much difference between 'freedom' and 'self-respect'.[54]

Periyar's foremost appeal to people was to develop self-respect. He preached that the Brahmins had monopolised and cheated other communities for decades and deprived them of self-respect. He stated that most Brahmins claimed to belong to a "superior" community with the reserved privilege of being in charge of temples and performing archanas. He felt that they were trying to reassert their control over religion by using their superior caste status to claim the exclusive privilege to touch idols or enter the sanctum sanctorum.[51]

Women’s rights

Main article: Periyar E. V. Ramasamy and women's rights

As a rationalist and ardent social reformer, Periyar advocated forcefully throughout his life that women should be given their legitimate position in society as the equals of men and that they should be given good education and have the right to property. He thought age and social customs was not a bar in marrying women. He was keen that women should realise their rights and be worthy citizens of their country.[55]

Periyar fought against the orthodox traditions of marriage as suppression of women in Tamil Nadu and throughout the Indian sub-continent. Though arranged marriages were meant to enable a couple to live together throughout life, it was manipulated to enslave women.[56] Much worse was the practice of child marriages practised throughout India at the time. It was believed that it would be a sin to marry after puberty.[57] Another practice, which is prevalent today, is the dowry system where the bride's family is supposed to give the husband a huge payment for the bride. The purpose of this was to assist the newly wedded couple financially, but in many instances dowries were misused by bridegrooms. The outcome of this abuse turned to the exploitation of the bride's parents wealth, and in certain circumstances, lead to dowry deaths.[58] There have been hundreds of thousands of cases where wives have been murdered, mutilated, and burned alive because the father of the bride was unable to make the dowry payment to the husband. Periyar fiercely stood up against this abuse meted out against women.[59]

Women in India also did not have rights to their families' or husbands' property. Periyar fought fiercely for this and also advocated for women to have the right to separate or divorce their husbands under reasonable circumstances.[59] While birth control remained taboo in society of Periyar's time, he advocated for it not only for the health of women and population control, but for the liberation of women.[60]

He criticised the hypocrisy of chastity for women and argued that it should either apply also to men, or not at all for both genders.[61] While fighting against this, Periyar advocated getting rid of the Devadasi system. In his view it was an example of a list of degradations of women, attaching them to temples for the entertainment of others, and as temple prostitutes.[62] Further, for the liberation of women, Periyar pushed for their right to have an education and to join the armed services and the police force.[61][63]

According to biographer M.D. Gopalakrishnan, Periyar and his movement achieved a better status for women in Tamil society. Periyar held that, in matters of education and employment, there should be no difference between men and women. Gopalakrishnan states that Periyar's influence in the State departments and even the Center made it possible for women to join police departments and the army. Periyar also spoke out against child marriage.[51]

Social reform and eradication of caste

Main articles: Periyar E.V. Ramasamy and social reform and Periyar E. V. Ramasamy and the eradication of caste
Periyar wanted thinking people to see their society as far from perfect and in urgent need of reform. He wanted the government, the political parties and social workers to identify the evils in society and boldly adopt measures to remove them.[64] Periyar's philosophy did not differentiate social and political service.[65] According to him, the first duty of a government is to run the social organisation efficiently, and the philosophy of religion was to organise the social system. Periyar stated that while Christian and Islamic religions were fulfilling this role, the Hindu religion remained totally unsuitable for social progress. He argued that the government was not for the people, but, in a "topsy-turvy" manner, the people were for the government. He attributed this situation to the state of the social system contrived for the advantage of a small group of people.[65]

One of the areas of Periyar's focus was on the upliftment of rural communities. In a booklet called Village Uplift, Periyar pleaded for rural reform. At that time rural India still formed the largest part of the Indian subcontinent, in spite of the ongoing process of urbanisation. Thus, the distinction between rural and urban had meant an economic and social degradation for rural inhabitants. Periyar wanted to eradicate the concept of "village" as a discrimination word among places, just as the concept of "outcast" among social groups. Periyar advocated for a location where neither the name nor the situation or its conditions imply differences among people.[66] He further advocated for the modernisation of villages by providing public facilities such as schools, libraries, radio stations, roads, bus transport, and police stations.[67]

Periyar felt that a small number of cunning people created caste distinctions to dominate Indian society, so he emphasised that individuals must first develop self-respect and learn to analyse propositions rationally. According to Periyar, a self-respecting rationalist would readily realise that the caste system had been stifling self-respect and therefore he or she would strive to get rid of this menace.[68]

Periyar stated that the caste system in South India is, due to Indo-Aryan influence, linked with the arrival of Brahmins from the north. Ancient Tamil Nadu (part of Tamilakkam) had a different stratification of society in four or five regions (Tinai), determined by natural surroundings and adequate means of living.[69] Periyar also argued that birds, animals, and worms, which are considered to be devoid of rationalism do not create castes, or differences of high and low in their own species. But man, considered to be a rational being, was suffering from these because of religion and discrimination.[70]

The Samathuvapuram (Equality Village) social equality system introduced by the Government of Tamil Nadu in the late 1990s is named after Ramasamy.[71]

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Part 2 of 2

Tamil language and writing

Main article: Periyar E. V. Ramasamy and Tamil grammar

Periyar claimed that Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada came from the same mother language of Old Tamil. He explained that the Tamil language is called by four different names since it is spoken in four different Dravidian states. Nevertheless, current understanding of Dravidian languages contradicts such claims. For example, the currently known classification of Dravidian languages provides the following distinct classes: Southern (including Tamil–Malayalam, Kannada and Tulu); Central (including Telugu–Kui and Kolami–Parji); and, Northern (including Kurukh–Malto and Brahui).

With relation to writing, Periyar stated that using the Tamil script about the arts, which are useful to the people in their life and foster knowledge, talent and courage, and propagating them among the masses, will enlighten the people. Further, he explained that it will enrich the language, and thus it can be regarded as a zeal for Tamil.[72] Periyar also stated that if words of North Indian origin (Sanskrit) are removed from Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, only Tamil will be left. On the Brahmin usage of Tamil, he stated that the Tamil spoken by the Andhras and the Malayali people was far better than the Tamil spoken by the Brahmins. Periyar believed that Tamil language will make the Dravidian people unite under the banner of Tamil culture, and that it will make the Kannadigas, Andhras and the Malayalees be vigilant. With regards to a Dravidian alliance under a common umbrella language, Periyar stated that "a time will come for unity. This will go on until there is an end to the North Indian domination. We shall reclaim an independent sovereign state for us".[73]

At the same time, Periyar was also known to have made controversial remarks on the Tamil language and people from time to time. On one occasion, he referred to the Tamil people as "barbarians"[74] and the Tamil language as the "language of barbarians".[75][74][76][77][78] However, Anita Diehl explains that Periyar made these remarks on Tamil because it had no respective feminine verbal forms.[33] But Anita Diehl's explanation doesn't match with Periyar's own explanation. Periyar himself explained reasons many times in his speeches and writings, for instance, an excerpt from his book Thamizhum, Thamizharum(Tamil and Tamil people) reads, "I say Tamil as barbarian language. Many get angry with me for saying so. But no one ponders over why I say so. They say Tamil is a 3,000 to 4,000 years-old language and they boast about this. Precisely that is what the reason why I call Tamil as barbarian language. People should understand the term primitive and barbarism. What was the status of people living 4,000 years ago and now? We are just blindly sticking to old glories. No one has come forward to reform Tamil language and work for its growth."[79]

Periyar's ideas on Tamil alphabet reforms included those such as the reasons for the vowel 'ஈ' (i) having a cursive and looped representation of the short form 'இ' (I).[clarification needed] In stone inscriptions from 400 or 500 years ago, many Tamil letters are found in other shapes. As a matter of necessity and advantage to cope with printing technology, Periyar thought that it was sensible to change a few letters, reduce the number of letters, and alter a few signs. He further explained that the older and more divine a language and its letters were said to be, the more they needed reform. Because of changes brought about by means of modern transport and international contact, and happenings that have attracted words and products from many countries, foreign words and their pronunciations have been assimilated into Tamil quite easily. Just as a few compound characters have separate signs to indicate their length as in ' கா ', ' கே ' (kA:, kE:), Periyar questioned why other compound characters like ' கி ', ' கீ ', 'கு ', ' கூ ' (kI, ki:, kU, ku:) (indicated integrally as of now), shouldn't also have separate signs. Further, changing the shape of letters, creating new symbols and adding new letters and similarly, dropping those that are redundant, were quite essential according to Periyar. Thus, the glory and excellence of a language and its script depend on how easily they can be understood or learned and on nothing else"[33]

Thoughts on Thirukkural

Main article: Thirukkural

Periyar hailed the Thirukkural as a valuable scripture which contained many scientific and philosophical truths. He also praised the secular nature of the work. Periyar praised Thiruvalluvar for his description of God as a formless entity with only positive attributes. He also suggested that one who reads the Thirukkural will become a Self-respecter, absorbing knowledge in politics, society, and economics. According to him, though certain items in this ancient book of ethics may not relate to today, it permitted such changes for modern society.[80]

On caste, he believed that the Kural illustrates how Vedic laws of Manu were against the Sudras and other communities of the Dravidian race. On the other hand, Periyar opined that the ethics from the Kural was comparable to the Christian Bible. The Dravidar Kazhagam adopted the Thirukkural and advocated that Thiruvalluvar's Kural alone was enough to educate the people of the country.[80] One of Periyar's quotes on the Thirukkural from Veeramani's Collected Works of Periyar was "when Dravida Nadu (Dravidistan) was a victim to Indo-Aryan deceit, Thirukkural was written by a great Dravidian Thiruvalluvar to free the Dravidians".[80]

Periyar also asserted that due to the secular nature of Thirukkural, it has the capacity to be the common book of faith for all humanity and can be kept on par or above the holy books of all religions.

Self-determination of Dravida Nadu

Main article: Dravida Nadu


Periyar with Muhammad Ali Jinnah and B. R. Ambedkar

The Dravidian-Aryan conflict was believed to be a continuous historical phenomenon that started when the Aryans first set their foot in the Dravidian lands. Even a decade before the idea of separation appeared, Periyar stated that, "as long as Aryan religion, Indo-Aryan domination, propagation of Aryan Vedas and Aryan "Varnashrama" existed, there was need for a "Dravidian Progressive Movement" and a "Self-Respect Movement".[81] Periyar became very concerned about the growing North Indian domination over the south which appeared to him no different from foreign domination. He wanted to secure the fruits of labour of the Dravidians to the Dravidians, and lamented that fields such as political, economic, industrial, social, art, and spiritual were dominated by the north for the benefit of the North Indians. Thus, with the approach of independence from Britain, this fear that North India would take the place of Britain to dominate South India became more and more intense.[82]

Periyar was clear about the concept of a separate nation, comprising Tamil areas, that is part of the then existing Madras Presidency with adjoining areas into a federation guaranteeing protection of minorities, including religious, linguistic, and cultural freedom of the people. A separatist conference was held in June 1940 at Kanchipuram when Periyar released the map of the proposed Dravida Nadu, but failed to get British approval. On the contrary, Periyar received sympathy and support from people such as Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar and Muhammad Ali Jinnah for his views on the Congress, and for his opposition to Hindi. They then decided to convene a movement to resist the Congress.[81][83]

The concept of Dravida Nadu was later modified down to Tamil Nadu.[84] This led to a proposal for a union of the Tamil people of not only South India but including those of Ceylon as well.[85] In 1953, Periyar helped to preserve Madras as the capital of Tamil Nadu, which later was the name he substituted for the more general Dravida Nadu.[86] In 1955 Periyar threatened to burn the national flag, but on Chief Minister Kamaraj's pledge that Hindi should not be made compulsory, he postponed the action.[33] In his speech of 1957 called Suthantara Tamil Nadu En? (Why an independent Tamil Nadu?), he criticised the Central Government of India, inducing thousands of Tamilians to burn the constitution of India. The reason for this action was that Periyar held the Government responsible for maintaining the caste system. After stating reasons for separation and turning down opinions against it, he closed his speech with a "war cry" to join and burn the map of India on 5 June. Periyar was sentenced to six months imprisonment for burning the Indian constitution.[87]

Advocacy of such a nation became illegal when separatist demands were banned by law in 1957. Regardless of these measures, a Dravida Nadu Separation Day was observed on 17 September 1960 resulting in numerous arrests.[88] However, Periyar resumed his campaign in 1968. He wrote an editorial on 'Tamil Nadu for Tamilians' in which he stated, that by nationalism only Brahmins had prospered and nationalism had been developed to abolish the rights of Tamils. He advocated that there was need to establish a Tamil Nadu Freedom Organization and that it was necessary to work towards it.[89]

Anti-Brahmanism vs. Anti-Brahmin

Periyar was a radical advocate of anti-Brahmanism. Periyar's ideology of anti-Brahmanism is quite often confused as being anti-Brahmin. Even a non-Brahmin who supports inequality based on caste was seen as a supporter of brahmanism. Periyar called on both Brahmins and non-Brahmins to shun brahmanism.

In 1920, when the Justice Party came to power, Brahmins occupied about 70 percent[24][90] of the high level posts in the government. After reservation was introduced by the Justice Party, it reversed this trend, allowing non-Brahmins to rise in the government of the Madras Presidency.[90] Periyar, through the Justice Party, advocated against the imbalance of the domination of Brahmins who constituted only 3 percent[24][91] of the population, over government jobs, judiciary and the Madras University.[91] His Self-Respect Movement espoused rationalism and atheism and the movement had currents of anti-Brahminism.[92] Furthermore, Periyar stated that:

"Our Dravidian movement does not exist against the Brahmins or the Banias (a North Indian merchant caste). If anyone thinks so, I would only pity him. But we will not tolerate the ways in which Brahminism and the Bandiaism[clarification needed] is degrading Dravidanadu. Whatever support they may have from the government, neither myself nor my movement will be of cowardice".[93][94]

Periyar also criticised Subramanya Bharathi in the journal Ticutar for portraying Mother Tamil as a sister of Sanskrit in his poems:

"They say Bharati is an immortal poet.…Even if a rat dies in an akrakāram, they would declare it to be immortal. … of Tamilnadu praises him. Why should this be so? Supposedly because he sang fulsome praises of Tamil and Tamilnadu. What else could he sing? His own mother tongue, Sanskrit, has been dead for years. What other language did he know? He cannot sing in Sanskrit. … He says Tamilnadu is the land of Aryas."[95]

Comparisons with Gandhi

In the Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924, Periyar and Gandhi ji both cooperated and confronted each other in socio-political action. Periyar and his followers emphasised the difference in point of view between Gandhi and himself on the social issues, such as fighting the Untouchability Laws and eradication of the caste system.

According to the booklet "Gandhi and Periyar", Periyar wrote in his paper Kudi Arasu in 1925, reporting on the fact that Gandhi was ousted from the Mahasabha because he opposed resolutions for the maintaining of caste and Untouchability Laws which would spoil his efforts to bring about Hindu-Muslim unity. From this, Gandhi learned the need for pleasing the Brahmins if anything was to be achieved.[96]

Peiryar in his references to Gandhi used opportunities to present Gandhi as, on principle, serving the interests of the Brahmins. In 1927, Periyar and Gandhi met at Bangalore to discuss this matter. The main difference between them came out when Periyar stood for the total eradication of Hinduism to which Gandhi objected saying that Hinduism is not fixed in doctrines but can be changed. In the Kudi Arasu, Periyar explained that:

"With all his good qualities, Gandhi did not bring the people forward from foolish and evil ways. His murderer was an educated man. Therefore nobody can say this is a time of high culture. If you eat poison, you will die. If electricity hits the body, you will die. If you oppose the Brahmin, you will die. Gandhi did not advocate the eradication of Varnasrama Dharma structure, but sees in it a task for the humanisation of society and social change possible within its structure. The consequence of this would be continued high-caste leadership. Gandhi adapted Brahmins to social change without depriving them of their leadership".[96]

Gandhi accepted karma in the sense that "the Untouchables reap the reward of their karma,[96] but was against discrimination against them using the revaluing term Harijans. As shown in the negotiations at Vaikom his methods for abolishing discrimination were: to stress on the orthodox, inhumane treatment of Untouchables; to secure voluntary lifting of the ban by changing the hearts of caste Hindus; and to work within a Hindu framework of ideas.[96]

On the Temple Entry issue, Gandhi never advocated the opening of Garbha Griha to Harijans in consequence of his Hindu belief. These sources which can be labelled "pro-Periyar" with the exception of M. Mahar and D.S. Sharma, clearly show that Periyar and his followers emphasised that Periyar was the real fighter for the removal of Untouchability and the true upliftment of Hairjans, whereas Gandhi was not. This did not prevent Periyar from having faith in Gandhi on certain matters.[96]

Religion and atheism

Main article: Religious views of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy

Periyar was generally regarded[by whom?] as a pragmatic propagandist who attacked the evils of religious influence on society, mainly what he regarded as Brahmin domination. At a young age, he felt that some people used religion only as a mask to deceive innocent people and regarded it as his life's mission to warn people against superstitions and priests.[32] Anita Diehl explains that Periyar cannot be called an atheist philosopher. Periyar, however, qualified what the term "atheist" implies in his address on philosophy. He repudiated the term as without real sense: "…the talk of the atheist should be considered thoughtless and erroneous. The thing I call god... that makes all people equal and free, the god that does not stop free thinking and research, the god that does not ask for money, flattery and temples can certainly be an object of worship. For saying this much I have been called an atheist, a term that has no meaning".

Anita Diehl explains that Periyar saw faith as compatible with social equality and did not oppose religion itself.[97] In a book on revolution published in 1961, Periyar stated: "be of help to people. Do not use treachery or deceit. Speak the truth and do not cheat. That indeed is service to God."[98]

On Hinduism, Periyar believed that it was a religion with no distinctive sacred book (bhagawad gita) or origins, but an imaginary faith preaching the "superiority" of the Brahmins, the inferiority of the Shudras, and the untouchability of the Dalits (Panchamas).[43] Maria Misra, a lecturer at Oxford University, compares him to the philosophes, stating: "his contemptuous attitude to the baleful influence of Hinduism in Indian public life is strikingly akin to the anti-Catholic diatribes of the enlightenment philosophes".[99] In 1955 Periyar was arrested for his public action of burning pictures of Rama in public places as a symbolic protest against the Indo-Aryan domination and degradation of the Dravidian leadership according to the Ramayana epic.[100] Periyar also shoed images of Krishna and Rama, stating that they were Aryan gods that considered the Dravidian Shudras to be "sons of prostitutes".[101]

Periyar openly suggested to those who were marginalised within the Hindu communities to consider converting to other faiths such as Islam, Christianity, or Buddhism. On Islam, he stated how it was good for abolishing the disgrace in human relationship, based on one of his speeches to railway employees at Tiruchirapalli in 1947. Periyar also commended Islam for its belief in one invisible and formless God; for proclaiming equal rights for men and women; and for advocating social unity.[102]

At the rally in Tiruchi, Periyar said:

"Muslims are following the ancient philosophies of the Dravidians. The Arabic word for Dravidian religion is Islam. When Brahmanism was imposed in this country, it was Mohammad Nabi who opposed it, by instilling the Dravidian religion's policies as Islam in the minds of the people"[103]

Periyar viewed Christianity as similar to the monotheistic faith of Islam. He explained that the Christian faith says that there can be only one God which has no name or shape. Periyar took an interest in Martin Luther - both he and his followers wanted to liken him and his role to that of the European reformer. Thus Christian views, as expressed for example in The Precepts of Jesus (1820) by Ram Mohan Roy, had at least an indirect influence on Periyar.[104]

Apart from Islam and Christianity, Periyar also found in Buddhism a basis for his philosophy, though he did not accept that religion. It was again an alternative in the search for self-respect and the object was to get liberation from the discrimination of Hinduism.[105] Through Periyar's movement, Temple Entry Acts of 1924, 1931, and up to 1950 were created for non-Brahmins. Another accomplishment took place during the 1970s when Tamil replaced Sanskrit as the temple language in Tamil Nadu, while Dalits finally became eligible for priesthood.[33]

Controversies

Factionism in the Justice Party

See also: Justice Party (India)

When B. Munuswamy Naidu became the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency in 1930, he endorsed the inclusion of Brahmins in the Justice Party, saying:

So long as we exclude one community, we cannot as a political speak on behalf of, or claim to represent all the people of our presidency. If, as we hope, provincial autonomy is given to the provinces as a result of the reforms that may be granted, it should be essential that our Federation should be in a position to claim to be a truly representative body of all communities. What objection can there be to admit such Brahmins as are willing to subscribe to the aims and objects of our Federation? It may be that the Brahmins may not join even if the ban is removed. But surely our Federation will not thereafter be open to objection on the ground that it is an exclusive organisation.[106]

Though certain members supported the resolution, a faction in the Justice Party known as the "Ginger Group" opposed the resolution and eventually voted it down. Periyar, who was then an observer in the Justice Party, criticised Munuswamy Naidu, saying:

At a time when non-Brahmins in other parties were gradually coming over to the Justice Party, being fed up with the Brahmin's methods and ways of dealing with political questions, it was nothing short of folly to think of admitting him into the ranks of the Justice Party.[107]

This factionism continued until 1932 when Munuswamy Naidu stepped down as the Chief Minister of Madras and the Raja of Bobbili became the chief minister.[107]

Followers and influence

After the death of Periyar in 1973, conferences were held throughout Tamil Nadu for a week in January 1974. The same year Periyar's wife, Maniyammai, the new head of the Dravidar Kazhagam, set fire to the effigies of 'Rama', 'Sita' and 'Lakshmana' at Periyar Thidal, Madras. This was in retaliation to the Ramaleela celebrations where effigies of 'Ravana', 'Kumbakarna' and 'Indrajit' were burnt in New Delhi. For this act she was imprisoned. During the 1974 May Day meetings held at different places in Tamil Nadu, a resolution urging the Government to preserve 80 percent[24] of jobs for Tamils was passed. Soon after this, a camp was held at Periyar Mansion in Tiruchirapalli to train young men and women to spread the ideals of the Dravidar Kazhagam in rural areas.[24]

On Periyar's birthday on 17 September 1974, Periyar's Rationalist Library and Research Library and Research Institute was opened by the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. This library contained Periyar's rationalist works, the manuscripts of Periyar and his recorded speeches.[68] Also during the same year Periyar's ancestral home in Erode, was dedicated as a commemoration building. On 20 February 1977, the opening function of Periyar Building in Madras was held. At the meeting which the Managing Committee of the Dravidar Kazhagam held, there on that day, it was decided to support the candidates belonging to the Janata Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the Marxist Party during the General Elections.[24]

On 16 March 1978, Maniyammai died. The Managing Committee of the Dravidar Kazhagam elected K. Veeramani as General Secretary of the Dravidar Kazhagam on 17 March 1978. From then on, the Periyar-Maniyammai Educational and Charitable Society started the Periyar Centenary Women's Polytechnic at Thanjavur on 21 September 1980. On 8 May 1982, the College for Correspondence Education was started under the auspices of the Periyar Rationalist Propaganda Organization.[24]

Over the years, Periyar influenced Tamil Nadu's political party heads such as C.N. Annadurai[23] and M. Karunanidhi[108] of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam' (DMK), V. Gopalswamy[109][110] founder of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), S. Ramadoss[111] founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Thol. Thirumavalavan, founder of the Dalit Panthers of India (DPI), and Dravidar Kazhagam's K. Veeramani.[112] Nationally, Periyar is main ideological icon for India's third largest voted party, Bahujan Samaj Party[113][114] and its founder Kanshi Ram.[115] Other political figures influenced by Periyar were former Congress minister K. Kamaraj,[23] former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati.[116] Periyar's life and teachings have also influenced writers and poets such as Kavignar Inkulab, and Bharathidasan[117] including actors such as Kamal Haasan[118] and Sathyaraj.[119] Noted Tamil Comedian N. S. Krishnan was a close friend and follower of Periyar.[120][121]W. P. A. Soundarapandian Nadar was a close confidant of Periyar and encouraged Nadars to be a part of the Self-Respect Movement.[122][123] A writer from Uttar Pradesh, Lalai Singh Yadav translated Periyar's notable works into Hindi.[124][125][126]

In popular culture

Main article: Periyar (2007 film)

Sathyaraj and Khushboo Sundar starred in a government-sponsored film Periyar released in 2007. Directed by Gnana Rajasekaran, the film was screened in Malaysia on 1 May 2007 and was screened at the Goa International Film Festival in November that year.[127][128] Sathyaraj reprised his role as Periyar in the film Kalavadiya Pozhudugal directed by Thangar Bachan which released in 2017.[129]

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Cited sources

• Diehl, Anita (1977). E. V. Ramaswami Naicker-Periar: A study of the influence of a personality in contemporary South India. Sweden: Scandinavian University Books. ISBN 978-91-24-27645-4.
• Gopalakrishnan, G.P. (1991). Periyar: Father of the Tamil race. Chennai: Emerald Publishers.
• Ralhan, O. P. (2002). Encyclopaedia of Political Parties. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. ISBN 81-7488-865-9.
• Saraswathi, S. (2004). Towards Self-Respect. Madras: Institute of South Indian Studies.
• Veeramani, K. (1992). Periyar on Women's Rights. Chennai: Emerald Publishers.
• Veeramani, K. (2005). Collected Works of Periyar E.V.R. Chennai: The Periyar Self-Respect Propaganda Institution.

Further reading

• Bandistse, D.D., (2008). Humanist Thought in Contemporary India. B.R. Pub: New Delhi.
• Bandyopadhyaya, Sekhara, (2004). From Plassey to Partition: A history of modern India. Orient Longman: New Delhi. ISBN 978-81-250-2596-2
• Biswas, S.K., (1996). Pathos of Marxism in India. Orion Books: New Delhi.
• Chand, Mool, (1992). Bahujan and their Movement. Bahujan Publication Trust: New Delhi.
• Dirks, Nicholas B., (2001). Castes of mind : colonialism and the making of modern India. Princeton University Press: Princeton, New Jersey.
• Kothandaraman, Ponnusamy, (1995). Tamil Varalarril Tantai Periyar (Tamil). Pumpolil Veliyitu: Chennai.
• Mani, Braj Ranjan, (2005). Debrahmanising History: Dominance and Resistance in Indian Society. Manohar: New Delhi.
• Mission Prakashan, (2003). Second Freedom Struggle: Chandapuri’s Call to Overthrow Brahmin Rule. Mission Prakashan Patna: Bihar.
• Omvedt, Gail, (2006). Dalit Visions. Oscar Publications: New Delhi.
• Ram, Dadasaheb Kanshi, (2001). How to Revive the Phule-Ambedkar-Periyar Movement in South India. Bahujan Samaj Publications: Bangalore.
• Ramasami, Periyar, [3rd edition] (1998). Declaration of War on Brahminism. Chennai.
• Ramasami, Periyar E.V., [ new ed] (1994). Periyana. Chintakara Chavadi: Bangalore.
• Ramasami, Periyar, [new ed] (1994). Religion and Society:: Selections from Periyar’s Speeches and Writings. Emerald Publishers: Madras.
• Richman, Paula, (1991). Many Ramayanas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia. University of California Press: Berkeley. ISBN 0-520-07281-2.
• Sen, Amiya P., (2003). Social and Religious Reform: The Hindus of British India. Oxford University Press: New Delhi; New York.
• Srilata, K., (2006). Other Half of the Coconut: Women Writing Self-Respect History – an anthology of self-respect literature, 1928–1936. Oscar Publications: Delhi.
• Thirumavalavan, Thol; Meena Kandasamy (2003). Talisman, Extreme Emotions of Dalit Liberation: Extreme emotions of Dalit Liberation. Popular Prakashan: Mumbai.
• Thirumavalavan, Thol; Meena Kandasamy (2004). Uproot Hindutva: The Fiery Voice of the Liberation Panthers. Popular Prakashan.
• Venugopal, P., (1990). Social Justice and Reservation. Emerald Publishers: Madras.
• Yadav, Bibhuti, (2002). Dalits in India (A set of 2 Volumes). Anmol Publications. New Delhi.
• Gawthaman.Pasu, (2009). "E.V.Ramasamy enginra naan". Bhaathi Puthakalayam. Chennai.

External links

• Periyar (official website) (in English)
• Thanthai Periyar (in English)
• Periyar Kural (online radio in Tamil)
• Rationalist/Social Reformer (article) (in English)
• The Revolutionary Sayings of Periyar (in English)
• `The economic interest... that was the contradiction' (article) (in English)
• Thanthai Periyar (in English)