Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti in India ― Date, History, and Details
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti in India may be something you want to learn more about, and we want to help with that.
Let's dive deeper into learning more about the history of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti in India and why people celebrate or observe it.
History of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti in India and How to Celebrate/ Observe It
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti is a national holiday in India that commemorates the birth of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, a great Hindu religious leader, reformer, and founder of the Arya Samaj. It is observed on the 10th day of the bright half of the lunar month of Magh in the Hindu calendar. This day falls in January or February in the Gregorian calendar.
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati was born on February 12, 1824, in Jeevapar Tankara, Kathiawar Agency, British India (now in Gujarat, India). His father was Karshanji Lalji Kapadi, a Vaishya by caste. His mother’s name was Amrutbai. He was educated at home until the age of eight and then sent to Gurukul Kangri to study under Pandit Gurudutt Vidyarthi.
At Gurukul, he studied the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and other Hindu scriptures. He also learned Sanskrit grammar, logic, and physics. After completing his studies at Gurukul, he returned home and began teaching the Vedas to his younger brothers.
In 1846, he left home to wander throughout India as a Sannyasin. During his travels, he met many saints and sages who enlightened him about the true nature of the Vedas and the need for their revival. In 1858, he founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay. The Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement that promotes the Vedas as the supreme authority in all matters of faith and philosophy.
The main objectives of the Arya Samaj are to promote physical, spiritual, and social progress for all humanity; to uphold the authority of the Vedas; and to oppose idolatry, superstition, and all kinds of social injustice.
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati spent the last years of his life working to spread the message of the Arya Samaj. He wrote many books on Hinduism, such as the Satyarth Prakash, which is considered to be his magnum opus. He also established many schools and colleges across India.
He passed away on October 30, 1883, at the age of 59. His teachings continue to inspire Hindus all over the world. Every year, on the occasion of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti, Hindus remember his contributions to the revival of Hinduism and the promotion of its values.