The 201st birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati was celebrated in Arya Samaj Greater Kailash-1 on Shiv Ratri Day. The event marked the 201st birthday of Swami Dayanand and also his birth on the day when he realised the existence of God almighty. The event was jointly organised by Arya Samaj Kailash-Greater Kailash-1 in collaboration with Dakshin Delhi Ved Prachar Mandal, Arya Kendriya Sabha, Delhi, and Delhi Arya Pratinidhi Sabha.
The event began with Havan in Yagya Shala, followed by melodious bhajans by Tarang Kandpal. The main function was held in Brij Mohan Munjal Auditorium. Rajender Verma, president of Arya Samaj Greater Kailash-1, welcomed the participants in the morning and delivered a vote of thanks at the end. Ravi Dev Gupt, president, South Delhi Ved Prachar Mandal gave an overview of the agenda of the program and thanked all the participating organisations and participants from various Arya Samaj for their presence.
There were two discourses by Vedic experts. Acharya Virender Vikram spoke about the role of Swami Dayanand in the revolution for Indian independence and social reforms in the pre-independence era with examples from the struggle for Indian independence, including the roles of Bhagat Singh, Chandra Sekhar Azad, Lala Lajpat Rai, and others involved in the 1857 revolution, Jalianwala Bagh, and many other incidents of revolt against the British rule for Swaraj through various historical events, influenced by Swami Dayanand. He highlighted the role of Swami Ji in social reforms, including education for women, the dissolution of the caste system, and training for Indians in Germany to acquire international-level skills in manufacturing.
The second speaker was Dr. Chavi Krisan Shastri, who spoke about the contribution of Swami Dayanand in education for women to inculcate values in children and be self-reliant. He also mentioned Swami Ji’s role in removing Sati Pratha from India. Through various examples, he highlighted the contribution of Swami Ji in social reforms, the independence struggle, making India self-reliant, the drive against superstitions, and national integration. He described how Swami Dayanand openly preached against British rule and the need for Swaraj even in front of British officers without fear.
Vinay Arya, general secretary, Delhi Arya Pratinidhi Sabha emphasised the importance of the role of parents in inculcating Vedic values in children to make them better human beings and responsible citizens.
The event was attended by over 400 invitees from all over Delhi and concluded with Shanti Path and Rishi Langar.
