Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti is celebrated on 26th February every year to mark the birth anniversary of the Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati.
Context
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti is celebrated on 26th February every year to mark the birth anniversary of the Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati.
About Dayanand Saraswati
- Dayanand Saraswati was the founder of Hindu reform organisation called Arya Samaj.
- He was born on February 12, 1824 in Gujarat.
- His original name was Mool Shankar Tiwari.
- He was named Mool because he was born when the Mool Nakshatra prevailed.
- He wandered as an ascetic for fifteen years (1845-60) in search of truth.
- He was born to Karshanji Lalji Kapadi, and Yashodabai.
- He was a social leader, Indian philosopher, and reform movement of the Vedic dharma.
- He was the first to give the call for Swaraj “India for Indians” in 1876, which was later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.
- He took inspiration from the Vedas and considered them to be ‘India’s Rock of Ages’, the infallible and the true original seed of Hinduism.
- He gave the slogan “Back to the Vedas”.
About Arya Samaj
- Arya Samaj is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes practices and values based on the belief in infallible authority of the Vedas.
- It was founded by Dayanand Saraswati on April 10, 1875.
- It was the first Hindu organisation to introduce proselytization in Hinduism.
- It has worked towards the growth of the civil rights movement across India since the 1800s.
