Himachal Governor opens international seminar on Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati

Shimla, May 9

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla highlighted the significance of reassessing Indian culture in the context of the modern world today. He was speaking at the inauguration of a three-day international seminar commemorating the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati.

At the event, which was held at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, the Governor paid tributes to the transformative legacy of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati.

Highlighting Maharishi Dayanand’s role in catalysing a societal renaissance with his call of ‘Go back to the Vedas’, Shukla lauded his efforts to rejuvenate Vedic culture, religion, and philosophy.

He commended Maharishi Dayanand’s steadfast commitment to social reform — including the abolition of the caste system, eradication of untouchability and his advocacy against archaic practices such as child marriage and sati pratha.

The Governor credited Maharishi Dayanand with pioneering the translation of the Vedas into vernacular languages, democratising access to these sacred texts. He said the Veda Bhashya method determined the future direction of Veda interpretation, and his revival of the Gurukul education system had spawned numerous institutions dedicated to preserving Vedic heritage. Maharishi Dayanand made several efforts to protect Vedic culture, and wrote many books — including Sanskar Vidhi, Gokarunanidhi and Satyarthprakash — that proved helpful in giving direction to society, the Governor added.

Furthermore, Shukla regarded Maharishi Dayanand a pivotal part of India’s struggle for independence, attributing the surge of nationalist fervour to his advocacy of swaraj and swadeshi. IIAS governing body chairperson Shashi Prabha Kumar welcomed the Governor and spoke on the theme of the seminar. Recalling his contribution to girls’ education, she said as a result of his efforts, women today played leading roles in many fields of development.