Swami Sharad Puri Ji
Swami Sharad Puri Ji's ardent love for Vedic knowledge and modern education inspired him to integrate the two aimed at dispelling ignorance amongst the young, offering social service and preparing youth for a future harmonious society. Being born in a virtuous and sacred family, he showed signs of fervor towards spirituality during his child hood.
He read many Vedic scriptures and sacred family, he showed signs of fervor towards spirituality during his child hood. He read many Vedic scriptures in his childhood which progressively developed him to lead a monk's (renuciant) life for the welfare of mankind, Swami Sharad Puri Ji was initiated into an order of monks of Adi Shankaracharya, by one of the greatest saints, revered Swamin Maha Mandleshwar Santosh Puriji, Guru Geeta Bharti Ji. He studied the Vedas, Upanishads, yoga darshan and oather ancient scriptures under the guidance of great saints of India. Following the vedic tradition, he spent many years in intense penance and Sadhna (spiritual practices for self realization) of many places in the Himalayas including, Ginar (Junagarh), the Gujarat forests, Hardware and Varanasi.
In order to understand plight of people and possible solutions for dispelling ignorance, he went on a pilgrimage to all the holy places in different parts of India. Later, he went on a world tour to share his knowledge and rich experiences of spirituality, he developed a very broad vision to serve society based on the greatest dictum "Vasudev Kutumbhkam". Meaning "the whole world is one family". He realized that there is only one way to remain near the Divine by serving Humanity at large viz. providing food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless clothes to the needy, and knowledge to those in darkness. He worked relentlessly against cow slaughter & created shelter for hundreds of cows. Later he offered these cows to the poorest of the poor to maintain their livelihood.
Swami sharad Puri Ji's passion for knowledge, inspired by Divine within, opened a new vision of serving people through educating young minds. He says "Education is the search of knowledge; and the Vedas aim at the highest education of the self. Therefore both modern and vedic education must be combined to train the young for the future of the world". Wamiji not only believes but a also put into action the dictum of vidyadan. (Gift of Knowledge); which is the greatest of all. Swamiji laid down many objectives for an integrated education:
- To promote Vedic values and education to dispel, ignorance, using modern tools and technology.
- To bring about a value-based, integral education to society.
- To bring about an integration in society through value and Integral education.
- To provide the basic minimum needs and education to the homless, the underprivileged and destitute children.
- To provide shelter to senior citizens while inspiring them to guide the young minds in a spiritual environment for a harmonious Society.
- To empower women towards self reliance by offering them education and providing for their basic needs.
In the year 2000, humble beginning was made by Swamin Sharad Purji Ji by establishing Shivedale School at Kankhal in Hardwar, Uttarakhand, india. Swamiji's experienced guidance, contant inspiration to the teaching staff and students has helped them to become a better persons for family, society and nation. Swamji's stress upon understanding one's Real Self should become an integral part of modern education so that ancient and modern education modern wisdom can create a society aimed at peace, liberty and fraternity. Another project is Matrichaya, on which Swami ji has been working since last four years. Matrichaya not only provides the destitute & homeless children home but also educates them to be the noble & responsible citizens of nation.
Matrichhaya is another, project on which Swamji is working which will translate the vivid principles of the Vedas into reality. Matrichhaya is a home for the homeless, the destitute, and the under privileged children; and for the Senior Citizens where Swamji will work relentlessly for the upliftment of people, society and nation.