Second Hindu Spiritual & Service Fair (HSSF)

GFCH (India) Inauguration Function

India Today Conclave - Gurumurthy's Speech

Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair, Chennai, 2009

CHENNAI HOSTED FIRST EVER HISTORIC HINDU SPIRITUAL AND SERVICE FAIR

40 HINDU SERVICE ORGANISATIONS SHOWCASED ACTIVITIES, LITERATURE UNDER ONE ROOF

 Hindu religious and spiritual organisations which have avoided media glare and publicity and silently worked for decades among women, children, youth, villagers, tribals and deprived sections of the society as also natural disaster affected people  came together for the first time in a unique exhibition of their activities and literature in Chennai from February 6 to 8, 2009.

The three-day Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair, organised at the Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya, Anna Nagar, aimed to provide a platform to exhibit the spiritual and service activities of the different sponsoring and participating institutions to the public, particularly the students and youth and also enabled the followers and members of different organisations to have an overview of what other organisations are doing so as to promote a healthy, harmonious and mutually respectable relations among them. This was the first of many such fairs which will be later held on bigger scale in different parts of the country by the other Chapters of GFCH and the Fair will be extended to spiritual and religious organisations belonging to other faiths such as Islam and Christianity to showcase their contributions to the society.

About 40 leading Hindu organisations including Arya Samaj, AIM for Seva, Brahmakumaris, Art of Living, Chinmaya Mission, Vidya Bharati, Sewa Bharati, Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Patanjali Yoga Peeth, Ramakrishna Math, Ekal Vidyalaya, Vivekananda Kendra, Mata Amritanandamayi Madhom, Oneness University etc participated in the event, noted danseuse Padma Bhushan Dr Padma Subramaniam said. The inaugural function of the Fair was addressed by Swami Abhiramananda of Ramakrishna Math, Swami Dayananda Saraswathi of Hindu Acharya Sabha, Swami Nithyananda Paramahamsa of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam and noted thinker S Gurumurthy. Devotional and cultural programmes including bhajans, chanting of the Bhagavat Geetha, play by students of different school and institutions were also organised during the three-day event

Mr. K G Suresh (Director)

A working journalist for the last two decades, Sh K G Suresh has served in various capacities including as Chief Political Correspondent with the Press Trust of India, the country's premier news agency, Bureau Chief with www.pioTV.com, the only web channel connecting people of Indian origin world wide and Consulting Editor of Eternal Solutions, India's No 1 Wellness Magazine.

Mr Suresh has also held several key responsibilities including as Associate Editor of 'Urja' – the Indian Journal of Energy.

Mr Suresh is a Visiting Professor at several prestigious institutions such as the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, University of Delhi and the Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishvavidyalaya, India's only exclusive state funded university of journalism, Kurukshetra University and the Pioneer Media School, run by one of India's leading newspaper chain 'The Pioneer'.

Mr Suresh's analysis of political, developmental and other topical issues are regularly telecast by television channels including the national broadcaster DD News, Pragya TV, Azad News, India Vision, Sudarshan TV etc and published by leading national and international newspapers such as The Times, London and The Pioneer, New Delhi.

He has traveled across the country and the world to cover important international developments including the Royal Palace Massacre in Nepal, BJP leader L K Advani's controversial Pakistan visit, the tenth anniversary celebrations of freedom in South Africa, the millennium sunrise at Katchal Islands, the reconstruction process in war-torn Afghanistan, the tragic cyclone, earthquake and communal violence in Gujarat, militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and several Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

 Mr Suresh has interviewed several important dignitaries including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mr L K Advani, the then Vice-President of India Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the then Indian Prime Minister Mr I K Gujral, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, the then Nepalese Foreign Minister Mr Chakra Prasad Bastola, the then Defence Minister and currently Samajwadi Party Chief Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, BJP President Mr Rajnath Singh, actress activist Shabana Azmi and Inventor of AK-47 Assault rifle Mr Mikhail Kalashnikov.

Mr Suresh has been invited to address prestigious national and international conferences and his papers have been published in leading books, journals, souvenirs and publications.

Mr Suresh has won several prestigious awards and fellowships including the Prem Bhatia Memorial Fellowship.

Mr Suresh is the General Secretary of the Indian Media Centre- an independent, non-profit institution dedicated to the highest standards in journalism and Editor of its publication 'Media Critique'.

He is also the Founder Trustee of the Subhadra Nambudiri Foundation – a leading Delhi based health NGO.

Prof Makhan Lal (Convenor, Academic Council)

Resolution

Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair 2009

Ms Zena Sorabjee (The most popular Bahai face in India; Social Worker)

A Baha'i practitioner , Ms Sorabjee is the Chairman of the Baha'i House of Worship. She is also the Chairman of the Lotus Charitable Trust and Lotus Hospitals Trust. She has represented the Indian Baha'i community at the UN Millennium Conference for World Religious Leaders and the Baha'i International Community at various UN seminars. Travelling throughout India, Zena has assisted in the establishment of primary schools, the education of girls and the transfer of technology to rural India. For her social work, Zena has been presented with Best Social Worker award by Nehru Bal Samiti.

Rabbi Ezekiel Isaac Malekar (India's most popular Jewish leader)

Israel is in my heart, India is in my blood; Israel is my Dharmabhumi and India is my Karmabhumi; I am an Indian First and a Jew Second – pearls of wisdom from Rabbi Ezekiel Isaac Malekar. A widely respected figure of interfaith dialogues in India, Malekar is the Rabbi of Judah Hyam Synagogue of Delhi. A scholar of Judaism and rare 'Hebrew' language, Rabbi Malekar is a human rights activist and Deputy Registrar (Law) with the India's National Human Right Commission. He is the fountainhead of Hindu-Jewish Interfaith dialogue in India and has received 'Ambassador of Peace Award' instituted by Federation of Religious Harmony. Rabbi Malekar has also pioneered interfaith dialogue between Jews and Sikhs. He is famous for praising the multicultural nature of Indian Society where Judaism has existed for over 2,000 years without ever experiencing anti-Semitism.

Baba Ramdev (Guru who made Yoga a household activity)

"If an individual can be credited with reviving yoga in this country (India), it is solely Swami Ramdev. Swami Ramdev has spread yoga to such an extent that sooner or later, one has to embrace it.” is the observation made by none other than Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who himself uses Yoga in his 'Art of Living'. This earthly, humble saint was born in Haryana on December 25^th, 1965. Before curing others, he cured his paralysis by practicing Yoga. He is well versed in Sanskrit Grammar, Ayurveda and Vedic Philosophy. His Patanjali Yog Trust aims to build the world's largest center for Ayurveda and Yoga  that includes facilities for treatment, research and a teaching university. The Trust, most notably, offers free treatment to those who cannot afford.

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Kerala's Hugging Saint; Humanitarian Work is her Mission)

Dr. Madhavan Nair, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, once tried to define Amma through his scientific prism and came to conclusion, “A type of force emanates from Her. I think it cannot be defined by our analysis.” 'The hugging Saint” as 'Ammachi' is widely known throughout the world, was born in God's own country – Kerala on September 27, 1953. She is widely respected for humanitarian work worldwide through Mata Amritanandmayi Mission Trust which is engaged in many spiritual and charitable activities. She is also one of the most prominent voices of interfaith dialogue and has been part of almost every genuine effort for inter-religious harmony such as 'Parliament of World Religions' in 1993, 'Millennium Peace Summit' organized by UN General Assembly in 2000, 'Parliament of World Religions' at Barcelona in 2004 and so on. Among the many recognition for her services to human kind, she was presented with 4th Annual James Parks Morton Interfaith Award. The Interfaith Award annually honors global leaders who forward the mission of promoting peace, interfaith understanding and action through social and cultural programs.

Acharya Mahapragya (Eminent Jain Guru; Founder, Science of Living)

Often referred to as 'Second Vivekananda' by his followers, Acharya Mahapragya is the 10^th Acharya of Jain Shwetamber Terapanth sect. Born in Jhunjhunun district of Rajasthan on 14^th June, 1920, he was named Nathmal by his parents. It was only in his childhood that a sage prophesied about his extraordinary future. When he was barely 10 years of age, he attained sainthood on February 18, 1930. Since then, his life's only objective is to serve the society in such as way that they could achieve nirvana (Salvation).. Acharya Mahapragya has also formulated the concept of 'Jeevan Vigyan', the Science of Living, as a panacea for universal problem of 'unbalanced development' of human life. For his pioneering work in the field of harmony and national integration, the Indian government honoured him with the 'Communal Harmony Award' in 2004.   

MAULANA MAHMOOD MADANI (Islamic scholar, Jamiat leader, MP)

Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani: A Rajya Sabha Member from Uttar Pradesh, the 44-year old internationally acclaimed Islamic scholar and social worker is the leader of the highly highly influential Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.  He played a key role in the issuance and propagation of the landmark 'Fatwa' against terrorism by the Darul Uloom, Deoband, which is revered across the Islamic world.

An enthusiastic social worker, Maulana Madani has a long track record of providing relief and rehabilitation to the victims of man-made or natural disasters; undertook several rehabilitation projects in earthquake affected areas in Gujarat and Kashmir Valley, tsunami affected areas in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka and flood affected areas in Assam, Bihar and Orissa for the cause of humanity irrespective of any creed, caste or religion.

Possesed with a progressive outlook and an ardent faith in inter-faith harmony, the Maulana has visited several countries including Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., U.K., South Africa, U.S.A., Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Libya, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey.

Archbishop Cardinal Oswald Gracias (Leader of Indian Catholics)

In 2007, when he was appointed as Archbishop of India by the Pope, an online blog of Konkani Catholics described him as 'Simple, approachable Prelate gets Red Hat'. A widely revered figure among Catholics in India, Cardinal Oswald Gracias was the only Asian among 23 Cardinals appointed that year by the Pope. Born on December 24, 1944 in the city of Mumbai, he was Archbishop of Bombay from October 14, 2006, before his elevation as the leader of the Catholic church in India. Earlier, he had also served as the Archbishop of Agra, the oldest diocese of Northern India.

Swami Dayananda Saraswathi (Eminent Hindu Seer/humanitarian)

A widely respected figure among inter faith supporters; Swami Dayananda Saraswati is a great visionary, an eminent teacher of Vedanta, a powerful thinker and writer. Taking forward the legacy of 'Shastrarth,' he is at home with most classical of scholars as well as contemporary youth. As a teacher of Vedanta, he has established four teaching centres in India and many more across the globe through his students. A Rishi in the true sense, he is sensitive to the needs of society. Having grown up in a small village in the Kaveri delta, he empathizes with problems faced in rural areas such as lack of education, health care, job opportunities etc. Swamiji has initiated a movement called AIM for Seva. Known for his harmonious views on religious matters, he has been invited to various dialogue forums of inter faith such as the 'Millennium World Peace Summit' organized by the United Nations in New York in September, 2000 and the 'Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders' in Geneva in October, 2002. He played a key role in the formation of the Hindu Acharya Sabha, an umbrella organization of various Hindu schools of thought and sampradayas. The revered Swami has also been holding parleys with leaders of Judaism and other faiths to bring about better understanding and civilizational harmony.

Sri Sri Ravishankar (Hindu Spiritual Guru; Founder, Art of Living)

“My vision is a violence-free, stress-free world,” says this globe-trotting new age guru. Sri Sri is the inventor of 'Sudharshan Kriya' which infuses the body with energy and harmonizes the natural rhythms of the body, mind, and emotions. A widely respected saint, the soft-spoken, perennially cheerful Sri Sri was born on May 13, 1956 in Tamilnadu India. He founded the 'Art of Living' in 1982 with an objective of relieve stress at an individual level and diseases and violence at societal level. A world renowned figure, Sri Sri has never hesitated from travelling to strife-torn places, whether it be Kashmir or Iraq. For his contribution to world peace, Sri Sri has been bestowed with national and international honours such as 'Peter the Great', a first grade award given by Russian Federation in 2006 and 'Order of the Pole Star 2006', the highest state honour presented by the President of Mongolia. 

Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam (Eminent Nuclear Scientist and former President of India)

Loved and adored by millions as the 'People's President' Kalam is equally known for the iron fist behind his velvety gloves. The former President of India, a darling of students and children, is also often referred to as India's 'Missile Man”.  Born on 15th October, 1931, in a village of Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu, Dr. Kalam joined Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after majoring in Aeronautical Engineering. After two decades of pioneering work at ISRO, he accepted the responsibility to develop indigenous guided missiles at Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). His stint at DRDO resulted in 'Agni' and 'Prithvi' – country's self made missiles which invite fear among enemies. For his services to nation as a scientist, he received 'Bharat Ratna' in 1997 and went on to become the first ever scientist President of India in 2002. He served the nation in this capacity till 2007 and then onwards is involved in academic activities. He has also written several thought provoking books such as 'Wings of Fire', 'Ignited Minds' and has also laid out a millennium goal for India in the shape of a book called '2020 – a vision for the new Millennium'.

His Holiness Dalai Lama (Tibetan/Buddhist Spiritual Guru)

"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." Thus spake the Dalai Lama who is as kind as his words. Revered around the world, His Holiness was born as Lhambo Dhondup on 6^th July, 1935 in Taktser in Amdo province of northeastern Tibet. Through a miracle, he was chosen as an incarnation of the 'Dalai Lama' at the age of two. His Holiness is one of the leaders who has compassionately participated in the inter faith dialogues across the globe. The world recognized his work to bring peace in the form of a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Today, the supreme spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people has become such a figure that any honor to him becomes the honor to honor itself.

Shri Subhash Chandra (Television Tycoon, Philanthropist)

From entertainment and sports to education and civilisational issues, media moghul Sh Subhash Chandra is a role model for India Inc with his trademark synergy of success and social commitment. Born on December 30, 1950 in Haryana, his global outlook is a trait which keeps him ahead in his chosen arena. A philanthropist to the core, the Chairman of the Essel Group pioneered distance and open learning through TALEEM and ventured in a mission to eradicate illiteracy from the country through Ekal Vidyalaya. A practitioner of Vipasana Yog, Sh Chandra is now a trustee of Global Vipasana Foundation which is involved in raising the spiritual level of people.

Shri Vijai Kapoor (Administrator, Philosopher)

Synonymous with grace, dignity, courtesy and mannerism unheard and unseen among bureaucrats, Sh Vijai Kapoor represents a unique and rare blend of academic excellence and administrative abilities. Bringing about qualitative change in people's lives by understanding their view point in the historic perspective has been his abiding passion, from his days of posting in India's North-East to his tenure as the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The Indraprastha Park in Delhi encompassing the city's lone pagoda is a tribute to his vision and statesmanship.

Shri Dina Nath Mishra (Journalist, Author)

A humanitarian by heart, Shri Dina Nath Mishra is a well known senior journalist. This former Resident Editor of Nav Bharat Times was born on September 14, 1957 in Jodhpur (Rajasthan). In early 60s, he edited Chetandhara weekly published from Jodhpur. In 1967, he joined 'Panchjanya' as an Assistant Editor and went on to become Chief Editor of the weekly. He joined the JP movement and was jailed during emergency. Later till 1990, he held various positions in the Times of India Group and Express Group of publications including that of Special Correspondent, Chief of Bureau and Resident Editor. He continues to be a friend, philosopher and guide to millions of readers with his insightful articles on critical issues confronting the nation in several newspapers and publications across the country. For his services to the nation, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1998 and was involved in raising the intellectual level of upper house of Parliament till 2004. Nationalist to the core, Sh Mishra is constantly engaged in enriching the intellectual strength of the nation through his India First Foundation and Eternal India.

Shri Swaminathan Gurumurthy (Thinker, Columnist)

An original thinker par excellence, a popular columnist, a founder of several institutions, Shri Gurumurthy can simply be termed as a 'power house of thoughts'. Friends apart, he is the one who generates awe even among his foes for his unmatched ability of silencing even his worst critics on intellectual issues. A Chartered Accountant by profession, this Chennai-born genius is a known critic of globalization and western economic policies, He is spearheaded the cause of the domestic industry through Swadeshi Jagran Manch in the face of the onslaught from the powerful multinational corporations. He commands tremendous respect and clout not only in politics but also in the corporate world.

Dr R Vaidyanathan (Academic, Author)

Professor of Finance at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Dr Vaidyanathan has carved out a niche for himself not only as an economist but also a profound thinker on subjects as varied as religion and business. Prof Vaidyanathan is as much at home with spiritual leaders as much with stock market regulators, with philosophers as much with pension fund managers and with business magnets as with academics. A prolific writer, his no-nonsense straight from the heart talk has won him both friends and admiring critics.

Dr Manohar Shinde (Inter-Faith Activist)

A medical practitioner by profession, Dr. Manohar Shinde is a psychologist who has worked with the Eating Disorder Institute of California (EDIC). He is also an eminent scholar and is actively involved in various inter faith activities in USA.

Shri Ajit K Doval (Strategist, Analyst)

The first IPS officer to be honoured with the 'Kirti Chakra', Sh Doval belongs to the 1968 batch of Kerala Cadre and has been in thick and thin of India's most grueling battles against terrorism and insurgency whether it be in Mizoram, Punjab or Kashmir. Arguably, one of India's best intelligence officers and strategists, he retired on January 31, 2005 as Director, Intelligence Bureau. He was recently appointed Security Advisor by the Karnataka Government.

Shri Vibhav Kant Upadhyay (India's unofficial envoy to Japan)

Vibhav Kant Upadhyay is the Founder Chairman of 'India Center Foundation', (www.india-center.org) which is working as a catalyst in India's nation building process. A post-graduate in Computer Science from the University of Allahabad, India and the University of Tokyo, Japan, Vibhav is seen as an emerging leader and a well-known contributor in India's development process.

Among his many successful initiatives, he contributed substantially to India's foreign Policy. Under Vibhav's leadership, India Center Foundation was instrumental in authoring a new visionary direction to Indo-Japan relationship. He envisioned a framework where India and Japan could pool their respective strength for a mutually beneficial partnership. The mantras he proposed, such as 'Indo-Japan Global Partnership', 'Stronger Japan Stronger India', have today become a part of official policy in both countries.

One of the shining examples of his leadership and initiative is the upcoming Delhi–Mumbai economic corridor which is now the symbol of Indo Japan Global Partnership.

Vibhav is known for his statesmanship, macro-vision on the nation-building process and a holistic approach on development. Vibhav has a vision for India's solution for energy, food and environmental challenges. He has taken up a challenging mission called “Green India” to support India become energy efficient, environment friendly and Agriculturally strong nation. His unique initiatives and works, including the successful India-Japan Global Partnership initiatives are supported and appreciated by top policy makers, business and opinion leaders from many countries around the world.