Focus: GS I: History
Why in News?
Prime Minister of India will inaugurate the year-long celebrations commemorating the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Delhi.
About Dayanand Saraswati:
- Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of Vedic dharma.
- In 1875, he established the Arya Samaj in Bombay with ten principles based purely on God, soul, and nature.
- The organisation brought about immense changes in the religious perceptions of Indians. Swami Dayanand Saraswati was the first to give the call for Swaraj as “India for Indian” in 1876.
- He preached ‘Universalism’, rejecting any specific caste.
- His work had a significant impact on the education system, and he is often considered one of the visionaries of modern India.
- To realize his vision, the Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) schools came into existence in 1886. The first DAV School was established in Lahore with Mahatma Hansarjas as the headmaster.
- One of his most influential works is the book Satyarth Prakash, which contributed to the Indian independence movement. His followers included Sri Aurobindo and S. Radhakrishnan.
