INDICA invites seekers from around the world to nominate their Gurus for annual #Grateful2Gurus felicitation programs to be conducted at three locations – in the respective Guru’s home, in Chennai and at various Universities/Colleges.
In the Indian tradition, Gurus are enlightened masters who impart knowledge and wisdom in a specific domain to their students. They do so without any expectation of material or other gains. Tradition and Knowledge flows from the past into the future through Gurus with innovations in the present. Throughout history, the Guru has been the primary conduit for transmitting knowledge and tradition, and has received abundant praise in Dharmic literature.
This knowledge at once covers the entire spectrum of Purushartha – Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. Hence, the Indian tradition holds Gurus in highest esteem.
ज्ञानशक्तिसमारूढः तत्त्वमालाविभूषितः |
भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदाता च तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ‖ Guru Stotra.8 ‖
Both Bhukti and Mukti are to be pursued only through Dharma and under the guidance of a Guru. The Upanishads refer to the Guru as the “dispeller of darkness” and assert that their grace is necessary for students to achieve success or spiritual realisation.
Our civilization is blessed to have several great Gurus throughout our long history. They have graced and anchored communities and individuals through their Purushartha journey. In our times of crisis, many notable Gurus have played significant roles in preserving and advancing Dharma. Adi Shankaracharya, for instance, almost single-handedly revived the Upanishadic tradition as a living philosophy when we were overwhelmed with several other approaches to life. Later, Ramanujacharya and Madhvacharya developed their own paths drawn from the Upanishads. In the process, Karma and Bhakti too arrived in a new way into the traditional life. A new balance of Jnana-Bhakti-Karma has since guided Bharateeya Parampara. The spiritual pursuit has seamlessly transformed into upholding Dharma in Civilizational life. During the invasions, Gurus nurtured the empires that led the resistance against the Sultanates. Swami Vidyaranya of Sringeri inspired the founding of the Vijayanagara kingdom by Hakka and Bukka to protect Dharma. In its subsequent journey it was actively supported by Yati-s from the Veerashaiva, Madhva and Ramanuja Sampradayas. It went on to become a prosperous empire protecting Sanatana Dharma and an inspiration for future kingdoms. In a similar vein, Swami Ramdas guided Chatrapati Shivaji when he sought advice, shaping his perspectives on various statecraft matters.
Amidst the din of modernity, there are several people who perform the task of preserving Dharma, often hidden from the plain eye and without the slightest expectations of name and recognition. It is due to the grace of these unsung heroes much of our tradition has survived intact until the present times passing through tumultuous period in history.
INDICA introduced the concept of #Grateful2Gurus a few years ago, an initiative to honour the Gurus living amongst us today. It was started in the year 2016-17, with our local chapters honouring Gurus in their respective locations. In the year 2018-19 and 2019-20 INDICA took #Grateful2Gurus a step further and opened the doors for nomination and felicitation of Gurus all over India, irrespective of presence of an INDICA Chapter in the city. The recommending person got the opportunity to honour the Guru at his/her house on Guru-Purnima. After a gap of 2 years, INDICA brought the program back again in the year 2023 with a new flavour. Apart from honouring Gurus in their respective locations, INDICA also honoured 9 Gurus at Chennai in a centrally organised program.
Previous recipients of this felicitation include luminaries such as Dr. Mala Kapadia, Prof. Dr. Chandra Bhushan Jha, Dr. D K Hari and Dr. Hema Hari, Dr. Nanditha Krishna, Sri D V Sridharan, Dr. S. Ramaratnam, Swamini Svatmavidyananda Saraswati ji, Dr. P. R. Mukund, Sri Srinivasaraghavan Sridharan, Yogashree N. V. Raghuram, Vidushi Smt. Alamelu Mani, Bharatakalamani Dr. C. Radhakrishna, Prof. R. N. Iyengar, Prof. Dr. Krishnamurthy Ramasubramanian, Dr. Satyanarayana Das Babaji, Vid. Bhr. Shri. Mudigonda Shankara Sharma Garu, Swami Sadatmananda Saraswati ji, Dr. Mark S.G. Dyczkowski and many more.
A full list of all Gurus honoured over the years can be found here.
Felicitation at the residence of the Guru:
INDICA is providing an opportunity to nominate and honour exceptional Gurus from all over India. If you know someone near you who has devoted themselves to serving Dharma, is above 60 years old, and has consistently worked for at least a decade to preserve and propagate Dharma, you can nominate them for this recognition. To nominate, please provide us with information about the person. Our selection committee will review the nominations and select the Gurus to be felicitated this year. If your nomination is selected, you will have the chance to visit the Guru’s home on Guru Purnima, 21st July, 2024, and present them with a shawl and a token cheque of ₹ 11,000, which will be sponsored by INDICA.
Last date for nominations is 31st May 2024
Felicitation in Chennai:
INDICA will also organise a felicitation ceremony on Gurupurnima in Chennai where 9 selected Gurus will be felicitated in a traditional ceremony. We invite nominees for this ceremony too.
We urge our readers to help us identify and honour such Gurus who have contributed to preserving and propagating Dharma. Please share this message with your friends, family and acquaintances and help us identify the deserving Gurus.
Felicitation in Universities/Colleges:
INDICA will also organise a felicitation ceremony on Gurupurnima in Universities, Colleges and Indian Knowledge System (IKS) Departments/Centres where students/teachers seek to honour Gurus from an IKS domain. We invite nominees for this ceremony too.
We urge our readers to help us identify and honour such Gurus who have contributed to preserving and propagating Dharma. Please share this message with your friends, family and acquaintances and help us identify deserving Gurus.
Let us all be #Grateful2Gurus.
