Chinmaya Mission
Logo | |
| Formation | 1951 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Chinmayananda Saraswati |
| Type | Spiritual organization[1] |
| Legal status | Trust |
| Purpose | Spirituality, Vedanta |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Location |
|
Region served | Worldwide |
Headed By | Swaroopananda |
Main organ | Central Chinmaya Mission Trust |
| Website | chinmayamission |
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
|---|
The Chinmaya Mission (Sanskrit: चिन्मया मिशन्) is an international Hindu organisation for the study of Vedanta.[2][3] Followers of Chinmayananda Saraswati established the Chinmaya Mission in India in 1953.[4]
The mission operates over 300 mission centres.[5] It is currently administered by Central Chinmaya Mission Trust (CCMT) in Mumbai, India, headed by Swaroopananda.[6]
History
Foundation
Chinmayananda Saraswati (born Balakrishna Menon),[7] the founder of Chinmaya Mission, was born in the city of Ernakulam in present-day Kerala, India.[8] Menon met Sivananda of the Divine Life Society, who became his spiritual teacher and then placed him under the tutelage of Tapovan Maharaj. He later became a teacher himself and changes his name to Chinmayananda.[9]
After Chinmayananda
After Chinmayananda died in 1993, his disciple Tejomayananda (known as Pujya Guruji and previously known as "Sudhakarbhai Kaitwadeji") became the global head of Chinmaya Mission. Under Tejomayananda, projects such as the Chinmaya International Foundation and the Chinmaya International Residential School were taken up.
In January 2017, Tejomayananda abdicated his leadership position to Swaroopananda.[10][11]
In 2026, Chinmaya Mission celebrated its 75th anniversary through the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav, a series of events culminating in a Global Sammelan at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from 23–25 October 2026.[12]
Activities
Bala Vihar
Bala Vihar is a program in which children from age five to eighteen meet on a weekly basis to learn about Hindu culture, customs, and philosophy.[13][14] Some centers also have a version called Sishu Vihar, which is meant for children aged 2 to 4.
See also
References
- ^ "Chinmaya Mission". Chinmaya Mission Of Los Angeles. Chinmaya Official Website. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- ^ "Chinmaya Mission | CMLA". chinmayala.org. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- ^ "History of Chinmaya Mission". cseweb.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- ^ "Chinmayananda | Indian spiritual thinker | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ today it has over 300 centres across the world.. Times of India, 25 December 2001.
- ^ "The Mission". Chinmaya Mission Worldwide. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "8 May 1916: Chinmayananda Saraswati, Indian spiritual leader, was born". www.mapsofindia.com. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "His Holiness Sri Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati Maharaj – The Divine Life Society". Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ "Swami Chinmayananda |". Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Official handover by Swami Tejomayananda on 19 January 2017 – watch the live stream Chinmaya Mission UK". www.chinmayauk.org. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- ^ "Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda hands over the reins of Chinamaya Mission to Shri Swami Swaroopnanadaji on January 19, 2017 | The Indian Down Under". www.indiandownunder.com.au. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- ^ "Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav – 75 Years of the Chinmaya Movement". chinmaya75.org. Central Chinmaya Mission Trust. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- ^ "Balvihar | Chinmaya Mission Worldwide". Chinmaya Mission Worldwide. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- ^ "Training Teachers for a Fulfilling Bala Vihar at Chinmaya Mission | Indo American News". www.indoamerican-news.com. Retrieved 25 July 2017.