SWAMI SHRADDHANAND
INTRODUCTION
Swami Shraddhanand (1856–1926) was an Arya Samaj saint who preached the teachings of Swami Dayananda Saraswati. He established educational institutions, and Hindu reform movement. His birth name was Mahatma Munshi Ram Vij. At his teenage he had married with a good natured girl, and through their marriage they had three children.
He was born in the year 1856 in a village in Punjab. His father was serving in the police department in the present day Uttar Pradesh. He was also called as Lala Munshi Ram and Mahatma Munshi Ram.
He has become a saint after he has seen the bad things in the society like murders, rapes and cheating. Hence, in order to avoid taking re-births, he entered into the spiritual path.
He met Swamy Dayanand Saraswati, a very great and a kind hearted saint, while he was giving lectures. Munshiram attend the lectures of Swamy Dayanand after getting permission from his father. After listening to the lectures of Swamy Dayanand, he was strongly influenced by Swamy’s pleasing personality and his nice lectures, and after completing his studies, Munshiram has completed law degree, and served as a lawyer for a few years.
After getting the blessings of Swami Dayanand, he started the Punjab Arya Samaj. He also published books and established an ashram near Haridwar. After becoming a saint, he was known as “Swami Shradhanand Saraswati”.
Shraddhanand established Gurukul Indraprashtha in Aravali near Faridabad, Haryana, and he also took part in the freedom fighting movement of India, and done a very good job.
In the year 1923, he became the president of Bhartiya Hindu Shuddhi Sabha, created in order to stop the religious conversions, and due to that, he received death threats from some religious leaders during that time.
In the year 1926, he was murdered by some miscreants. At the museum of the Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar, his photos at the various stages of his life are available.
A statue is installed in the Delhi Town Hall in order to honour the great saint.
Let us praise and worship the great saint and be blessed.
“OM SWAMI SHRADDHANANDARE NAMAHA”
“OM SWAMI DAYANANDARE NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR