Swami Avdheshanand Giri

Swami Avdheshanand Giri is an Indian Hindu spiritual leader, author, philosopher and preacher from Bulandshahr.[1] He is the Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of Juna Akhara, the oldest and largest order of sadhus in India. He has initiated about one million Naga Sadhus and he is their first Guru.[2][3][4]

Swami

Avdheshanand Giri
Personal
Born
Avdheshanand Giri

Khurja, Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh, India
ReligionHinduism
NationalityIndian
LineageJuna Akhada
Notable work(s)Eternal Wisdom, Vision of Self, Towards Divinity
TempleMrityunjay Mahadev Mandir, Shri Harihar Ashram, Bharat Mata Mandir Haridwar
Religious career
TeacherSwami Satyamitranand Giri, Swami Avdhoot Prakash
PostPresident, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, Juna Peethadheeshwar
HonorsChampions of Change (award), Hindu Renaissance Award, SIES Eminence Award

Avdheshanand Giri is the president of Hindu Dharm Acharya Sabha and a board member of the World Council of Religious Leaders.[5][6][7]

Early life & Sanyas

Giri was born in Khurja, Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh. He left for sanyasa at the age of 17.

He met Swami Avadhoot Prakash, an expert in yoga and versatile in knowledge about Vedas and others. Giri learnt Vedanta philosophy and yoga from him.[8]

After deep meditation he came out of the Himalayas in the year 1985. He then met his Guru, Swami Satyamitranand Giri and took sannyas deeksha from him. Thus he entered the holy Juna Akhara, the largest order of Sadhus and was named Swami Avdheshanand Giri.[9]

In the year 1998 at the Haridwar Kumbh, the saints of Juna Akhara appointed Avdheshanand Giri as 'Acharya Mahamandaleshwar'.[10] He is also the member of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.[11][12][13]

At present, he is also the President of the Samanvaya Seva Trust, which has several branches in India and abroad, the trust includes Bharat Mata Mandir, Haridwar.[14][15]

International Forums

Giri has chaired many international conferences for climate change, interfaith brotherhood and is a regular speaker at various international forums. He is a board member of the World Council of Religious Leaders. He was the keynote speaker at the UNO for ‘Responsible Leadership Summit’ held in May 2019, which was attended by about 200 leaders from various sections of the society across the world.[16][17]

Swami Avdheshanand Giri with President of Israel Rueven Rivlin

In 2011, Giri attended the 2010 interfaith G8 Summit held at Winnipeg, Canada. He was the keynote speaker at the Parliament of the World’s Religions at Melbourne in 2009. Same year he attended the ‘Hindu Jewish Summit’ in Jerusalem. In 2008 he also participated in the Israeli Presidential Conference ‘Facing Tomorrow’.[18][19]

In August 2017, Giri participated in Samvad II: Global Initiative on Conflict Avoidance and Environmental Consciousness that took place in Yangon, Myanmar. It was inaugurated by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Ram Naik and concluded by the Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath. It was organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation (India), Sitagu International Buddhist Academy and University, Myanmar and the Japan Foundation, Japan, in association with the Hindu Dharm Acharya Sabha.[20]

In September 2019 he attended Samvaad III - Global Hindu-Buddhist Initiative on Conflict Avoidance held in Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia. From India Shri Sushil Modi, Dy. Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Gurumurthy, Chairman VIF, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar were also present along with High Abbots from Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.[21]

Social initiatives

In Haridwar, an old age home and a physiotherapy centre is running under the Samanvaya Seva Trust. An educational project is running in Bhopal and Shiv Ganga project in Madhya Pradesh.[22]

Philosophy and teachings

Avdheshanand Giri is an expert on Vedanta and Ancient Indian Philosophy. He is a graduate in Sanskrit and in 2008 he was conferred upon honorary degree of D. Litt. from Vikram University, Ujjain.

Spirituality

He is a regular speaker on various TV channels such as Sanskar TV and events like Kumbh Mela,[14][23] Encyclopedia of Hinduism and Vivekananda International Foundation (Desh, Samaj aur Vyakti).[3][24][25][26] He speaks on topics like Vedanta, Katha and interfaith brotherhood.

He also writes as a columnist on various newspapers.[27]

Giri has many high-profile followers; from Bollywood to politicians Harihar ashram continues to receive many visitors. In October 2019, President of India, Shri Ramnath Kovind visited his ashram, when he went for IIT Roorkee convocation.[28] In 2018, Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat[29] visited Harihar Ashram.[30][31][32]

Bibliography

Swami Avdheshanand is well known for his oratory skills. He has authored many books and has written extensively on the various aspects of Indian spiritual philosophy.[33]

  • Vision of Self, 2013, p:272, ISBN 1482810476
  • Eternal Wisdom, 2014, p:154, ISBN 978-1482823257
  • Amrit Pravachan Avdeshanand Giri ji, 2019, p:149, ASIN: B083C2WWKC
  • Brahma is the truth (ब्रह्म ही सत्य है), 2016, ISBN 9788131005248, p:192, language:Hindi
  • You live only once, 2019, p:182, ISBN 9388754697

Awards & Honors
  • Champions of Change (award) 2019 for his efforts towards communal harmony and spiritual awakening. The award was conferred upon by former President Pranab Mukherjee in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi[34]
  • SIES Eminence Award 2019,[35]
  • Hindu Renaissance Award 2008 in California, USA (This award is given by Hindusim Today magazine to leaders who inspire, reinvigorate, and strengthen the Hinduism)[22]

References
  1. Feb 10, TNN. "International Yog Festival to see star-studded line-up | Dehradun News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  2. "हिंदी खबर, Latest News in Hindi, हिंदी समाचार, ताजा खबर". Patrika News (in Hindi).
  3. "Vimarsha: Talk by Shri Swami Avdheshanand Giri ji Maharaj, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of the Juna Akhara on 'Desh, Samaj aur Vyakti'". www.vifindia.org. 3 October 2018.
  4. त्रिपाठी, संजय (10 February 2020). "राम मंदिर के मॉडल को लेकर VHP खफा, उपाध्यक्ष चंपत राय बोले- नए डिजाइन पर बना तो लगेंगे 25 साल". www.abplive.com (in Hindi).
  5. "The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha". BAPS.
  6. "Sixth Hindu Acharya Sabha" (PDF). ArshaVidya.
  7. "बुलंदशहर: मंत्रोच्चारण के बीच हुआ श्री कृष्णा धाम के लिए भूमि पूजन". Patrika News (in Hindi).
  8. Academy, Himalayan. "Hinduism Today Magazine". www.hinduismtoday.com.
  9. "भारत माता मंदिर के संस्थापक महामंडलेश्वर स्वामी सत्यमित्रानंद गिरि ब्रह्मलीन, आज दी जाएगी समाधि". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 26 June 2019.
  10. "The famous akhadas at Kumbh mela". Hindustan Times. 13 January 2019.
  11. "अमरनाथ यात्रा की तारीख घोषित, एक अप्रैल से रजिस्ट्रेशन शुरू, 23 जून को रवाना होगा पहला जत्था". Amar Ujala.
  12. Service, Tribune News. "Amarnath board reconstituted". Tribuneindia News Service.
  13. "42-day Shri Amarnathji Yatra to begin on 23rd June". Northlines. 14 February 2020.
  14. "ताकतवर-रसूखदारः साधु की शक्ति". aajtak.intoday.in (in Hindi).
  15. Sharma, Aman (14 January 2020). "Centre weighs a dozen names for Ram Temple Trust". The Economic Times.
  16. "Israeli leaders meet with leaders of Eastern faith traditions". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  17. "NSA Doval meets Hindu, Muslim religious leaders". The Asian Age. 11 November 2019.
  18. "Responsible Leaders Summit". theCRL.org.
  19. "Religious leaders call for action on the environment, poverty and peace | BWNS". Bahá’í World News Service. 24 June 2010.
  20. "Global Hindu Buddhist Initiative". Samvad.vifindia.org.
  21. "अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सम्मेलन में पीएम मोदी के साथ भाग लेंगे उपमुख्यमंत्री". Bhaskar.com.
  22. "Swami Avdheshananda Giri, Hindu of the year". hinduismtoday.com.
  23. "स्वामी अवधेशानंद गिरि से मिले मुख्यमंत्री त्रिवेंद्र, कहा 'समय से पूरे होंगे कुंभ के काम'". Amar Ujala.
  24. "आज स्वामी अवधेशानंद बताएंगे जीवन संवारने के मंत्र". Patrika News (in Hindi).
  25. Automation, Bhaskar (25 February 2020). "अवधेशानंद गिरि महाराज व्याख्यानमाला में बताएंगे अध्यात्म और सुखद जीवन का राज". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi).
  26. "जल और धरा को बचाना युवाओं की जिम्मेदारी : स्वामी अवधेशानंद गिरी महाराज Sharanpur News". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi).
  27. "चिंतन, चरित्र और स्वभाव से अपने गुरु जैसा बनना जरूरी, सिर्फ ज्ञान लेना सार्थक नहीं". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 15 July 2019.
  28. "President to meet head of Juna Akhara today". TOI. 4 October 2019.
  29. "RSS chief arrives in Haridwar on 2-day visit". TOI. 27 June 2018.
  30. "2016-05-11 : Took blessing of Swami Avdheshanand Giri ji Maharaj at Ujjain Kumbh". Amit Shah Official. 11 May 2016.
  31. "स्वामी अवधेशानंद से मिले राष्ट्रपति रामनाथ कोविंद, पत्नी संग की भगवान शिव की पूजा, तस्वीरें..." Amar Ujala.
  32. "विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी के क्षेत्र में महिलाएं आगे आएं: राष्ट्रपति रामनाथ कोविंद". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi).
  33. Giri, Acharya Swami Avdheshanand (2013). Vision of Self. Partridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4828-1047-9.
  34. "Sri Avdheshanand Giri Maharaj gets champions of Change Award 2019". Business News This Week. 24 January 2020.
  35. "South Indian Education Society". www.siesedu.net.
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