DAV, Jaipur commemorates 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati

“The true purpose of education is to develop a well-rounded personality.”  -by Maharishi Dayanand

DAV Centenary Public School, Jaipur, celebrated the bicentennial birth anniversary of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, a great social reformer and founder of the Arya Samaj. The function aimed at creating awareness about the contribution of Swami Dayanand Saraswati in promoting equal rights for women, including the right to education and the reading of Indian scriptures.

The function started with the yajna, which was held at the well-decorated Yagyashala on the campus. The yagyashala was surrounded by the school principal, Mr. A. K. Sharma, staff members, and students who were a part of the project ‘Har Ghar hawan, Ghar ghar hawan, to perform the yajna. The entire campus reverberated with the chants of the Vedic mantras. This was followed by a tableau in which students depicted scenes from the life of Maharishi Dayanand.  Two hundred students of junior high dressed up like Swami Dayanand made a formation of the numerical 200 on the school playground, representing the 200^th ‘Birth Anniversary’ of Swami Dayanand, and also said a few lines about the contribution of this great reformer.

The school library department also organized an exhibition displaying the works of Swami Dayanand to enhance the student’s knowledge about human personality development. The function continued in the school auditorium, where the entire faculty gathered to pay tribute to this great scholar, philosopher, and visionary. The program kicked off with the melodious prayer and chanting of Vedic mantras by a group of faculty members, followed by a customary floral felicitation of the Chief Guest, Shri. Ramakrishna Narang, Retd.

Telecom Engineer, BSNL, and Chief Administrative Officer, Narang Hospital, accompanied by the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. Mr. L. P. Diwivedi from the Sanskrit Department glorified the exemplary life of Swami Dayanand Saraswati in his sermon and expounded on his contribution towards the reformation of Indian society and reinstating the Vedic culture. He urged everyone to imbibe the Vedic values and take Swami Dayanand’s legacy forward. Ms. Manju Yadav, supervisory head, presented a detailed report on the yearlong project ‘Har Ghar hawan, Ghar ghar hawan’ and thanked the principal for playing a pivotal role in the successful accomplishment of the project. She also extended her gratitude to each and every one for their unwavering dedication and support for the successful completion of 51 hawans.

The Music Department paid their musical tribute by singing soulful bhajans. Brilliant lyrics with insightful meaning were sung to the melodious tunes, which evoked spiritual values. A dance drama on the turning points in the life of Swami Dayanand Ji was performed by faculty members of the Dance Department. The staff members who contributed to the ‘Har Ghar hawan, Ghar ghar hawan’ by marking their presence in attending the hawan were felicitated with certificates, momentoes, and saplings by the school principal and chief guest for sparing their valuable time and their support. Ms. Srishti Arya, from the Sanskrit Department, presented a detailed report on the activities being conducted in the past two years to commemorate the 200^th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand.

The chief guest, while addressing the gathering, appreciated the Indian values-based education system followed by the DAV educational institutions, which is the need of the hour. The school principal, in his address, enumerated the benefits of conducting Yagya for cleansing of self as well as the environment, expressed his delight in the successful completion of the project ‘Har Ghar hawan, Ghar ghar hawan’, thanked everyone for their precious time and presence, and acknowledged the efforts of everyone involved in making the event successful. The programme concluded with Shanti Path.