Sadhu T. L. Vaswani

Sadhu
T. L. Vaswani
Born Thanwardas Lilaram Vaswani
(1879-11-25)25 November 1879
Hyderabad, Sindh, Sind Province, British India
Died 16 January 1966(1966-01-16) (aged 86)
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Resting place Sacred Samadhi at Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune, India
Monuments Darshan Museum
Nationality Indian
Other names Sadhu Vaswani
Education M.A.
Organization Sadhu Vaswani Mission, est. 1929
Religion Hinduism
Website www.sadhuvaswani.org
Notes

Sadhu T. L. Vaswani Sindhi: ساڌوُ ٿانورداس ليلارام واسواڻي (November 25, 1879 – January 16, 1966)[1][2] Sadhu T. L. Vaswani was an Indian educationist who started the Mira movement of education and set up Sadhu Vaswani Mission in Hyderabad, Sindh, and later moved to Pune after 1949.[3] A museum, Darshan Museum dedicated to his life and teaching was opened in Pune, in 2011.[4]

Early life and education

Sadhu Vaswani was born Thanwardas Lilaram Vaswani, in Hyderabad Sind.[5] When he was a boy, he attended the Academy at Hyderabad-Sind. As a boy, he first learned about the sacred texts called the Upanishads from Upadhyaya Brahmabandhav, a Brahmin from Bengal who adopted Christianity. Later in his lifetime, Sadhu Vaswani was recognized as an accomplished proponent of the Upanishads and a skilled interpreter of the Bible and the Qur'an.[6]

He passed his Matriculation and completed his B.A. from the University of Bombay in 1899. After completing his B.A. examination, he received the Ellis Scholarship and became a Dakshina Fellow at D.J. Sind College in Karachi while studying for his master's degree. He received his M.A. degree also from the University of Bombay in 1902.[5] He then asked his mother for permission to devote his life to the service of God and man. His mother desired that her son have success in life and would not agree. As a result, Vaswani agreed to take a teaching job at his alma mater, Union Academy. His mother sought to arrange a marriage for her son but Vaswani vowed to remain a brahmachari and never to marry. He soon accepted a position as Professor of History and Philosophy at Metropolitan College in Calcutta. There in Calcutta Vaswani found his guru, Sri Promotholal Sen, called Naluda.[6]

Career

After receiving his M.A. degree, at the age of 22, Vaswani took a job at Union Academy, his alma mater. After a few months, he accepted a position as a Professor of History and Philosophy at City College, Kolkata in 1903. In 1908 he moved to Karachi to join D. J. Science College as Professor of English and Philosophy, before participating in the Indian independence movement.[5][6]

In July 1910, when Vaswani was 30 years old, he and his guru, Sri Promotholal Sen, sailed from Mumbai to Berlin. In August 1910, they participated in the Welt Congress or the World Congress of Religions in Berlin. Sadhu Vaswani spoke to the conference as a representative of India and expressed a message of peace, tranquility, the helping and healing of India, and Atman.[5][6][7] He founded Sadhu Vaswani Mission in 1929, in Hyderabad.

He was 40 years old when his mother died. He fulfilled his promise to her to work and make an income during her lifetime, but after her funeral he resigned his employment. He was an early supporter of Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement. Upon his motion and under his influence the Sind Political Conference of the Indian National Congress passed a resolution regarding the NonCooperation program. He wrote many books, which include: India Arisen; Awake, Young India!; India's Adventure; India in Chains; The Secret of Asia; My Motherland; Builders of Tomorrow; and Appostles of Freedom.[7] The Government of India issued a postage stamp in his honour.

In Culture

Annually, the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, which exists to continue the life and mission of Sadhu T. L. Vaswani, celebrates the International Meatless Day on Vaswani's birthday, November 25, because he had strongly advocated universal practice of vegetarian living.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "www.darshanmuseum.org". www.darshanmuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  2. ↑ "Sadhu T. L. Vaswani". indiayogi.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19.
  3. ↑ "History of Sadhu Vaswani Mission". Official website.
  4. ↑ "Life and times of Sadhu Vaswani". DNA (newspaper). Jul 23, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Biography Official web site, Retrieved June 2011,
  6. 1 2 3 4 J.P. Vaswani (2002). Sadhu Vaswani: His Life and Teachings. Sterling Publishers Pvt.Ltd. ISBN 81-207-2462-3.
  7. 1 2 J.P.Vaswani, 2008. I Am a Sindhi: The Glorious Sindhi Heritage The Culture and Folklore of Sind. Sterling Paperbacks.
  8. ↑ Vaswani, D.P., What is Meatless Day all about ???, Sadhu Vaswani Mission
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