Chinmaya Mission
 Logo | |
| Formation | 1951 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Chinmayananda Saraswati |
| Type | Spiritual organization[1] |
| Legal status | Trust |
| 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
[edit]Foundation
[edit]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
[edit]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.[10]
In January 2017, Tejomayananda abdicated his leadership position to Swaroopananda.[11][12]
In 2026, Chinmaya Mission celebrated its 75th anniversary through the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav, a series of events including dialogues with spiritual teachers, Vedic Chanting by Brahmacharis, and a conclave on non-dualism for world understanding, culminating in a Global Sammelan(Conference)[further explanation needed] at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from 23–25 October 2026.[13]
Activities
[edit]![[icon]](/api/browser/proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3AWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (May 2026) |
Bala Vihar
[edit]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.[14][15] Some centers also have a version called Sishu Vihar, which is meant infants.[16]
Cultutral education
[edit]The Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK) serves as the Chinmaya Mission's youth organization. It conducts camps and educational programmes. In a National Youth Convention help in 2025, around 750 participants took part for cultural programmes and discussion on education.[17][18]
The mission has produced material on Hindu philosophy and scriptures through publications and other programmes. It aired a television series Upanishad Ganga, which was first broadcast in Hindi on Doordarshan then later released in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada in 2025. This series highlights teachings from the Upanishads through its episodes.[19]
Healthcare and social service
[edit]Chinmaya Mission has participated in healthcare and social service activities through its local centres. The Chinmaya Mission Hospital in Bengaluru was established in 1960 and expanded by 1970, since its establishment, the hospital has provided medical services. During COVID-19 pandemic, 84 beds were reserved for COVID-19 patients with over 80 patients being treated there in September 2020.[20]
The Chinmaya Mission's local centres have also organised medical camps for disadvantaged communities. It has helped by providing medical supplies, equipment and protective gears during the COVID-19 pandemic.[21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Tejomayananda". www.dailyherald.com. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Chinmaya Mission: Carrying forward Swami Chinmayananda's legacy". NewsGram - Your Most Trusted Place for News with Substance. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
- ↑ "Chinmaya Mission Global". Chinmaya Mission Global. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
- ↑ Reporter, Staff (28 February 2021). "Gita chanting competition finale held". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
- ↑ Kothari, Sonu M. (29 January 2025). "Series on scriptures to go regional". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ "Protest at Chinmaya Mission Hospital in Bengaluru disrupts Covid-19 services". www.deccanherald.com. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
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