Founder of Bharat Sevashram Sangha

Acharya Srimat Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj

Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj was a gigantic, miraculously precocious spiritual personality, the illustrious World Teacher and Saint-Savior of noble cultural heritage and spiritual tradition, more dynamically active, more practical, more benignly loving and more humanitarian…ushered into coexistence and set tremendous movements to cater to the carrying needs of the hour as an Epoch-making Seer of the Age and generated a re-adjustment and re-orientation afresh in the prevailing calamitous milieu at the age of national transition. Srimat Swami Pranavanandaji, the great Spiritual Preceptor and Guide and a universal nation-building icon of our country, appeared to preach and propagate the ideals of morality and religion and proclaim the majesty and glory of renunciation, self-discipline, devotion to truth and continence to raise and lead the nation on the path of morality and spirituality, Sacrifice and Service. Untiring and unceasing were his pursuit in teaching and preaching, writing and public speaking, in harmonizing universal unification and emancipation, cohesion and co-ordination, in building the social individual and national life with a Divine Mission to cater to the crying needs of the age. A Messiah so philanthropic, a seer so great, a saviour so benign bounteous, he glorified and popularized the essence of ‘Vedanta’ the universal religion of man, with never failing devotion and fruitful effective service. As a God’s messenger to man or builder the nation, the World Teacher proclaim certain universal ideas in brief, pity and candid saying for finding answer to certain baffling problems of the age in the same manner in which Sri Krishna, Goutam Buddha, Sankaracharya or Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda appeared as a leader or builder, guided the nation and human society, bringing into existence re-orientation and re-adjustment amid the prevailing darkling chaos infinite in wisdom and unerring in thoughts, words and performances. Dedicated to ‘ever ready’ relief for the distressed with selfless service, the architect and the founder of the Bharat Sevashram Acharya Swami Pranavananda became manifest as a Gothic pillar of strength, a most dependable prop to the downtrodden and outcastes, the strayed and nonplussed nation. Swamiji had the manly courage to love and serve, dynamically to link up the outcastes and the downtrodden with the elites to transform our society into a unified whole, to make proper use of moral and spiritual education to build up character. As a prodigious reformer, he augmented a resurgence, a resurrection, a renaissance in every sphere of our society; he formed “Divine Humanity”.

About Bharat Sevashram Sangha

The Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a spiritual brotherhood of monks and selfless workers devoted to the service of humanity. It was founded by the illustrious patriot saint Acharya Srimat Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj. In the history of service to humanity, Bharat Sevashram Sangha is one of the most pioneering organization which is implemented the idea of service and spirituality complementing to each other. The concept is “Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya cha” means one’s own liberation and welfare of the world. Swami Pranavanandji thought that the golden way to serve humanity is to bring about social, economic, cultural and of course, spiritual uplift of the people at large with particular emphasis on under privileged masses so he founded Bharat Sevashram Sangha. Swami Pranavanandaji wanted to serve the country without any attachment, irrespective of caste or creed so he gave his Ashram’s name Bharat Sevashram Sangha. Ideology behind the epithet of great Bharat Sevashram Sangha, he explained that “Bharat” indicates that Sangha’s primary object is emancipation of the people on the eternal lofty ideals of India or Bharat. “Seva” imports the idea of serving the people physically, mentally, morally and spiritually, “Ashram” suggests the system which is based and disciplined on the ideals and practice of renunciation, self-control, truth, continence and honest labour, “Sangha” means organization. It is purely a philanthropic and charitable organization with non-sectarian, non-communal and non-political character and outlook. Thus without any regard for faith, race and region, the work of public service is going on in India and abroad by this organization since its inception in 1917, the Sangha has been serving people by multifarious activities important like:

• To help the distressed, to nurse the sick, to feed the hungry and to clothed the naked and help them to stand by themselves.
• Humanitarian Service in the fields of Education sangha promote educational facilities for the financially challenged section of the society, Healthcare, crusade against the untouchability, upliftment of the downtrodden, relief and rehabilitation during the natural calamities, providing peace and solace to the distressed and aggrieved persons.
• Preaching of ideals of Indian culture in India and abroad and spread of ideal education that makes true men on sound moral and builds a nation on strong foundation.
• Reformation of Holy places and create a favourable atmosphere for moral and spiritual growth at large.
• Regenerating of Indian society for National integration through the Milan Mandir’s and other programmes.
• To ameliorate and improve the social and financial conditions of the people by setting up Vocational Training centres and promoting cottage industries as means as self-employment.
• Inculcation of physical and mental culture among the youth of the country so as to build up a powerful self-employment.

Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a non-profit organization and depends entirely on the support and generosity of Individuals, Foundation and Corporate Houses. The Sangha is purely a non-sectarian, non-communal and non-political character, irrespective of their caste and creed. The main aims and objectives of the Sangha are to help the distressed, to nurse the sick, to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and provide relief and rehabilitation to the afflicted people in times of tsunami, earthquakes, flood, famine, drought, super cyclone, Aila, cyclone, riots and other disastrous/natural calamities.

The Sangha serving the country through its 100 branches and more than 500 welfare centers for the last 100 years. Its services during the hours of natural calamities of flood, famine, earthquake, super cyclone etc., running of hundreds of charitable dispensaries, hospitals, mobile medical units, ambulances, leprosy and cancer treatment centre and patient’s homes, senior citizen homes, tribal welfare and upliftment, orphanage schools etc. are all for the downtrodden and weaker section of the society. In recognition of its services to the nation, the Govt. of India has exempted the Sangha U/S(23)(c)(iv) and its donors U/S 80G of IT Act and United Nations has accredited the Sangha with ECOSOC Consultative Status and also member of both CSVGC (Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global concerns) and CRNGO (Committee of Religious NGOs Bureau). We have expanded and increased our humanitarian activities thereby directly or indirectly achieving the Agenda 2030 and 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Our collaboration and co-operation with other NGOs and faith-based organizations demonstrate our willingness to remove traditional age-old barriers.