Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda was a sage, philosopher, thinker, writer and disciplinarian, all rolled into one. He believed that all education is fruitless, and mere labour, if it does not inculcate noble virtues in students. As he envisaged it, education was not only a load of information, but also the light of transformation. He envisioned that the reason for the dissonance among people around the world, was the absence of a manual for living.

He believed that Vedanta, the universal science of life, was the spiritual birthright of every human being, and that its earnest study would result in tremendous growth and evolution. Advaita Vedanta, the ageless wisdom of universal oneness, is applicable to all, irrespective of background and class; ecumenical in approach, and with the remarkable ability to accommodate changing times without compromising its essence.

He wished to build an institution, not an institute; a veritable movement that nourished souls, creating new generations of men and women of high integrity and great moral stature. Gurudev’s vision, enshrined in the Chinmaya Vision Programme, is the foundation on which the Chinmaya Educational Institutions stand tall today, nourishing the global Chinmaya family and the society at large.

With more than 10,000 students children enrolling each year, and more than a million having graduated, the Chinmaya Education Movement has come a long way since inception. Many lamps have been lit, many hearts have been kindled.