535) Swami Chinmayananda (08.05.1916- 03.08.1993): Celebrating his Birth Centenary: A commemorative coin of Rs.10/- issued by the India Government Mint, Hyderabad in 2016:
Last week, I received four
coins from the India Government Mint, Hyderabad, booked through online orders
in December 2016. One of the coins of Rs.10/- denomination commemorates the “Birth
Centenary of Swami Chinmayananda”. The details of this coin contained in this
album are as under:
The cover of the six page
album containing the Rs. 10/- coin
It is inscribed “Smarak Sikka” (in Hindi) and
“Commemorative Coin” (in English). Below this inscription is mentioned “Swami Chinmayanand Ki Janamshati-2016”
(in Hindi) and “BIRTH CENTENARY OF SWAMI CHINMAYANADA - 2016” (in English).
The cover shows Swami
Chinmayananda standing with a peaceful and serene look on his face, radiant in
the rays of the rising sun from behind a mountain range.
The inner pages 2 & 3
of the coin album
The inner page 2 gives a
brief description of Swami Chinmayananda’s life and spiritual work:
“Swami Chinmayananda was
born in Ernakulum district of Kerala on 8th May 1916. His parents had
given him the name was Balakrishna Menon (Balan). He completed his graduation
from Lucknow University. Chinmayananda is counted (as) one amongst the most
notable spiritual leaders in India. He was considered as an authority on the
ancient Indian scriptures, especially the sacred Bhagwad Gita and the
Upanishads. Chinmayananda met Swami Sivananda at Rishikesh. Studying under
Swami Topovan proved to be a turning point in (the) life of Chinmayananda. He
was the founder of the Chinmaya Mission and also the author of more than30
books dedicated to the philosophical beliefs behind religion.
The Government of India
has released a Commemorative Coin on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Swami
Chinmayananda on 08th May 2015”.
Page 2 also shows a front
facing portrait of Swami Chinmayananda.
Page 3 shows the Obverse
of the coin and mentions the specifications of the coin
An image of the Obverse of
the Rs.10/- coin on a stand-alone basis
It shows the name of the
issuing country “Bharat” (in Hindi) on the left periphery in the centre and
“India” on the right periphery in the centre. In the centre is the emblem of
the Government of India, the Lion Capitol derived from the Ashok pillar emblem
of the legendary “Samrat” (Emperor)
of Ancient India “Ashok the Great”. Below the emblem is inscribed “Satyameva
Jayate” (meaning “Truth will always Prevail”), a term coined by Mahamana Madan
Mohan Malaviya, the founder of the Banaras Hindu University located at Varanasi
in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh.
This image shows Pages 4
and 5 of the coin album
Page 4 of the album shows
the Reverse face of the coin and mentions the coin’s specifications supplementary information.
This page of the album
also an image of Swami Chinmayananda giving an animated discourse.
The Reverse of the
Rs.10/-coin on a stand-alone basis
It shows a portrait of
Swami Chinmayananda in the centre. On the outer upper periphery is mentioned “Swami Chinmayanand Ki Janamshati” (in Hindi)
and “BIRTH CENTENARY OF SWAMI CHINMAYANADA” (in English). The year of issue
“2015” is below Swami Chinmayananda’s portrait. The five pointed “Star” mint
mark of the Hyderabad Mint is below the numerals “01” below the year of issue.
The specifications of this coin as described on Page 3 &
Page 4 are:
Denomination
of the coin: Rs.10/-; Outer Ring: (ALUMINIUM
BRONZE): Copper – 92%, Aluminium – 6%, Nickel – 2%; Centre Piece: (CUPRO NICKEL): Copper – 75%,
Nickel – 25%; Diameter: 27.0 mm; Weight: 7.71 grams. Year of issue: 2016.
Page 5 of the coin album
shows Swami Chinmayananda sitting cross-legged facing right.
A larger image of the Reverse of the coin has
been placed on this page of top right.
The Back Cover of the coin
album describes the evolution of the Government Mint, Hyderabad and its present
functions and capabilities
More
about Swami Chinmayananda:
Education:
He completed his formal
schooling in Sree Rama Varma High School, Kochi (1921-1928) and Vivekodayam
School, Thrissur (1928-1932). He completed his FA (Fellow of Arts) at the
Maharaja’s College, Trichur (1935-1937).
Thereafter, he went to Lucknow
University (1940-1943) to earn post-graduate degrees in literature and law,
while completing courses in journalism.
He even joined the
National Herald (a newspaper being published out of Lucknow) and wrote
several articles on the imperative of socialism in a society where the vast
majority of citizens were poor. His articles covered a wide range of issues – from
history and culture to social and political. Articles such as “In praise of the
Postman” and “The Mochi – Symbol of Craftsmanship” met with a lot of
controversy.
(Incidentally Lucknow
University is where I too have studied English literature and law in 1977-1982,
almost four decades later and was contributing as a free-lancer for newspapers
– Northern India Patrika & The Pioneer being published from Lucknow, during
this period).
Participating
in India’s Independence Movement to make the British “Quit India”:
Around 1942,
as a student at Lucknow University, he wrote several articles supporting the
cause of Indian Independence and distributed leaflets, earning the ire of
the local British Raj authorities who issued an arrest warrant against him. To
evade arrest, he moved to Abbottabad and later to Delhi.
In Punjab, he associated
himself with several freedom groups, where his activities on advising students
to distribute leaflets for the cause of India’s Independence and organising
public strikes led to another warrant being issued against him and he was
arrested and imprisoned in very
unhygienic conditions, where he contracted
typhus. The scared jail authorities took several sick prisoners
including him out at night and left them on a roadside outside the city limits.
He was rescued by an Indian Christian lady whose son was serving in the British
Raj army and taken to her home and to a hospital.
Encounter
with Sri Ramanna Maharishi and Swami Sivananda:
During his student years,
he had no idea that he would go on to become a celebrated spiritual teacher.
In 1936, he visited
the eminent sage Sri Ramanna Maharishi which changed his entire life. In his
own narration, when Ramanna Maharishi looked at him, he experienced a thrill of
spiritual enlightenment, which at that time he rationalised “as being mere
hypnotism”.
In fact, while working as
a journalist for National Herald, during his Lucknow University years, he
wrote an article “exposing sadhus”. For the purpose of “finding evidence”
to support his article, he went to the “Divine Life Society” ashram of Swami
Sivananda. The interaction at the
Ashram, transformed his life from “being a sceptic to enthusiast” and finally
becoming a “renunciate monk”. He began reading more about Hindu
scriptures and reviewing spiritual books.
On 25.02.1949, the
auspicious day of the Hindu festival of “Mahashivratri”,
he was initiated into “sannyasa”
(renunciation from the materialistic world & formally entering the
spiritual world) by Swami Sivananda. He was given the name “Swami
Chinmayananda” (or “Bliss of pure Consciousness”).
Thereafter, he underwent
an intensive study of Vedanta under the guidance of one of the greatest
Vedantic masters of his time – Tapovan Maharaj of Uttarkashi -
leading an austere lifestyle and focussing only on his study of the scriptures
under the master.
In 1951,
Chinmayananda made it his mission to bring the teachings of Vedanta,
hitherto a preserve of the Brahmins (Upper Caste) to the masses. He visited
several places of worship in the Himalayas to study how Hindu religious
heritage was being handed down for centuries, but was rather disappointed
during his tour and resolved to hold his lecture series all over India.
In December 1951,
he held his first lecture series at a Ganesha Temple in Pune. His audiences
swelled to several thousands, including army officers from the Southern
Command, women, teenagers, persons of all castes etc. The “Jnana Yajna” (Vedic ritual) although performed by Brahmin priests,
had participation from everyone in the
audience across social strata, which was hitherto the prerogative of Brahmins
only.
The
Chinmaya Mission:
On 08.08.1953,
after the second “Jnana Yajna” at
Madras (present day Chennai), the Chinmaya Mission was formed.
Within no time at all, hundreds
of study groups were set up by persons in small batches to study religion
and philosophy in a systematic manner. Devi groups were organised for
women to take up regular spiritual study and social work.
In 1956, the 23rd
Jnana Yajna in Delhi was inaugurated by the President of India, Rajendra Prasad
who commended Chinmayananda’s work done to restore India’s cultural glory
within a short time.
By the time the 25th
Jnana Yajna was held, more than 50,000 persons had been instructed by
Chinmayananda.
On 06.03.1965, he
embarked on his first global teaching tour covering 39 cities in 18
countries, including – Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, USA, Mexico,
Spain, United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Denmark,
France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Lebanon etc.
In 1975, the Chinmaya
Mission West was set up to co-ordinate the growing spiritual movement in
the USA.
Chinmayananda’s
message finds universal acceptance:
Chinmayananda’s message found
universal acceptance.
One of his Yajnas held in Bombay (present day
Mumbai) was inaugurated by Cardinal Valerian Gracias, a prominent Catholic
archbishop of the time.
The Dalai Lama, head of
the Tibetan Buddhist Order, visited him at the Chinmaya Mission
Ashram in Sidhbari in 1981.
In 1992, he undertook
a lecture tour of 12 US Universities to establish an international
library and research centre – the Chinmaya International Foundation – in the
village Veliyanad in Ernakulum District of Kerala.
Creation
of the “Vishwa Hindu Parishad” (VHP):
In August 1964,
with a view to focus on the “survival and development of Hindu culture”, the RSS
pracharak S.S. Apte and Swami
Chinmayananda jointly organised a conference at the Sandeepany Ashram which
led to the founding of the “Vishwa
Hindu Parishad”, with Swami Chinmayananda as the President and Apte as
the General Secretary.
Passing
away & legacy:
On 03.08.1993, he
attained “mahasamadhi” (passed away).
Apart from the several
Ashrams set up around the world, there are presently several devotional,
spiritual, cultural and social projects that the Chinmaya mission administers
including the “Bala Vihar”, the “Chinmaya
Yuva Kendra”, Chinmaya Study Groups
etc.
The mission has constructed
around 60 temples in India and abroad.
The Chinmaya
Organisation for Rural Development (CORD) which was founded by
Chinmayananda himself facilitates integrated sustainable development for the
poor through self-employment.
Over 76 “Chinmaya Vidyalayas” (schools), 7 Chinmaya
Colleges and Chinmaya Vidyalaya set up in Trinidad, West Indies for the
education of school children.
Chinmayananda authored 95
publications in his lifetime including 40 commentaries on classical
scriptural texts, 8 compilations, 13 co-authored works and 34 original works.
The BMI (Body Mind
Intellect) Chart is a teaching tool innovated by Chinmayananda which
categorises the totality of human experience, according to the science of
Vedanta, by drawing 11 characters of the English & Devanagri alphabets.
His birth centenary has
been celebrated with the publication of Chinmaya Birth Centenary Series of
12 books. The 11th book in the series is on “Sadhana – the
spiritual trail” and is titled “The Life of I”.
Links to other articles on coins issued on Prominent saints and temples of India:
1) 25 Years of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board
Links to other articles on coins issued on Prominent saints and temples of India:
1) 25 Years of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board
8) Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram
9) Swami Chinmayananda : Celebrating his Birth Centenary: A Rs.10/- coin issued by the Hyderabad Mint
10) Commemorating the Birth Centenary of Acharya Tulsi of Jainism by issuing a Rs.20/- coin
Other interesting posts on Christian Saints, Churches, priests and the Pope: 1) The inspiring story of Saint Teresa :
2) Saint Alphonsa: The first Catholic Woman Saint of India
3) Pope Francis: 80th Birthday on 17.12.2016: 6 Commemorative coins issued by Cook Islands
4) Christ Church Fort Teppakulam, Trichirapalli
5) St. Joan of Arc: The patron Saint of France
6) Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregarious Centenary Celebrations
7) Bicentenary of the Old Seminary in Kottayam
9) Swami Chinmayananda : Celebrating his Birth Centenary: A Rs.10/- coin issued by the Hyderabad Mint
10) Commemorating the Birth Centenary of Acharya Tulsi of Jainism by issuing a Rs.20/- coin
Other interesting posts on Christian Saints, Churches, priests and the Pope: 1) The inspiring story of Saint Teresa :
2) Saint Alphonsa: The first Catholic Woman Saint of India
3) Pope Francis: 80th Birthday on 17.12.2016: 6 Commemorative coins issued by Cook Islands
4) Christ Church Fort Teppakulam, Trichirapalli
5) St. Joan of Arc: The patron Saint of France
6) Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregarious Centenary Celebrations
7) Bicentenary of the Old Seminary in Kottayam
Rattan Nath has commented:
ReplyDelete"Is there more than Rs. 10 worth of metal in the coin and, is it legal tender?"
Rattan Nath has further commented:
Delete"Can it be obtained for Rs. 10?"
Yes, Rattan. This coin is legal tender. While this is an Uncirculated (U) quality coin,this coin has also been released into circulation and has face value of Rs. 10/- , although they are rarely seen in circulation. This coin would not have metal content of more than Rs. 10/- but, with the 6 page album and various descriptions was priced around Rs.360/- . I buy these coins, because these are collector's items and circulation coins are not readily available and they are one time issues. Only sometimes, there is a re-booking.
DeleteVinod Khurana has commented:
ReplyDelete"So many similarities. Rajeev ji, I hope one day in near future coin in your name may also be issued."
Ha, Ha, Vinodji, the similarities seem to end with a similar University education and writing for newspapers. He was one of the greatest sages who contributed towards a revival of ancient Hindu philosophy without the trappings of "customs" which had crept in through the centuries. I doubt if I will ever measure up to the work done by him. He is one of my favourite icons.
DeleteChervatoor Mohankumar has commented:
ReplyDelete"I heard him speaking during my childhood. Never understood except the manly voice with splendid mix of anecdotes and excellent use of words. After growing up reread and whatever little i know about adhyatma ,a great deal of credit is due to swamiji. Nice to read your summary of his life events. Thanks for posting it."
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences.
DeleteRajiv Kudesia has commented:
ReplyDelete"Sir ji aapnay Jo coin post kiya hai yeh aapki badaulat hum logo ko dekhnay ko mila .It is wonderful collection."
Thank you for your very encouraging comment, Rajivji
DeleteVineeta Jain has commented:
ReplyDelete"Interesting and informative!"
Thanks, Vineeta.
Delete