A commemorative postage stamp on Dayananda Saraswati, an Indian philosopher, social leader, founder of the Arya Samaj and disciple of Virajanand Dandee Swami :

Issued by India

Issued on Apr 7, 2023

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue Commemorative Postage Stamp on Dayanand Saraswati and salutes the life and work of this great social and political reformer and a true patriot.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure : Sh. Anuj Zood
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 201600

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Mool Shankar Tiwari

Born on 12 Feb, 1824 at Tankara, Morvi district, Gujarat, India

Died on 30 Oct, 1883 at Ajmer, Rajasthan, India

About : 

• Dayanand Saraswati was born as Mool Shankara on February 12, 1824 at Tankara, Morvi in the state of Gujarat. He belonged to a wealthy family of Samavedi Brahmins. His father Karshanji Lalji Tiwari brought up his son under the strict Brahminical rules. To acquire true knowledge, Mool Shankara left his parental home at the age of nineteen and wandered in various parts of India in search of truly learned ascetics to master the theory and practice of Yoga. He became a Sannyasi at the age of 24 and was named as Dayanand Saraswati.
• In the year 1860, he found his Guru, a remarkable Sanskrit scholar at Mathura, Swami Virjananda Saraswati who was visually handicapped but had a grand vision about the future of India. On completion of Dayanand’s studies, Guru Virjananda took a promise from his disciple as ‘Dakshina’ that he would dedicate his life to remove ignorance from the society, work incessantly to spread true Vedic knowledge.
• In the 17^th and 18^th century, Swami Dayanand Saraswati emerged as a torchbearer in the Indian society and raised his powerful voice among the masses – men and women, illiterate and educated, people living in the cities as well as in the rural areas. He worked in many spheres and in various facets of life but his contribution in the revival of Vedic tradition is the greatest.
• He gave a clarion call, Back to the Vedas and enthused Hindu society. At such a time when Vedas were considered as ancient relics of our civilization and when western scholars had started misinterpreting them, Swami Dayanand made a serious attempt to discover the genius of Vedic tradition by adopting the ancient and original methodology for proper interpretation of the Vedas which had fallen into disuse and misuse, during the decadence period.
• Long before the rise of Indian National Congress, Swami Dayanand Saraswati had built the foundation of a strong nationhood. It was Dayanand Saraswati who used the words like Swaraj and Swadeshi for the first time. Dayananda showed true patriotism that was far in advance of the times.
• Sardar Patel described Dayananda Saraswati as a great revolutionary leader and maker of India’s destiny. His contribution towards the ideas of one national language throughout the country, Swadeshi, Nationalism, establishment of Panchayats, upliftment of the downtrodden, national and social unity, profound sense of patriotism and declaration of Swarajya was an unparallel gift to the Nation.
• Great Indian patriots like Bhagat Singh, Ram Prasad Bismil, Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shyamji Krishna Verma and a galaxy of other freedom fighters were closely associated with and influenced by the ideas of Dayanand Saraswati. Lala Lajpat Rai referred to Dayanand Saraswati as his “Dharma Pita” and Arya Samaj as his Mother. Sardar Arjun Singh, Grandfather of Bhagat Singh (who had a picture of Swamiji tattooed on his chest), at the time of Yagyopavit (holy thread) ceremony of Bhagat Singh & his brother Jagat Singh, vowed to dedicate both his grandchildren in the service of the Nation. The author of the popular patriotic poem “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamana”, Ram Prasad Bismil who happily went to gallows, too was imbued with nationalistic views of Swamiji. The great nationalist, Shyamji Krishna Verma was a direct disciple of Dayanand Saraswati.
• Mrs. Annie Besant an ardent supporter of Indian self-rule and founder of ‘Indian Home Rule Movement’ called Dayanand Saraswati as the first to raise the slogan, India for Indians. Mahatma Gandhi appreciated his unequivocal pronouncement against untouchability.
• The Arya Samaj movement, while taking a cue from Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s works, took up various programmes for the upliftment of depressed classes and established a number of Dalitoddhar Sabhas in the country.
• Dayanand Saraswati was deeply concerned about deplorable condition of women in India. He delved deep into the Vedic studies and found that inferiority of the females was not at all sanctioned by the Vedas. He asserted that during Vedic times women enjoyed a very respectable position in the society. The orthodoxy opposed tooth and nail when Dayanand Saraswati started his crusade to preach.
• Text : Referenced from content provided by Proponent.

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