Chinmaya Mission

The Chinmaya Mission is a Hindu religious and spiritual

organization engaged in the dissemination of Vedanta, the science
Chinmaya Mission
of the self as expounded in the Vedas, particularly the Upanishads,
and other Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita.[2][3] The
devotees of the renowned Vedanta teacher Swami Chinmayananda
Saraswati established the Chinmaya Mission in India in 1953.[4]

Administered by the Central Chinmaya Mission Trust in Mumbai,

India, the mission was later headed by Swami Tejomayananda and Logo
is now headed by Swami Swaroopananda. There are over 313 Formation 1951
mission centres all over India and abroad. North America had more
Founder Chinmayananda
than 30 centres.[5] It is currently administered by Central
Chinmaya Mission Trust (CCMT) in Mumbai, India, headed by Saraswati
Swami Swaroopananda.[6] Type Spiritual
organization[1]
The motto of the Chinmaya Mission is "to give maximum
happiness to maximum people for maximum time". It does not Legal status Trust
seek to convert other religious practitioners.[6] Purpose Spirituality,
Vedanta

History Headquarters Mumbai,

Maharashtra, India
Location International
Foundation
Area served Worldwide
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati,[7] the founder of Chinmaya Headed By Swami
Mission, was born in the city of Ernakulam in present-day Kerala, Swaroopananda
India.[8] He taught spirituality as the art of living. Through jnana
Main organ Central Chinmaya
yoga (the Vedantic path of spiritual knowledge), he emphasized
Mission Trust
the balance of head and heart, pointing out selfless work, study,
and meditation as the cornerstones of spiritual practice. Website chinmayamission
.com (http://chinma
Doubting the teachings of the sages in the Himalayas, Balakrishna yamission.com/)
Menon met Swami Sivananda (Divine Life Society), who initially
guided him in spiritual studies and then placed him under the tutelage of Swami Tapovanam (Tapovan
Maharaj), with whom he pursued spiritual studies for nine years. He eventually came to share this Vedantic
knowledge with the masses, in the form of the dynamic teacher known as Swami Chinmayananda.
Swamiji is a teacher of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. He is often credited with the renaissance of spirituality and
cultural values in India as well as the spreading of Advaita Vedānta, as expounded by Adi Shankaracharya,
throughout the world. Vedānta which is one of six orthodox philosophical systems believes that an
enlightened guru, having the knowledge of both scriptures and Brahman, is indispensable for anyone
seeking salvation.

After Chinmayananda

After Chinmayananda died in 1993, his disciple Swami Tejomayananda (known as Guruji) 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.

In January 2017, Swami Tejomayananda assigned the headship of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide to Sri
Swami Swaroopananda.[9][10]

Activities
The following activities are conducted at mission centers on a weekly basis:

Bala Vihar

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. Bala Vihar is a program that is conducted throughout the world,
not just in India, but also in countries such as the United States, UK, and Australia.[11][12] Some centers
also have a version called Sishu Vihar, which is meant for children aged 2 to 4.

Chinmaya Yuva Kendra

Chinmaya Yuva Kendra, known as CHYK, is the global youth arm of the Chinmaya Mission. It is meant
for youth aged 18–30 and its motto is "Harnessing Youth Potential through Dynamic Spirituality".[13]
CHYK conducts many camps and sessions throughout the world. CHYK West is a similar organization
that operates in the West (United States, UK, etc.).

Other activities
Study groups for adults
Chinmaya Vanprastha Sansthan for senior citizens (India and UK)

Medical facilities
Hospital – 1
Nurses Training Centre – 1
Diagnostic Centre – 14
Eye camp in the rural areas – 1
Adoption of villages for providing social and medical relief – 120
Senior Citizen Homes – 8
 Income generating schemes for downtrodden women – 1
Children Welfare Centre – 1
Goshalas – 4

Educational field
Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, a liberal University focused
on promoting Indian Knowledge Systems, Indian traditions,
Indic parampara and interdisciplinary research. (https://ww
w.cvv.ac.in/) They have established three campuses in
Pepathy, Pune, and Warriam Road. Widely known for its
interdisciplinary research, cultural studies, immersive Pallavur Chinmaya Vidyalaya,
programs, CVV stands to merge the academic rigour with Palakkad, Kerala
the traditional Indian parampara.
Chinmaya College of Arts, Commerce and Science,
Tripunithura
Schools (Regular) – 70
Chinmaya International Residential School – 1
Harihar Schools (Free education & vocational training for downtrodden children for self-
sufficiency) – 3
Colleges – 4
Degree College – 1
Chinmaya Institute of Higher Learning – 1
Chinmaya Heritage Centre – 1
Value based Vision Programme for schools (Regularly conducted in various parts of India)
Institute of Management – 1
Chinmaya Academy for Civil Services - https://www.chinmayaias.com

Rural development

Chinmaya Mission undertakes activities of Rural Development via its

wing Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD)

Environment related

A meeting of CORD, at Siruvani,

Coimbatore
Chinmaya Mission, Sikkim Centre has established CHINMAYA SMRITI VANAM at Bulbuley, Gangtok,
Sikkim, India in 1995 and have planted till now more than 10,000 ( ten thousand ) trees sapling most of
which have grown now into full trees.

Studies in Indology
Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF), Veliyanad, Ernakulam, Kerala

Cultural field
Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai (https://web.archive.org/web/20131019070415/http://chi
nmayamission.com/ashram-sandeepany-mumbai.php)

Imparting knowledge of Indian scriptures in English and regional languages (Free two years residential
course, for college graduate students) – 6

Seminars on public speaking for Youth

Leadership and personality development for youth and adults
Chinmaya Naada Bindu: Gurukul of Indian Performing Arts (http://chinmayanaadabindu.org/)
Centre for World Understanding – 1

Areas served
The Chinmaya Mission has influence in whole of India as well as in many foreign communities in
Australia, England, New Zealand, Nigeria,[14] South Africa, the United States and other countries.

Ashrams
Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai (https://web.archive.org/web/20131019070415/http://chinmayamission.
com/ashram-sandeepany-mumbai.php)

Chinmaya Tapovan Trust, Sidhbari (https://web.archive.org/web/20131019070426/http://www.chinmayami

ssion.com/ashram-sandeepany-himalayas.php)

Chinmaya Sandeepany, Karnataka (https://web.archive.org/web/20131019070423/http://www.chinmayami

ssion.com/ashram-sandeepany-chokkahalli.php)

Chinmaya Sandeepany, Kolhapur, Maharashtra (https://web.archive.org/web/20131019070432/http://www.

chinmayamission.com/ashram-sandeepany-kolhapur.php)

Chinmaya Gardens, Coimbatore (https://web.archive.org/web/20131019070428/http://www.chinmayamissi

on.com/ashram-gardens-coimbatore.php)

Tapovan Kuti, Uttarkashi (https://web.archive.org/web/20131019070415/http://www.chinmayamission.co

m/ashram-tapovan-kuti.php)

Chinmaya Vibhooti, Kolwan, Pune (https://web.archive.org/web/20130907075557/http://www.chinmayam

ission.com/chinmaya-vibhoooti.php)
Chinmaya Krishnalaya, Piercy, CA, USA (https://web.archive.org/web/20131019070421/http://www.chin
mayamission.com/ashram-krishnalaya.php)

SharadaSannidhi, Mangalore, Karnataka (http://www.chinmayamission-mangalore.com/)

Sydney, NSW, Australia (https://web.archive.org/web/20140528182111/http://chinmaya.com.au/contact-us/

sydney/)

Chinmayaranyam, Andhra Pradesh (https://web.archive.org/web/20150208095256/http://chinmayaranyam.

org/saradatapovan.html)

Chinmaya Mission, Sikkim Centre Ashram at Saramsa, Near Jalipool, near Gangtok, Sikkim, India

Chinmaya Mission at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Paramdham Ashram at Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Chinmaya Mission Avantika. Ann Arbor, MI. USA (http://www.chinmaya-aa.org)

Chinmaya Vrindavan. Cranbury, NJ, USA. (http://www.chinmayavrindavan.org/)

CHINMAYA “OMKARA”- NW.INDIANA-USA www.chinmaya-nwindiana.org 8705 Merrillville Road.

Merrillville Indiana-46410 USA

BADRI- YAMUNOTRI- GANGOTRI- Chinmaya Mission Chicago www.mychinmaya.org

Chinmaya Hamsa Vahini -Peoria-USA

Chinmaya Prabha -Houston- USA

Chinmaya Kashi - Los Angeles-USA

Chinmaya Devotees Society in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

See also
List of Hindu organisations
Swami Sivananda
Swami Dayananda

References
1. "Chinmaya Mission" (https://web.archive.org/web/20170421103840/http://chinmayala.org/co
ntent/chinmaya-mission). Chinmaya Mission Of Los Angeles. Chinmaya Official Website.
Archived from the original (https://chinmayala.org/content/chinmaya-mission) on 21 April
2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
2. "Chinmaya Mission | CMLA" (https://web.archive.org/web/20170421103840/http://chinmayal
a.org/content/chinmaya-mission). chinmayala.org. Archived from the original (https://chinmay
ala.org/content/chinmaya-mission) on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
3. "History of Chinmaya Mission" (http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~venkat/Chinmaya%20Mission%20
Delhi.htm). cseweb.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
4. "Chinmayananda | Indian spiritual thinker | Britannica" (https://www.britannica.com/biograph
y/Chinmayananda). www.britannica.com. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
 5. today it has over 300 centres across the world.. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articlesho
w/2059111871.cms) Times of India, December 25, 2001.
6. "The Mission" (http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/the-mission/). Chinmaya
Mission Worldwide. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
7. "8 May 1916: Chinmayananda Saraswati, Indian spiritual leader, was born" (http://www.map
sofindia.com/on-this-day/8-may-1916-chinmayananda-saraswati-indian-spiritual-leader-was
-born). www.mapsofindia.com. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
8. "His Holiness Sri Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati Maharaj – The Divine Life Society" (htt
ps://www.dlshq.org/saints/his-holiness-sri-swami-chinmayananda-saraswati-maharaj/).
Retrieved 2 June 2023.
9. "Official handover by Swami Tejomayananda on 19 January 2017 – watch the live stream
Chinmaya Mission UK" (http://www.chinmayauk.org/news/official-handover-pujya-guruji-swa
mi-tejomayananda-watch-live-stream/). www.chinmayauk.org. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
10. "Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda hands over the reins of Chinamaya Mission to Swami
Swaroopnanada on January 19, 2017 | The Indian Down Under" (http://www.indiandownund
er.com.au/2016/12/pujay-guruji-swami-tejomayananda-hands-over-the-reins-of-chinamaya-
mission-to-swami-swaroopnanada-on-january-19-2017/). www.indiandownunder.com.au.
Retrieved 25 July 2017.
11. "Balvihar | Chinmaya Mission Worldwide" (http://www.chinmayamission.com/what-we-do/act
ivities/balvihar/). Chinmaya Mission Worldwide. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
12. "Training Teachers for a Fulfilling Bala Vihar at Chinmaya Mission | Indo American News" (h
ttp://www.indoamerican-news.com/training-teachers-for-a-fulfilling-bala-vihar-at-chinmaya-m
ission/). www.indoamerican-news.com. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
13. "Chinmaya Yuva Kendra | Chinmaya Mission Worldwide" (http://www.chinmayamission.co
m/what-we-do/activities/chyk/). Chinmaya Mission Worldwide. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
14. "Chinmaya Mission - Nigeria - Chinmaya Foundation Trust" (https://web.archive.org/web/20
160814000824/http://lagosmart.net/chinmaya/Lagos.htm). lagosmart.net. Archived from the
original (http://lagosmart.net/chinmaya/Lagos.htm) on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 1 May
2017.

External links
Official website (http://www.chinmayamission.com)

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