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24December201415:26IST

PanditMadanMohanMalaviyaTheMan,TheSpirit,TheVision
Feature
PanditMadanMohanMalaviya

Y.S.Kataria*

ThePresidenthasbeenpleasedtoawardBharatRatnatoPanditMadanMohanMalaviya(posthumously)andtoShriAtal
BihariVajpayee.
ThePrimeMinister,ShriNarendraModi,hasexpresseddelightattheBharatRatnabeingconferredonPt.MadanMohan
MalaviyaandShriAtalBihariVajpayee.
"BharatRatnabeingconferredonPt.MadanMohanMalaviyaandShriAtalBihariVajpayeeisamatterofgreatdelight.
Country`s highest honour to these illustrious stalwarts is a fitting recognition of their service to the Nation. Pt. Madan
MohanMalaviyaisrememberedasaphenomenalscholarandfreedomfighterwholitthesparkofnationalconsciousness
amongpeople.Ataljimeanssomuchtoeveryone.Aguide,inspirationandgiantamonggiants.HiscontributiontoIndiais
invaluable,"thePrimeMinistersaid.

BorninaneducatedorthodoxHindufamilyatPrayaga(Allahabad)in1861onDecember25,MadanMohanMalaviyais
recognizedasanoutstandingandnoblesonofIndia.
Hismultifacetedpersonalitymadehim,atthesametime,agreatpatriot,aneducationistwithavision,asocialreformer,an
ardent journalist, reluctant but effective lawyer, a successful parliamentarian and an outstanding statesman. Among
Malaviyaji's many achievements, the most monumental was the establishment of the Banaras Hindu University or Kashi
Hindu Vishvavidyalaya. In the course of his lifetime Banaras Hindu University came to be known as a Capital of
KnowledgeacknowledgedacrossIndiaandtheWorld.
PanditMadanMohanMalaviyacreatedhistoryinIndianeducationwiththisinstitutionthefirstofitskindinthecountry.
HechoseBanarasasthesite,becauseofthecenturiesoldtraditionoflearning,wisdomandspiritualityinherenttotheplace.
HisvisionwastoblendthebestofIndianeducationcalledfromtheancientcentresoflearningTakshashilaandNalanda
andotherhallowedinstitutions,withthebesttraditionofmodernuniversitiesofthewest
Great minds and personalities like Annie Besant, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Shyama Charan De and many
othersjoinedhandwithhiminhisquestforknowledge,arousingthenationalspiritinIndiaandwinningfreedomwiththe
powerofeducationandrighteousness.

Malaviyapassedawayin1946.Buthisspiritstilllivesandtherearemanywhobearthetorchthathelit,Manymorestand
readytoshoulderthemantleofhisresponsibility.
MalaviyaBhavan

Malaviya Bhavan, the former residence of the founder of the university, was opened for public in 1961 during Malaviya
CentenaryYear.ThismemorialbuildingservesasthecentreofstudiesandresearchonthelifeandteachingofMahamanaji.
It consists of five main constituents GeetaYoga Library, Yoga Sadhana Kendra, Geeta Samiti, Malaviya Adhyayan
Sansthan,andMalaviyaCentreforValueStudies.TheCentreforYogarunsDiplomaandCertificateCoursesinYoga.The
Geeta Samiti organises morning lectures on religiousphilosophical topics. Every Sunday Geeta discourses by eminent
persons are held. The Centre for Value Studies offers a shortterm course on Value Education for Integrated Personality
Development. Malaviya Bhavan has a beautiful garden with a variety of plants. Every year the Flower Show of the
University is held here. The Central Assembly Hall of the Malaviya Bhavan is often used for important cultural and
religiouseventsandlectures.
BiographyofMahamanaPt.MadanMohanMalaviyaji(18611946)
AnembodimentofIndiancultureandwisdom,MahamanaPt.MadanMohanMalaviyawasbornonDec.25th,1861i.e.as
perHinduCalendar"PaushkrishnaAshtami,WednesdaySanvat1918vikramai"inthelocalitynamedLaldiggiinPrayaga
(Bharati Bhavan, Allahabad). His father was Pt. Braj Nath ji and mother was Smt. Moone Devi. Both of them were
spirituallyawakenedandhadfirmfaithinSanatanDharma.ItissaidthatthegrandfatherofPt.BrajNathwasPt.Premdhar,
whowasarenownedSanskritscholarandbelongedtothefamilyofPt.VishnuPrasadjiofMalava,astateinCentralIndia.
Thegrandfather,Pt.PremdharcametoPrayagatosettledownthere,whileothermembersofhisfamilycametoanearby
citynamedMirzapurofUttarPradesh.Pt.PremdharwasfamousforhisfineandhearttouchingspeechesontheBhagavat
Purana. Among all his siblings, Madan Mohan was most talented and genius and had visionary aptitudes. This, 'Madan
Mohan' by dint of his vision and dreams significantly contributed to the building of New India. He became a guide to
mankindinthesenseofgivinganewkindofleadershipnotonlyinthepoliticalfieldbutmoresointhefieldofEducation,
whichwasforhim,thebackboneforarousingpeoplefromignorancetowisdom,fromimperfectiontotheperfectman.This
ishowhewasregardedas'Mahamana'.
Education:
The early education of Mahamana was completed in Allahabad. Started at the age of five in Mahajani Pathshala, Madan
MohanimbibedtherealHinduSanskarasandwhilegoingtoschool,heusedtovisitthetempleofHanumanandrecitethe
prayereveryday.

On the auspicious occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, he used to celebrate it whole heartedly. He started composing
poetry at the age of fifteen with the pen name 'Makarand'. He passed matriculation examination in the year 1868 from
PrayagaGovt.Highschool.ThenHejoinedMyoreCentralCollege.Heusedtoparticipateinseveralculturaleventsinthe
schoolaswellasinthecollege.Heestablished"HinduSamaj"in1880.
Marriage:
HewasmarriedwithKundanDevidaughterofPt.NandLaljiofMirzapurattheageofsixteen.
SocialWorks:
Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya was the founder of several organisation and edited magazines of high standard in order to
promote Hindu ideals of Sanatan Dharma, and to build India as a strong and developed country in the world. For this
purpose, he founded "Prayaga Hindu Samaj", and wrote served articles on the Contemporary issues and problems of the
country.In1884,hebecamethememberof'HindiUddhariniPratinidhiSabha'.In1885,heedited'IndianUnion'English
weekly.In1887,heestablished"BharataDharmaMahamandal",topropagateSanatanDharmaandHinduculture.Hewas
editorof'Hindustan'.In1889,heedited'IndianOpinion'.In1891,hebecomebarristerandstartedpracticingatAllahabad
HighCourt.Hepleadedsuccessfullyformanysignificantcasesduringthesedays.
He left the law practice in 1913 and decided to serve the nation for attaining freedom from British rule. Mahamana was
keenlyinterestedtohelpthestudentsforbetterlearningandlivingandforthissakehearrangedtobuildaHostelnamed
'MacDonnellHinduHostel'atAllahabad,andin1889,healsoestablishedtherealibrary.
He remained a member of municipality at Allahabad till 1916 and he was also an honoured member of Indian National
Congressforseveralyears.
In1907,onthedayof"VasantaPanchami"hestartedaweeklyinHindi,entitled'Abhyudaya'.Hewasalsoinstrumentalin
bringingoutanEnglishDailycalled'Leader'in1909.
Afterthedeathofhisfather,hedecidedtoservethenationinmorethanoneway.In1919,attheauspicious"Kumbha"fair
atPrayaga,hestarted"PrayagaSevaSamiti"toservethepilgrims.Headmittedhimselftotheselflessactionasinspiredby
'Mahabharata',thegreatEpic,makingthefollowingfamousshlokahismantra:

Thisgoalbecameanidealsloganlateron.
MakingoftheBanarasHinduUniversity:
Pt.MadanMohanMalaviyawasgreatlyinspiredbyDr.AnnieBesant,anIrishlady,whocametoIndiawithmotive
of spreading Educational Programmes. She started Central Hindu College at Kamachha in the city of Varanasi in 1889,
whichbecamethenexusoftheBanarasHinduUniversitylateron.Panditji,withhelpofthethenMaharajaofBanaras,Sri
PrabhuNarainSinghji,proposedtoestablishtheUniversitynamedtheBanarasHinduUniversityin1904.Intheyear1905,
thisproposalgotthesanctionofseveralHinduorganizations.On31stDec.1905,intheTownHallofVaranasi,underthe
chairmanshipofSriD.N.Mahajan,theproposalwasfinallyapproved.
In1911,intheassociationofDr.AnnieBesant,aresolutionwaspassedtoestablish"KashiVishvaVidyalaya",and
on 28 Nov. 1911, a society was formed to begin the work for the Banaras Hindu University. On March, 25, 1915, Sir
HurcourtButlerproposedabillintheImperiallegislationCouncilfortheestablishmentoftheUniversity.OnOct.01,1915,
theB.H.U.Actwaspassed.
OnFeb.4th,1916,i.e.MaghShuklaPratipada,samvat1972,thefoundationoftheBanarasHinduUniversitywas
laiddown.AgrandceremonywasorganisedtocelebratetheoccasioninwhichseveraleminentpersonalitiesofIndia,were
present.
BriefSummaryoftheMalaviyaJisLife
25.12.1861

BorninAllahabad

1878

MarriagewithKundanDeviinMirzapur

1884

B.A.fromCalcuttaUniversity

July1884

TeacherinAllahabadDistrictSchool

December1886

2ndCongressinCalcuttaunderchairmanshipofDadabhaiNouroji.Speechontheissueof
representationinCouncils

July1887

Editorship of the Hindosthan in Kalakankar. Founding conference of Bharat Dharma

Mandal

July1889

LeavingeditorshipjoinsLL.B.inAllahabad

1891

PassingLL.B.startspracticeinAllahabadDistrictCourt

December1893

PracticeatAllahabadHighCourt

March1898

SubmitsmemorandumaboutHinditoU.P.Lt.Governor

19021903

ConstructionofHinduBoardingHouseinAllahabad

19031912

ServicetoprovinceasmemberofProvincialCouncil

1904

ProposalofestablishinguniversityunderchairmanshipofKashiNaresh

January1906

Convened Sanatan Dharma Mahasabha on Kumbha in Allahabad. Propagation of liberal

SanatanDharma.DecisiontoopenuniversityinBanaras

1907

EditorshipoftheAbhyudaya.PropagationofSanatanDharmaanddemocraticprinciples

1909

EditorshipoftheEnglishdailyLeader.ChairedtheLahoreCongress

October1910

Presidentialaddressin1stConferenceofHindiSahityaSammelan

22.11.1911

FormationoftheHinduUniversitySociety

December1911

At50gaveuppractice.Decisiontoservecountryandworkforestablishingtheuniversity

February1915

FormationofPrayagaSevaSamitiunderhischairmanship

October1915

TheBanarasHinduUniversityBillpassed

04Feb1916

Foundationceremonyoftheuniversity

March1916

BillagainstIndenturedLaboursysteminCouncils

191618

Member,IndustrialCommission

1918

FormationofScoutAssociationbySevaSamiti

December1918

ChairedAnnualCongressConferenceinDelhi

February1919

DebateontheRowlettBillinCouncil.ResignationfromCouncil

Nov.1919Sep.1939

ViceChancellor,B.H.U.

19April1919

ChairedHindiSahityaSammelaninBombay

January1922

Convenedallpartyconference

16December1922

SpeechonHinduMuslimgoodwillinLahore

1924

Formation of Independent Party in District and Assembly. Satyagraha on Sangam

[Confluenceofrivers]inAllahabad.DebateontheSteelConservationBill

August1926

FormationofCongressIndependentPartywithLalaLajpatRai

February1927

StatementbeforeAgricultureCommission

December1929

ConvocationaddressinBHU.Askedstudentstoservenationandbepatriot

1930

ResignsfromAssembly.ArrestedinDelhi.Sixmonthssentence

5April1931

SpeechonHinduMuslimUnityinKanpur

1931

TookpartwithGandhiintheLondonRoundTableConference

March1932

FormationofAllIndiaSwadeshiUnioninBanaras

20April1932

NominatedPresidentofDelhiCongress.Arrested

September1932

ChairedmeetingonemancipationofoutcastsinBombay

April1932

AsCalcuttaCongressPresidentarrestedinAsansole

August1934

SpeechonemancipationoftheoutcastsinGandhi'smeetinginBanaras

January1936

Convened Sanatan Dharma Mahasabha Conference in Allahabad. Proposal for

emancipationofoutcasts

1938

Kalpa[Ayurvedicrejuvenationtherapy]

November1939

AppointedlifeRectorofBHU

1941

FoundedGorakshaMandal

January1942

Gandhi'sconvocationaddressonSilverJubileeofBHU

12November1946

PassedAway

*ShriY.S.KatariaisDirector(Media&Communications)PIBNewDelhi
(PIBFeatures)
Email:featuresunit@gmail.com
himalaya@nic.in
SS260/SF260/24.12.2014
YSK/Uma