Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti

Context

Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti is celebrated on 26th February every year to mark the birth anniversary of the Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati.

About Dayanand Saraswati

• Dayanand Saraswati was the founder of Hindu reform organisation called Arya Samaj. 
• He was born on February 12, 1824 in Gujarat. 
• His original name was Mool Shankar Tiwari. 
• He was named Mool because he was born when the Mool Nakshatra prevailed. 
• He wandered as an ascetic for fifteen years (1845-60) in search of truth.
• He was born to Karshanji Lalji Kapadi, and Yashodabai. 
• He was a social leader, Indian philosopher, and reform movement of the Vedic dharma. 
• He was the first to give the call for Swaraj “India for Indians” in 1876, which was later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.
• He took inspiration from the Vedas and considered them to be ‘India’s Rock of Ages’, the infallible and the true original seed of Hinduism. 
• He gave the slogan “Back to the Vedas”.

About Arya Samaj

• Arya Samaj is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes practices and values based on the belief in infallible authority of the Vedas. 
• It was founded by Dayanand Saraswati on April 10, 1875. 
• It was the first Hindu organisation to introduce proselytization in Hinduism. 
• It has worked towards the growth of the civil rights movement across India since the 1800s.