Swami Shantananda

Swami Shantananda Saraswathi was the founder of Shiva Family, The Temple of Fine Arts (Kala Mandir), Temple of Service, Annalakshmi and Lavanya Arts [ [http://www.annalakshmi.com.sg/index_files/AboutUs.htm About Us ] ] .

Early life

Swamiji was born in a village called Tirukovillur, in south India on April 7 1934. At birth he was given the name Chandrashekar [http://www.shivanjali.in/founder.htm "Bio of Swami Shantanand"] ] ).

In 1971, a young Hindu monk by the name of Swami Shantanand arrived for the first time in Malaysia with a prayer to his master Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh: "Dear Master, I do not know why you have brought me here, but let me be worthy of your love and grace".

In Kuala Lumpur, he was hosted by a family and through them met a number of families. His gatherings were filled with songs in praise of God and his talks illuminated almost every conceivable subject pertinent to life and living but most of all, it was the way he spoke God's love that filled the hearts of those who heard him.

His approach was all embracing and his ideology simple: "Follow any path, religion or doctrine, but believe in it sincerely, because the sincerity of your belief will illuminate and guide you to the ultimate common goal - God"

He taught the universal message found in all religions: Love for GOD and service to mankind.

Soon by word of mouth, his following spread from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Johor Bahru, Singapore and gradually to Perth and Melbourne in Australia. As some time passed by, a core of some one hundred families became his regular followers in each centre and over a period of ten years, these followers were affectionately referred to as the Shiva Family. To date, Swamijihas thousands of devotees world-wide, be it those those who actively engage in His Divine activities (Shiva Family) or those who silently carry out his Cosmic teachings around the Globe.

The Shiva family comprised many youngsters and Swamiji felt the urge to begin a cultural centre so that the children in the group would learn dance and music and thereby preserve something of their rich cultural heritage.

In 1981, with the help of this devotees, Master Shivdas and wife Vatsala, Master Gopal Shetty and wife Radha, who were all dance teachers, Swamiji inspired the beginnings of the Temple of Fine Arts. Music, art and dance, he taught, have their origins in the Divine, hence, the word "Temple".

Here the divine is worshipped through the fine arts and art is taught just for the love of it. Today, the Temple of Fine Arts teaches different classical and folk dances and music of South as well as North Indian. It has become a government recognized non-profit institution in all its centers. Temple of Fine Arts has its wings world over, namely, Kuala Lunpur, Penang, Melaka, Johor Bahru, Singapore, Chennai(Madras), Coimbatore, Perth, New Jersey and Italy (latest).

Once a year, it conducts "Festival of Arts" - a week long offering of dance, drama and music, choreographed, directed and produced entirely by the teachers, students and other members of the institution. These presentations & stage productions are all given as a love offering to the public, free of charge.

The adage "athithi devo bhava" meaning "the guest is God" was the motivating factor. This concept a tribute to the Goddess of Plenty, whose name is Annalakshmi, and the ideals, the warmth and the service very soon captured the taste buds and imagination of diners and connoisseurs alike.

Today, Annalakshmi brings Indian vegetarian cuisine to more and more people in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Hyderabad, UK, Singapore, Coimbatore, Perth and Madras. And it does this within an ambience of great beauty. Annalakshmi is lavishly decorated with paintings, statues, and pillars from India and has subtly given unique expression to the pleasures of art and cuisine.

Annalakshmi's reputation as one of the most beautifully decorated restaurants prompted Swamiji to launch yet another wing of the Temple of Fine Arts, namely, Lavanya - its visual arts centre.

Lavanya is a Sanskrit word for Beauty, is a treasure trove of India's splendid artistic and cultural heritage. Income from Lavanya not only helps fund the charitable activities of Temple of Fine Arts, but also provides for the struggling artisans of India.

As many of the Shiva family members are doctors, Swamiji inspired the founding of the Temple of Service. Here the members give up their leisure evening hours to do voluntary service by providing medical treatment to the urban poor free of charge. Since inception in 1983, the centre has a medical, dental and eye section and over a hundred thousand patients have been treated.

Spiritual Life

Initially influenced by the great master Swami Gnanananda Giri, at age 14 he became a disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati. He received his spiritual training in Rishikesh for 14 years and later disseminated his master's teachings in India, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

Swami Shantananda taught of the Love for GOD and Service to Mankind [ [http://www.annalakshmi.com.sg/index_files/AboutUs.htm About Us ] ] .

Notes and references

* [http://www.dlshq.org/saints/siva.htm Brief Biography of Swami Sivananda]
* [http://templeoffinearts.org/sg/AboutFounder.htm Temple of Fine Arts, Singapore]
* [http://www.shivanjali.in/Index.htm Indian mission]
* [http://www.annalakshmi.com.sg/ Annalakshmi Singapore]