Archives Timeline Stories
Offering Melody with Devotion
On 30 June 2003, Chinmaya Swaranjali, the music wing of Chinmaya Mission began its inspiring journey. Guruji’s simple statement, “I sing for the Lord!” became the vision of Swaranjali’s founding team. True to its name, meaning ‘a musical offering to the divine,’ Swaranjali has since grown into a vibrant, devotional movement. Today, its global members, ranging from trained musicians to music enthusiasts, are united in their shared love for bhakti through the motto: Swara to Ishwara.
Fifty Years of Chinmaya Mission
The year 2001 marked 50 years of the Chinmaya Movement that Pujya Gurudev sparked with his first Jnana Yajna in 1951. To celebrate the Swarna Mahotsav (golden jubilee,) Chinmaya Mission commemorated Gurudev’s invaluable contribution to humanity with varied yearlong activities. Then came the finale called Chinmaya Vishwa Sammelan from 24-31 December 2001, in Mumbai. The global Chinmaya family of over 10,000 delegates, inspired with the attitude, “I’m CM - I am Chinmaya Mission,” paid homage to Gurudev with the promise to keep His vision glowing.
Shelters for a Shaken Community
When a massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Gujarat on 26 January 2001, Chinmaya Mission adopted Bhavpur village where 2,500 residents were left homeless after 500 houses collapsed. Within a month, the Mission built nearly 500 modular row houses using lightweight, corrugated FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) sheets. This material not only allowed rapid construction but also offered greater safety in future earthquakes.
Chinmaya Heritage Centre
On 14 April 2001, Guruji Swami Tejomayananda dedicated the Chinmaya Heritage Centre to Gurudev’s memory at the Mission’s birthplace - No. 2, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai. Spread across 400,000 square feet, this cultural and spiritual landmark was built with deep gratitude. Its many facilities make it a hub for Vedantic learning, and its interactive museum showcases the life and enduring impact of Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda and the Chinmaya Mission.
Empowering Graceful Aging
The Central Chinmaya Vanaprastha Sansthan (CCVS), established in early 1998 with the motto “Graceful Aging through Spiritual Living,” was highlighted by Guruji as a key grassroots initiative of the Mission. Headquartered in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), CCVS embodies the vision “A joyous journey towards liberation,” a vision inspired by Gurudev’s early efforts in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, as far back as 1981.
Chinmaya Centre of World Understanding (CCWU)
On 4 May 1997, Guruji inaugurated the CCWU - Chinmaya Centre of World Understanding in Delhi, India. Gurudev had selected that special name for Chinmaya Mission Delhi not just because it was the capital of India; it was a spiritual portal to many places of pilgrimage including Sidhbari and Uttarkashi. Though the physical structure of CCWU came up after Pujya Gurudev’s Mahasamadhi, it was built on His vision to foster greater understanding of the self and the world.
Indian Heritage, Global Education - CIRS
Continuing the focus on value-based education, on 6 June 1996, in the presence of Guruji, Chinmaya International Residential School (CIRS) was inaugurated by the President of the 'Divine Life Society', Swami Chidananda.
The school began with 96 students in grades 5–8 and has grown into a premier institution, now hosting 577 students, 69 highly qualified and experienced faculty, and 78 staff members from 23 Indian states and 19 countries (as of 2025).
A Clarion Call for Youth
March 1996 brought the first publication of Chinmaya Udghosh (CU) as the international youth magazine of Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK), the global youth wing of Chinmaya Mission. Br. Abhay Chaitanya (now Swami Abhedananda, CM South Africa) proposed the idea of a youth-focused magazine, which was presented to Guruji Swami Tejomayananda in December 1995. The motto of Chinmaya Udghosh - “Clarion Call for Dynamic Spirituality” - declares its purpose for the youth.
The First Successor
Three weeks after Gurudev’s Mahasamadhi, on 22 August 1993, the CCMT trustees unanimously resolved to appoint His Holiness Swami Tejomayananda as the Chairman of the Central Chinmaya Mission Trust and the Spiritual Head of Chinmaya Mission worldwide, with immediate effect. When someone asked Swami Tejomayananda how it felt to be “in Pujya Gurudev’s shoes,” he replied with great humility: “I am not in His shoes; I am at His Feet.”
Merging Back to The Infinite
At Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California, on 3 August 1993, after forty-two years of tireless service as a towering figure of the Hindu Renaissance, Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda (1916–1993) departed from his physical body to shine forever as the Infinite Presence. His body, which had served as a living embodiment of the scriptures, was returned to Mother Bharat on 7 August. Two days later, on 9 August 1993, with profound reverence, it was interred in Bhu Samadhi on the sacred soil of Sidhbari.