In Sidhbari’s contemplative atmosphere, at the Himalayan foothills, Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda aimed to establish a Vedantic Gurukula in Hindi to spread the glory of Hindu scriptures and Sanatana Dharma. So, when the basic infrastructure in Chinmaya Tapovan ashram was ready, Sandeepany HIM (Himalayas) was inaugurated in a two-day event by Pujya Gurudev with joyous prayers and celebration.  Sandeepany Himalayas, Sidhbari, would be the site for the Vedanta course in Hindi.

On April 25th, 1981, the Managing Trustee, Sri Jagadish Prasad, welcomed an eager gathering and spoke about the hurdles that CTT had crossed to reach the inaugural milestone that day.  Then, Br. Vivek Chaitanya, who was chosen to be the first Acharya of the Hindi course, spoke on “Our Students,” explaining the process of how brahmacharis were selected for the course. After that, he lit the Jyoti to symbolize that the ‘Lamp of Knowledge’ would burn bright at Chinmaya Tapovan ashram.

As the Chief Guest that day, Dr. Karan Singh, a Vedic scholar and statesman, applauded the efforts of Chinmaya Mission in spearheading the noble art of man-making during his address. Sri Hardayal, the Minister of Forests, presided over the ceremony. Pujya Gurudev then eloquently outlined the work and vision of CM, particularly in Himachal Pradesh.

The festivities also included a Pahadi lunch – another example of how Pujya Gurudev included the villagers in all undertakings at Chinmaya Tapovan. The Vishnu Sahasranaama archana conducted in the Satsang hall that evening and the Rudra-Path on the morning of April 26th were Gurudev’s way of showing how the path to knowledge is through devotion.

On April 26th, Pujya Gurudev shared his visionary plan for Sandeepany (HIM) in the session where Sri Ram Lal, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh at that time, presided as the chief guest. The Himachal government assured full cooperation for the initiatives at Chinmaya Tapovan ashram. Sandeepany (HIM) had a memorable start.

It was at Sandeepany (HIM) that Pujya Gurudev conferred sannyasa diksha on Brahmachari Vivek on October 21st, 1983, to give us Swami Tejomayananda, Pujya Guruji, who became the global head of Chinmaya Mission from 1993 to the end of 2016. The Vedantic teaching that Swami Tejomayananda began in Sandeepany continues to this day with Pujya Gurudev’s Grace. Another beloved Resident Acharya of Sandeepany (HIM), Swami Subodhananda, taught three full Vedanta courses and transformed many. A notable contribution of Sandeepany (HIM)  is that it was the holy site of sannyasa diksha for several senior Swamis since then.

The flow of Jnana and Bhakti have continued throughout the last 12 courses with the Chinmaya Guru Parampara illuminating the path to the Highest. The 13th Vedanta course concludes on May 8th, 2023, and the glorious learning will continue. 

Chinmaya Tapovan Trust which mindfully manages the ashram activities, shares how Sandeepany HIM continues to fulfill Pujya Gurudev’s vision: “Over 113 students are working for the Mission as of 2023. Many are Swamis now. The area of operation for students of Sandeepany HIM is predominantly those centers where the Hindi language is more prominent. They are posted mainly in centers which are in  Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, and Rajasthan, and some in Maharashtra and Gujarat.”

Chinmaya Tapovan Sidhbari is undoubtedly a Sandeepany Gurukula spreading the light of Vedantic Knowledge across Himachal Pradesh and other Hindi-speaking areas.