Bharattma Award distribution ceremony started at 5:00 pm at Sri Satya Sai Auditorium, Delhi. This award distribution ceremony was held in the holy presence of the most revered Swami Govinddev Giriji Maharaj.
The Honourable Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvratji, said in his video message, “Today we are forgetting our Vedas. There is a treasure of knowledge in the Vedas. To make our ideal life meaningful, it is important to recognise ourselves. To recognise the precious life. For this, it is important for us to know about others also. Many foreign philosophers, scholars and thinkers have also described our Vedas and Puranas as great.”
He underlined the life of respected late Ashok Singhal ji in ancient times and his role in today’s era. Praising the continuous promotion of this tradition by Ashok Singhal Foundation, he said that everyone should make such efforts so that the welfare education policies of a civilised society continuously reach the masses.
This is the seventh series of Bharattma Awards. Shankar Math, Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Thiruvidaimarudur were awarded in the category of best Veda school, Vedamurthy Padmanabha Vivek Joshi was awarded in the excellent Veda student category and Vedamurthy Vishnubhattala Nagashankar Venkata Lakshmi Narayan Ghanpathy was awarded in the ideal Veda teacher category.
Brahmashree Subramanya Shrotigal, a resident of Kumbakonam area of Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, was given the Vedarita Jeevan Samman. Under this honour, Rs 5 lakh and a certificate were awarded.
S Ravi Sharmaji received this award on behalf of Sri Shankar Math, Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Thiruvidaimarudur, awarded in the category of Uttam Vedavidyalaya of the year 2023. On this achievement, he said, “It is a blessing that Shankar Math has received this honour, and I am receiving it. The renaissance of Vedas in India will contribute in maintaining the continuous self-respect, knowledge, and fame of Mother India. More youth should know the Vedic knowledge. This will encourage us to have a keen interest in cultural subjects.”
Excellent Veda Vidyarthi 2023 Vedamurthy Padmanabha Vivek Joshi said, “We have to embrace modernization without adopting westernisation. The renaissance of the Vedas in India will contribute to keeping our self-respect, pride and identity intact. Our youth have to become Veda scholars. It is not only for rituals, but rather, it is an essential part of promoting our cultural values.”
Adarsh Vedadhyapak 2023 Vedamurthy Sri Vishnubhattala Nagashankar Venkata Lakshmi Narayan Ghanpathy said, “Vedas are the oldest scriptures of the entire world, and these scriptures provide solutions to every problem of mankind, as well as pave the way for the welfare of the people of India. The Vedas will prove to be helpful in flowing the stream of prestige and eternal knowledge tradition. Every citizen of the country should imbibe the methods of the Indian knowledge tradition.”
Murli Manohar Joshi said in his address that we cannot envisage the creation of India without the Vedas. Today, the Vedas are being propagated and spread all over India. People from foreign countries are getting attracted towards our culture. At the centre of all this are the essence mentioned by our sages and great thinkers, which is necessary for the welfare of the world.”
Bharattma Ashokji Singhal Veda Award: Bharattma Ashokji Singhal Veda Award is given every year in the memory of Bharattma Ashokji Singhal, the founding member of Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The main objective of this award is to recognise the best Vedic scholars in Vedic education and to perpetuate the sacred memory of Late Ashokji Singhal.
This is the highest national award given every year in the Vedic field. This award is given every year in three categories of excellent Veda student, ideal Veda teacher, and best Veda school. Under this award, an excellent Veda student is given a medal, Rs 3 lakh and a certificate, an ideal Veda teacher is given a medal, Rs 5 lakh and a certificate; and the best Veda Vidyalaya is given a memento of Rs 7 lakh and a certificate
Sanjay Singhal, the trustee of the Singhal Foundation, shared that for the year 2023, the foundation has selected a scholar who has devoted their entire life to the study and teaching of the Vedas. This individual has made an invaluable contribution to the preservation and promotion of Vedic knowledge through the tradition of Shruti. Additionally, they have established an extensive disciple-successor lineage.
The oldest literature in existence, the Vedas, according to Salil Singhalji, Trustee of the Singhal Foundation, offer solutions to all of humanity’s problems and pave the route to self-realization. The fact that these Bharatatma Veda awards were given out in front of famous saint Govinddev Giriji brings us immense joy.
