Swami Shantananda
Encyclopedia
Swami Shantananda Saraswathi (born as Chandrashekar on 7 April 1934,) was a Hindu
spiritual teacher and the founder of the art sanctuary, Temple of Fine Arts. He was the disciple of the revered master Swami Sivananda Saraswathi, of Rishikesh.
masters who were his devotees, to establish a cultural center
in Kuala Lumpur
that would impart knowledge of dance and music
to children desired to learn. This center was named The Temple of Fine Arts. He taught, music, dance and art
, have their origins in the Divine, hence, the word "Temple". Here, the divine is worshiped through the fine arts and art is taught just for the love of it. Today, the Temple of Fine Arts teaches various classical and folk dance
s and music of both South
and North India
. In all its centers,I t has become a government recognized non-profit institution
. Once a year, The Temple of Fine Arts demeanor "Festival of Arts" - a week long offering of art in the form of music, dance and drama
, choreographed, directed and produced entirely by the teachers, students and other members of the organization. These presentations & stage productions are all given as a love offering to the public, free of charge.
In 1984, he mooted the idea of starting a restaurant
with an unusual concept, "to be run by volunteers", serving authentic Indian
vegetarian
cuisine to maintain the movements of Temple of Fine Arts. He reckoned, it would serve as great chance for his devotees to serve, love and purify. 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, Singapore
, Coimbatore
, Perth
and Madras.
He was also the architect of other projects such as Lavanya(a visual arts
centre that help support the charitable activities of Temple of Fine Arts and provides for the struggling artisan
s of India ), The Temple of Service (a charitable medical clinic with volunteers who serve by providing medical treatment to the urban poor free of charge), Hamsa Vahini Travels and Tours (a travel related agency to serve with love optimizing travel possibilities for all), and Sankhya Systems (an innovative international software company educating on computer
s and software). The sole aim of these activities were to serve the community with love and is an extension of spiritual knowledge for his devotees.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
spiritual teacher and the founder of the art sanctuary, Temple of Fine Arts. He was the disciple of the revered master Swami Sivananda Saraswathi, of Rishikesh.
Foundation and projects
In 1981, he inspired two great danceDance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
masters who were his devotees, to establish a cultural center
Cultural center
A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run...
in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
that would impart knowledge of dance and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
to children desired to learn. This center was named The Temple of Fine Arts. He taught, music, dance and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, have their origins in the Divine, hence, the word "Temple". Here, the divine is worshiped through the fine arts and art is taught just for the love of it. Today, the Temple of Fine Arts teaches various classical and folk dance
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
s and music of both South
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
and North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. In all its centers,I t has become a government recognized non-profit institution
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
. Once a year, The Temple of Fine Arts demeanor "Festival of Arts" - a week long offering of art in the form of music, dance and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, choreographed, directed and produced entirely by the teachers, students and other members of the organization. These presentations & stage productions are all given as a love offering to the public, free of charge.
In 1984, he mooted the idea of starting a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
with an unusual concept, "to be run by volunteers", serving authentic Indian
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
cuisine to maintain the movements of Temple of Fine Arts. He reckoned, it would serve as great chance for his devotees to serve, love and purify. 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
Annalakshmi
Annalakshmi is an international chain of vegetarian restaurants operating in a unique concept of "Eat to your heart's content, Pay what your heart feels"...
, 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, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and Madras.
He was also the architect of other projects such as Lavanya(a visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
centre that help support the charitable activities of Temple of Fine Arts and provides for the struggling artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
s of India ), The Temple of Service (a charitable medical clinic with volunteers who serve by providing medical treatment to the urban poor free of charge), Hamsa Vahini Travels and Tours (a travel related agency to serve with love optimizing travel possibilities for all), and Sankhya Systems (an innovative international software company educating on computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s and software). The sole aim of these activities were to serve the community with love and is an extension of spiritual knowledge for his devotees.