Chinmaya Mission

Foundation

Chinmayananda Saraswati (born Balakrishna Menon),^[7] the founder of Chinmaya Mission, was born in the city of Ernakulam in present-day Kerala, India.^[8] Menon met Sivananda of the Divine Life Society, who became his spiritual teacher and then placed him under the tutelage of Tapovan Maharaj. He later became a teacher himself and changes his name to Chinmayananda.^[9]

After Chinmayananda

After Chinmayananda died in 1993, his disciple Tejomayananda (known as Pujya Guruji and previously known as "Sudhakarbhai Kaitwadeji") became the global head of Chinmaya Mission. Under Tejomayananda, projects such as the Chinmaya International Foundation and the Chinmaya International Residential School were taken up.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2017, Tejomayananda abdicated his leadership position to Swaroopananda.^[10][11]

In 2026, Chinmaya Mission celebrated its 75th anniversary through the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav, a series of events culminating in a Global Sammelan^{[further explanation needed]} at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from 23–25 October 2026.^[12]

Bala Vihar

Bala Vihar is a program in which children from age five to eighteen meet on a weekly basis to learn about Hindu culture, customs, and philosophy.^[13][14] Some centers also have a version called Sishu Vihar, which is meant for children aged 2 to 4.^{[citation needed]}