Move seen as rare state-backed honour for a Bengal-born Hindu spiritual figure.
Kolkata : At a time when Bengal’s political landscape is charged with debates over faith, identity, and public religious expression—from the reconstruction of the Babri Masjid to preparations for a five-lakh-voice Gita chanting event—the Mamata Banerjee government has established a national and international research chair named after a Hindu spiritual master at Biswa Bangla University in Birbhum.
The newly instituted “Anantashree Sitaramdas Onkarnath National and International Chair” is being widely viewed in academic and cultural circles as a rare state-supported initiative honouring a modern-era Hindu religious leader. West Bengal has seldom created such chairs in the name of spiritual figures. Sitaramdas Onkarnath, the guiding light of the Akhil Bharat Jai Guru Sampradaya, journeyed on foot across Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and several other regions, spreading the message of equality, harmony and the dissolution of caste and religious barriers. His ideal of “sarva-dharma samannay” continues to inspire millions across India.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier assured the leadership of the Onkarnath Mission that the state would actively support the preservation and dissemination of the spiritual master’s teachings. Her visit to Mahamilan Math near Dunlop—the headquarters of the Mission, which oversees over a hundred ashrams across the country—is considered the starting point of this initiative. During the visit, she assured Acharya and president Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuj Maharaj, and Mission president–general secretary Kinkar Priyanath, of full government cooperation.
Banerjee had long expressed her desire to build a liberal arts university in Birbhum—one that would open academic space for devotion, philosophy, art, literature and culture. University officials say that the establishment of this chair is the first major step towards realising that vision. The chair will promote structured research into bhakti traditions, Indian philosophy, Indology, sociology, language, literature and cultural studies. It will archive rare manuscripts and texts connected to Onkarnath’s legacy, support translation and publication projects, and host national and international conferences, seminars and workshops. Special degree programmes, including MPhil and PhD, are expected to follow.
Vice-chancellor Dilip Kumar Maiti described the development as “not merely an academic gesture but a reflection of the government’s commitment to protecting Bengal’s spiritual-philosophical heritage”. He added that without the chief minister’s involvement and the guidance of scholar Chandranath Bandopadhyay, the project would not have progressed. Acharya Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuj Maharaj called the move “a historic moment for lakhs of devotees”, saying that the principles of devotion, service and social equality would now reach much wider audiences. Mission president Kinkar Priyanath Chattopadhyay said the chair would mark “a milestone in research, cultural documentation and authentic archival work”.
The announcement comes ahead of another major landmark being developed at Mahamilan Math — the Gateway of Kolkata and an adjoining cultural corridor, to be inaugurated early next year, where a full-scale statue of Sri Sri Onkarnath Dev will be installed. Scholars believe the new chair will significantly enhance national and international visibility for Bengal’s spiritual-philosophical heritage at a time when Sanatani communities in the state are seeking renewed cultural reassurance.
Kolkata : At a time when Bengal’s political landscape is charged with debates over faith, identity, and public religious expression—from the reconstruction of the Babri Masjid to preparations for a five-lakh-voice Gita chanting event—the Mamata Banerjee government has established a national and international research chair named after a Hindu spiritual master at Biswa Bangla University in Birbhum.
The newly instituted “Anantashree Sitaramdas Onkarnath National and International Chair” is being widely viewed in academic and cultural circles as a rare state-supported initiative honouring a modern-era Hindu religious leader. West Bengal has seldom created such chairs in the name of spiritual figures. Sitaramdas Onkarnath, the guiding light of the Akhil Bharat Jai Guru Sampradaya, journeyed on foot across Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and several other regions, spreading the message of equality, harmony and the dissolution of caste and religious barriers. His ideal of “sarva-dharma samannay” continues to inspire millions across India.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier assured the leadership of the Onkarnath Mission that the state would actively support the preservation and dissemination of the spiritual master’s teachings. Her visit to Mahamilan Math near Dunlop—the headquarters of the Mission, which oversees over a hundred ashrams across the country—is considered the starting point of this initiative. During the visit, she assured Acharya and president Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuj Maharaj, and Mission president–general secretary Kinkar Priyanath, of full government cooperation.
Banerjee had long expressed her desire to build a liberal arts university in Birbhum—one that would open academic space for devotion, philosophy, art, literature and culture. University officials say that the establishment of this chair is the first major step towards realising that vision. The chair will promote structured research into bhakti traditions, Indian philosophy, Indology, sociology, language, literature and cultural studies. It will archive rare manuscripts and texts connected to Onkarnath’s legacy, support translation and publication projects, and host national and international conferences, seminars and workshops. Special degree programmes, including MPhil and PhD, are expected to follow.
Vice-chancellor Dilip Kumar Maiti described the development as “not merely an academic gesture but a reflection of the government’s commitment to protecting Bengal’s spiritual-philosophical heritage”. He added that without the chief minister’s involvement and the guidance of scholar Chandranath Bandopadhyay, the project would not have progressed. Acharya Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuj Maharaj called the move “a historic moment for lakhs of devotees”, saying that the principles of devotion, service and social equality would now reach much wider audiences. Mission president Kinkar Priyanath Chattopadhyay said the chair would mark “a milestone in research, cultural documentation and authentic archival work”.
The announcement comes ahead of another major landmark being developed at Mahamilan Math — the Gateway of Kolkata and an adjoining cultural corridor, to be inaugurated early next year, where a full-scale statue of Sri Sri Onkarnath Dev will be installed. Scholars believe the new chair will significantly enhance national and international visibility for Bengal’s spiritual-philosophical heritage at a time when Sanatani communities in the state are seeking renewed cultural reassurance.
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