Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 23: Acharya Chandanaji, honoured with the Padma Shri, leaves behind a legacy that reshaped the meaning of spiritual life—not as withdrawal, but as active compassion in service of society.

Widely known as Pujya Tai Ma Shri, she challenged the traditional notion that devotion requires detachment from the world. Instead, she embodied a philosophy where faith finds its highest purpose in addressing human suffering. As the founder of Veerayatan Group of Institutions, she built a movement rooted in education, healthcare, and humanitarian relief.

At the age of 16, she embraced diksha, choosing a path of renunciation. Yet her journey was not one of isolation. When she established Veerayatan in 1973, her vision was clear: spirituality must translate into action. Over the decades, that vision took shape through schools, hospitals, and large-scale relief efforts in the aftermath of natural disasters, reaching communities where both infrastructure and dignity needed rebuilding.

Acharya Chandanaji rejected the idea of charity as an act of benevolence. For her, service was a responsibility—unconditional and universal. She consistently upheld that care should never be determined by caste, creed, or circumstance, whether through restoring eyesight to the visually impaired or supporting those affected by crises.

She passed away peacefully in Pune on Wednesday morning. Her mortal remains will be kept for public homage at Vardhaman Pratishthan on April 24 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

A story from her early life reflects the essence of her journey. As a child named Shakuntala, when asked about her wish, she said she wanted to be “like the endless sky,” offering space, light, and rain to all. In retrospect, that aspiration reads less like a dream—and more like a life fully realised.