Dharm Mahotsava

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided text from "Dharm Mahotsava" by Virchand R. Gandhi:

The provided excerpt from Virchand R. Gandhi's "Dharm Mahotsava" emphasizes the primacy and ancient origins of Eastern civilization, particularly India, in the fields of religion, science, philosophy, and wisdom.

Gandhi asserts that the East, and specifically India, served as the "mother of Light, Religion, Science, Philosophy, Wisdom," originating these profound concepts long before the West began to develop its own civilization. India is described as the "cradle of civilization and the mother of religions," possessing and disseminating eternal truths crucial for spiritual progress. The influence of Eastern wisdom is shown to have reached distant lands like Egypt, Babylonia, and Greece, and its impact is still felt globally today, even on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

The text draws a parallel between the World Congress of Religions held in Chicago and similar religious conferences that have historically taken place in India. While acknowledging that the Chicago Congress had different immediate objectives compared to these ancient Indian gatherings, Gandhi interprets the event as a modern re-echo of India's long-standing tradition of religious discourse and unity.

Furthermore, Gandhi argues that if the Chicago World Congress was a necessary and inevitable outcome of America's spiritual environment and societal needs, then a similar necessity had been pressing upon India for centuries. This need was exacerbated by the fragmentation of Indian peoples into various creeds and communities. It was in this context of a growing need for religious understanding and unity that the Dharma Mahotsava of Ajmere in 1895 emerged as a significant and memorable event.

In essence, the excerpt highlights:

• India's foundational role in global spiritual and intellectual development.
• The historical practice of religious gatherings and discourse in India.
• The World Congress of Religions in Chicago as a modern manifestation of a need that has long existed in India due to its diverse religious landscape.
• The Dharma Mahotsava of Ajmere as a pivotal event in response to this historical and societal need in India.