By Ashveen Kutowaroo FCG LLM MSc PMP®️
Delhi’s late-October air carried both a festive pulse and the gravity of history. From 30 October to 2 November 2025, the Swarn Jayanti Park in Rohini became a sacred confluence of conviction and curiosity as thousands gathered for the International Arya Mahasammelan (IAMS). This year’s Mahasammelan wasn’t just another conference; it marked 150 years of Arya Samaj — a movement that began in 1875 as a voice of reform and has since grown into one of the most globally rooted Hindu reformist traditions.
More than 42 countries sent their delegates — scholars, sanyasis, educators, and Arya Samaj leaders — to commemorate the occasion. The Indian capital witnessed saffron-clad monks walking alongside second-generation professionals from Guyana, South Africa, and Suriname, their shared spirit anchored in a common legacy: Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam — “Let us make the world noble.”
The 2025 Sammelan, hosted by the Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, was also the culmination of a two-year celebration that began with the 200th birth anniversary of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj.
A Prime Minister’s Tribute to a Timeless Vision
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped onto the stage for the opening ceremony, the applause echoed across the park. His words carried both reverence and resolve. “Maharshi Dayanand awakened the soul of Bharat,” he said. “He taught us that reform and faith are not opposites. They are the twin paths to truth.”
In his address, Modi linked the reformist ideas of Dayanand Saraswati to India’s modern social movements. “When we talk of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, of education for every child, of equality across castes — we are walking the path that Maharshi Dayanand lit a century and a half ago,” he observed.
He also noted that Arya Samaj had helped India reclaim its intellectual and moral confidence during colonial rule — giving the nation the courage to question superstition and blind authority. “The message of Arya Samaj is not limited to India,” Modi added. “Its call for truth, equality, and justice belongs to the whole world.”
Global Footprints, Shared Mission
Few spiritual movements from India have found such a sustained global rhythm. Over the past 150 years, Arya Samaj has grown beyond borders — to the United States, Canada, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, and many more.
The international character of the movement was solidified in 2006, when a global resolution called for annual International Arya Mahasammelans to unify Arya Samaj bodies worldwide. Since then, the Mahasammelan has journeyed across continents:
USA (Chicago) – 2007
Mauritius – 2008
Suriname – 2009
Netherlands – 2010
South Africa (Durban) – 2013
Singapore & Thailand – 2014
Australia (Sydney) – 2015
Nepal (Kathmandu) – 2016
Myanmar (Yangon) – 2017
India (New Delhi) – 2018
USA (New York) – 2025
In each city, the same message resonates in local tongues: truth is universal, and reform begins with courage.
Maharshi Dayanand’s Living Legacy
At the heart of every speech, exhibition, and discussion during the 2025 Sammelan lay the question: What does it mean to be Arya in the modern world?
Panels explored the relevance of Vedic philosophy in the age of artificial intelligence. Scholars from Mauritius and South Africa presented papers on how Arya Samaj’s principles — truthfulness, gender equality, education, and rational worship — could inform the ethical frameworks of contemporary societies.
In one session, a young academic from Kenya reflected: “Maharshi Dayanand’s rejection of blind faith was not rebellion. It was responsibility — the courage to align reason with righteousness.”
Another highlight was a cultural segment featuring students from Arya schools in Fiji and Trinidad performing Sanskrit hymns alongside African percussionists — a moment that captured the movement’s evolution into a truly global, intercultural dialogue.
A Reunion of Generations
Walking through the Rohini park during the Sammelan was like stepping into a moving archive of living history. Elderly Arya Samajists from Durban shared memories of the first Mahasammelan in Chicago, while younger delegates from London spoke of using social media to connect Arya youth across continents.
Among the Indian diaspora, especially in the Caribbean and Africa, Arya Samaj has long been more than a religious institution — it is a social anchor. It built schools when colonial structures denied education to the indentured and the poor. It gave communities a sense of self-worth rooted in knowledge, not dogma.
The Mauritius delegation, a fifty-member contingent, was particularly animated. Their pride ran deep — Mauritius had hosted the 2008 Mahasammelan, a moment that strengthened ties between the island’s Arya Sabha and the global movement. “The Arya Samaj taught us to read, to question, to stand tall,” one delegate shared. “That’s a legacy that shapes nations, not just individuals.”
Modern Reform, Ancient Roots
In the exhibition pavilion, displays traced Arya Samaj’s journey through rare photographs, first-edition manuscripts of Satyarth Prakash, and holographic presentations of Vedic yajnas. The exhibits juxtaposed Dayanand Saraswati’s 19th-century reformism with today’s challenges — environmental ethics, gender parity, and digital education.
The thread tying it all together was reform through knowledge. As PM Modi noted in his speech, “When Arya Samaj fought for education and against untouchability, it wasn’t merely social work. It was the revival of India’s moral intelligence.”
Sessions led by Arya scholars from Singapore and the Netherlands discussed how gurukuls are evolving into digital learning hubs, teaching Vedic ethics alongside modern sciences. The dialogue reflected a confident harmony — not between East and West, but between wisdom and progress.
A Global Movement with Local Hearts
The Arya Mahasammelan 2025 also served as a quiet reminder of how decentralized strength can achieve unity. Each country’s delegation brought its local colour — Dutch-Indian choirs, South African yoga collectives, Canadian women’s Arya forums.
The movement’s diversity, once seen as fragmentation, now stood as proof of its adaptability. As one leader from Trinidad said, “Arya Samaj is not about creating followers. It’s about creating thinkers who act with compassion.”
From Kenya to Fiji, Arya Samaj institutions today run schools, orphanages, cultural centers, and disaster-relief projects, carrying forward the Vedic call for self-reliance (Swavalamban) and service (Seva).
The Spirit of Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam
The closing ceremony on 2 November brought together all 42 delegations under a single flame — the yajna fire that has symbolized Arya Samaj unity for a century and a half. The chants rose with conviction, yet the tone was not triumphal. It was reflective, almost intimate — as though the movement was looking back at its own mirror, measuring how far it had come and how far it still must go.
As the fire dimmed into twilight, one could sense that the 150th anniversary was not an ending but a renewal. Arya Samaj, now entering its next century, stands as a moral compass in an age of noise. Its founder’s call — to live by reason, guided by conscience — remains as urgent as ever.
In the words of Prime Minister Modi:
“Maharshi Dayanand didn’t just reform religion. He redefined the Indian mind. The strength of Arya Samaj is that it belongs to everyone who believes in truth — not because of birth, but because of choice.”
That, perhaps, is the enduring power of Arya Samaj — not a monument of faith, but a movement of thought.
