Source: Hindu Press International
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, September 5, 2002: At a function here Dada J. P. Vaswani was given the Hindu Renaissance Award 2002 as “Hindu of the Year” by Hinduism Today. The award was presented by Lavina Melwani, senior US correspondent for the magazine. In making the presentation, she said, “I am here today on behalf of Hinduism Today, which is an international magazine reaching more than 100,000 people in 60 countries. Its mission is affirming Sanatana Dharma and recording the modern history of a billion-strong global religion in renaissance. Starting in 1990, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Gurudeva, founder of Hinduism Today has honored one eminent Hindu each year who has most impacted the faith and spread its values, compassion and spirituality across the globe. Prior to his Maha Samadhi in November of 2001, Gurudeva wished to acknowledge Dada Vaswani as Hindu of the Year for 2002. I am very honored today on behalf of Hinduism Today to present to Dada this plaque and shawl blessed by Gurudeva’s successor, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. The plaque reads: 2002 Hindu Renaissance Award Presented by Hinduism Today to Hindu of the Year, 2002, Dada Jashan P. Vaswani, spiritual head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission in Pune, India, for a lifetime of exemplary preaching of Hindu dharma through his inspired and eloquent oratory, soul-stirring publications and a loving, saintly presence which envelops friend and total stranger alike, effortlessly transcending divisions of race, creed, politics and nationalities.” Dada was then presented with the shawl by Dr. Jayaraman, Director of Bharati Vidya Bhavan, on behalf of Hinduism Today. Starting in 1990, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Gurudeva, founder of Hinduism Today has honored one eminent Hindu each year who has most impacted the faith and spread its values, compassion and profundity across the globe. Past renaissance winners are: Swami Paramananda Bharati (’90), Swami Chidananda Saraswati, “Muniji” of Parmath Niketan (’91), Swami Chinmayananda (’92), Mata Amritanandamayi Ma (’93), Swami Satchidananda (’94), Pramukhswami Maharaj (’95), Sri Satya Sai Baba (’96), Sri Chinmoy (’97), Swami Bua (’98), Swami Chidananda Saraswati of Divine Life Society (’99), Ma Yoga Shakti (’00) and Sri Sambamurthi Sivachariyar (01). Gurudeva met Dada for the first time in Oxford, April, 1988, at the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival. He was very impressed with this humble man who exuded love and spoke so eloquently. In March of this year, Dada visited the Hinduism Today offices in Kauai for the first time. While there, he gave a talk to the monks. He told them to make good use of every minute; to observe silence, to keep a daily appointment with God at least twice a day for 20 minutes; to always think of noble thoughts; always seek the lowest place. He told them that if they are called to perform a task that put them in some position, to do so out of obedience but otherwise always seek the lowest place. Dada explained that eventually one will see a light in the head and that light would begin to illumine you from within and then you would come to the place where you would see God. With an impassioned voice he said that if we could plant such people in places around the world, then perhaps in our “tortured modern world” we will be able to bring some solace to others. Hinduism Today has enjoyed his inspiring books over the years, helped announce his popular calls for a meatless day, and marveled at his tireless travel and eloquent discourses from the heart, carrying Hinduism’s primal messages of love and tolerance. Hinduism Today magazine is the inspiration of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. In the early 1980s he made several world tours, visiting Mauritius, Sri Lanka, India, South Africa, Malaysia, England and other countries, and speaking to hundreds of thousands of people. He discovered that Hindus in each country were totally unaware of, or did not care, what was happening within the realms of their religion in other places in the world. Out of these tours came the mission of Hinduism Today to strengthen all the many diverse expressions of Hindu spirituality and to give them a single, combined voice because everywhere else their voices were individualized. He commissioned his monks to promote all Hindu denominations in the magazine and to report “everybody’s good work.” In 2000, he founded the Hindu Press International, a daily e-mail news service reaching thousands. Today Hinduism Today is a world-class, full-color quarterly magazine, reaching more than 100,000 people in 60 countries and has one of the largest Hindu websites in the world, with thousands of visitors a day. “Affirming Sanatana Dharma and recording the modern history of a billion-strong global religion in renaissance” is its mission statement.