MUMBAI: Chinmaya Mission has dedicated the upcoming year to a celebration of spirituality and its various nuances. Chinmaya AnandaUtsav from 13 to 20 December is a part of the year long celebrations. Chinmaya AnandaUtsav begins with ‘Spirit of India’ organized by Chinmaya Mission Mumbai as a musical evening on 13 December, 2015 at the Sri Shanmukhananda Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Auditorium. It serves to be a significant occasion that brings together youth, corporates, industrialists devout acharyas, members and trustees of various Chinmaya Mission Trusts, and the who’s who of India’s business world who are fervent followers of the mission.

‘Spirit of India’, is a perfect kick start to 2015’s mega event Chinmaya Ananda Utsav, features a charity concert by renowned Bollywood singer Shankar Mahadevan along with a film about Chinmaya Pradeep – A permanent outdoor vision park coming up in Powai and some key announcements for celebrations in store in the coming year. The concert is dedicated to Swami Chinmayananda. As an evening full of soul enriching music, Shankar and his troupe will be presenting a blend of pop bhajans, patriotic numbers, traditional chants strung along modern tunes.

‘Spirit of India’ is a charity concert aimed to raise funds for conducting free workshops on ‘Transforming Indians to Transform India’ in schools and colleges for students from sixth standard till graduation. 900 workshops have already been conducted impacting about 60,000 students. The proceeds will also be used to offer Chinmaya Transformation Scholarships to deserving students for education and also towards the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan for farmer’s relief in Maharashtra.

2016 is a special year for Chinmaya Mission. It marks the birth centenary of the founder of the mission – Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, a spiritual master who was born in 1916. To commemorate 100 years of his birth, the mission is initiating a series of events and celebrations across India to enrich the spiritual quotient of all the devotees, followers and attendees.

Speaking on this occasion Shankar Mahadevan, renowned singer of the Bollywood industry said, “Chinmaya bhajans that I learnt in Balavihar classes of Chinmaya Mission have inspired me from childhood. I am honoured to offer my tribute to Swami Chinmayananda in his birth centenary year through the ‘Spirit of India’ concert which also marks the beginning of the Chinmaya Ananda Utsav. Let’s come together and celebrate the ‘Spirit of India.'”

“Swami Chinmayananda was a true patriot who worked for the betterment of his country and people through the knowledge of Vedanta. With ‘Spirit of India’, a musical charitable evening, we wish to re-invigorate the cultural and national spirit of India he firmly believed in – a spirit that can transform the core of every person and inculcate the will to place nation before self,” said Swami Swatmananda Acharya, Chinmaya Mission Mumbai.

The evening scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm at Sri Shanmukhananda Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Auditorium, Mumbai will be inaugurated by, the Global head Swami Tejomayananda, Rajshri Birla, VibhaShangavi, Ajay Piramal, Shankar Mahadevan, Mukul Patel – President of Chinmaya Mission Mumbai and Swami Swatmananda and the key voices of the mission will share plans for upcoming events scheduled for December i.e. the flagship Chinmaya Ananda Utsavto be held between 13 to 20 December, 2015; and the Chinmaya Jyoti Yatra from 21 to 31 December, 2015.