AARSH (Gandhinagar)

History and Vision The Akshardham Center for Applied Research in Social Harmony (AARSH) at Akshardham in Gandhinagar, Gujarat was founded by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 7th November 1991. He envisioned AARSH to be a center that would serve as a platform for the research and collective discourse of languages, sacred texts, history, culture and values, religions, and philosophy. His vision was to create an environment where students, scholars, professionals, and community members of all backgrounds could come together to research, discuss, and collaborate to foster cultural awareness and appreciation and inspire meaningful change. History and Vision The Akshardham Center for Applied Research in Social Harmony (AARSH) at Akshardham in Gandhinagar, Gujarat was founded by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 7th November 1991. He envisioned AARSH to be a center that would serve as a platform for the research and collective discourse of languages, sacred texts, history, culture and values, religions, and philosophy. His vision was to create an environment where students, scholars, professionals, and community members of all backgrounds could come together to research, discuss, and collaborate to foster cultural awareness and appreciation and inspire meaningful change.

Focus on Awareness, Appreciation, and Social Harmony

At AARSH we strive to employ an involved and multi-dimensional approach to learning and research to ensure meaningful, productive, and responsible scholarship. In this approach, we encourage our students and researchers to foster respect and appreciation for not only their subject matter but also those involved in their studies.

Our commitment to serious academic study also drives our researchers to seek to understand nuances from multiple perspectives and disciplinary trajectories. By promoting the involvement of members from other academic fields, community leaders, and experienced professionals, we advocate a holistic approach towards research and learning.

We also promote our researchers and educators to consider the cultural, societal, and individual impact of their findings and teachings. We understand that such consideration promotes grounding research in applied fields and provides insight into the practical implementation of research ventures and education. We believe that the comprehensive deliberation on the effects of research and learning also ensures that our members take responsibility for their investigations and scholarship.

Only through such inclusive, empirical, and responsible scholarship can we practically address many of the problems that face us today. At AARSH, all of our activities seek to create such awareness and appreciation through mutual and responsible learning. We believe that only through such principle-based research and education can we acquire the necessary insights to resolve the societal problems of today and create a more harmonious tomorrow.

A Sanctuary for Scholarship Serious scholarship flourishes through dedicated study, creative reflections, and engaging discussions, all molded by experienced guidance. At AARSH we pride ourselves for providing creative learning spaces where researchers can work together to produce original research.

Every student and researcher needs a shelf full of texts. Our extensive collections in
languages including English, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Gujarati and spanning the many
disciplines of scholarship, provide our members access to a wide range of
resources to begin their creative journey. Understanding the need for professional mentoring, AARSH also supports our
researchers and students by providing access to interested peers, eminent experts, and leaders of the community along with meaningful opportunities for communication,
collaboration, and networking. AARSH is dedicated to bringing researchers, practitioners, and community members
together to discuss and contribute to practical, collective scholarship. Through open discussion and conversation, we foster involved and comprehensive research that creates mutual understanding and has the potential to transform society. Understanding the need for professional mentoring, AARSH also supports our researchers and students by providing access to interested peers, eminent experts, and leaders of the community along with meaningful opportunities for communication, collaboration, and networking. Every student and researcher needs a shelf full of texts. Our extensive collections in languages including English, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Gujarati and spanning the many disciplines of scholarship, provide our members access to a wide range of resources to begin their creative journey. AARSH is dedicated to bringing researchers, practitioners, and community members together to discuss and contribute to practical, collective scholarship. Through open discussion and conversation, we foster involved and comprehensive research that creates mutual understanding and has the potential to transform society.

Rare works and manuscript library
Among its many reputed endeavors, AARSH is known for its exceptional conservation, restoration, and study of manuscripts. Proud of our preserved repository of rare works, hand-written documents and texts, special collections, and relics, we at AARSH believe our collections to be an invaluable testament to the creative capacity, proficiency, and universal relevance of culture identity and thought.
In addition to our collection and preservation efforts, we also encourage and facilitate the study of numerous works in our collections. By deciphering, analyzing, and dating historical manuscripts and evaluating the cultural context of their writing, our researchers investigate the methods with which these texts were produced and perform historical and literary studies based on their findings.
As a result, we take our mission to preserve and make accessible our collections very seriously. In support of our initiatives, we continue to acquire, catalog, and preserve rare works and manuscripts. The digitalization and creation of detailed archival descriptions of these works increase the accessibility of our collections.

Active Outreach Program The Institute is also proud of its robust public outreach program, which hosts and organizes exhibitions, conferences, workshops, open houses, and lecture series. Materials from and inspired by our collections are celebrated in numerous events and special displays at our facilitates. We welcome our members, affiliates, and distinguished guests to join us in exploring our shared histories and interests through such events.

Institutional Affiliations

Institutional affiliations are an integral aspect of all research institutes. Mutually supportive affiliations afford both parties with numerous educational, research, and career-specific opportunities. Understanding the importance of creating an affiliation with reputable institutions, we at AARSH have a history of mutually supportive institutional affiliations.

Soon after AARSH’s inauguration, in 1993 the Institute joined in a decade-long affiliation within Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, a Sanskrit university established in 1970 under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and currently rechartered as the Central Sanskrit University.

Thereafter, in 2008, AARSH became affiliated and accredited by Shree Somnath Sanskrit University (SSSU) located in Veraval, Gujarat, India. SSSU was created by the Gujarat State government through the Shree Somnath Sanskrit University Act in 2005 for the research and teaching of Sanskrit literature and with the objective to preserve India’s cultural and linguistic heritage. Upon sharing a mutually supportive relationship with SSSU, AARSH later in 2014 was granted permanent affiliation with Shree Somnath Sanskrit University by the University Grants Commission of India (UGC).

In addition to these extended affiliations, AARSH has hosted, participated in, and organized many academic conferences in affiliation with prominent national and international organizations. These collaborated events include the Sanskrit Scholar’s Conference, Sanskrit Journalist’s Conference, Saints Poets Conference, National Seminar on the Status of Women in Religion, and the National Conference on Vaidikatva.
Through its many affiliations, AARSH continues to afford its students, researchers, and educators the opportunity to engage in diverse forms of academic expression and dialogue and participate in scholarly events to advance their learning and careers.