Ananda Marga, Sanskrit for 'Path of Bliss', is an international spiritual
and social movement established in nearly 200 countries. It was founded in
1955 by P. R Sarkar,  known also as Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, or simply
'Baba'.

The beginnings of the Ananda Marga mission takes us back to the state of
Bihar, India in 1955. In the town of Jamalpur, Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar
organized the first  chapter of Ananda Marga, (the Path of Bliss). His
philosophy strongly rejected dogmas, superstitions, and conventions such as
the caste system. Sarkar taught spiritual  practices for self-development
and urged the aspirants to take a strong stand against exploitation and
corruption. The motto "Self-realization and Service to humanity"  became the
guiding ideal for thousands of people who were attracted to the universal
vision of Ananda Marga.

After a few years, the movement had spread through the states of Bihar and
West Bengal. In 1962, P.R. Sarkar initiated the first monk of Ananda Marga
when devotees  asked that a monastic order (males and females) be
established of dedicated workers to further the work of Ananda Marga on a
full-time basis. The creation of the order  of nuns followed in 1966. Most
members of Ananda Marga are lay people, including students, married couples,
single adults, etc. All are able to benefit from the yogic  practices taught
as well as contribute to the society through one or another of Ananda
Marga's programs.

The monks and nuns, who have dedicated their lives for social service, serve
as full time workers of the mission and are very instrumental in Ananda
Marga's expansion  and existence. In 1963, Sarkar expanded the organization
by establishing the Education, Relief, and Welfare Section (ERAWS) and
opened the first Ananda Marga  schools. In the 1960s, as Ananda Marga spread
all over India, the scope of Ananda Marga's social service grew to include
children's homes, medical clinics, feeding  programs and disaster relief
teams. AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team) was started in 1965 and
since then has constantly participated in disaster relief  during natural
and man-made calamities.

AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team) is a non-profit, charitable
organization formally registered in 1970, and incorporated in the U.S.A. in
1985 and now in  many other countries. AMURT is one of the few
non-governmental relief and voluntary organizations of Third World origin.
AMURT's objectives are to aid the poor and  under-privileged of the world
through disaster relief, redevelopment programs and community service. In
pursuit of these goals AMURT has maintained a  long-established working
relationship with the Red Cross as well as other numerous disaster relief
and development organizations in the U.S.A. and abroad. AMURT has  also been
formally recognized as a Non-Governmental Organization by the United Nations
through their Department of Public Information.

By 1970 Ananda Marga had become a global organization with headquarters in
Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. The seed that was planted in the humble
Indian  village back in 1955 has today grown to be a vibrant global network
of men and women whose desire is to serve humanity right across national,
economic or ideological  barriers.  The doing of spiritual practices, mainly
meditation, is integral to this lifestyle

Today Ananda Marga is a world wide organization with spiritual and social
activity centers well-established in more than 160 countries and active in
over 200 countries. It  is a spiritual renaissance movement having some one
million followers. The mission is running thousands of schools, medical
units, children's homes, yoga meditation  centers and master units (rural
development in conjunction with cooperative communities) in different
countries of the world.

The most prominent amongst Ananda Marga's development projects is the rural
development program in Purulia, West Bengal known as Ananda Nagar (City of
Bliss). A  comprehensive and integrated approach to solving the area's
problems has given hope to the inhabitants of this area, which has been one
of the poorest in India. Ecology,  culture, education, economic and social
development have all been addressed.

Following the same approach, while adapting to the local circumstances,
hundreds of master units which one day aim to the same calibre as Ananda
Nagar, whether it be  few inhabitants or hundreds, have been started in
different parts of India and all over the world. These communities provide
an alternative lifestyle to urban congestion,  promoting rural development
not only in terms of agriculture but also culturally, educationally, and
spiritually.

Ananda Marga is now a leading global agency for social development and
progress, pioneering programs everywhere, with particular emphasis in the
third world. In its  projects it seeks to implement the social and economic
philosophy of Sarkar called PROUT (PROgressive Utilisation Theory). The
spirit is that 'The main characteristic  of PROUT-based socio-economic
movements is that they aim to guarantee the comprehensive, multifarious
liberation of humanity.' P R Sarkar

For PROUT - PROgressive Utilisation Theory, see:

http://www.proutworld.org
http://www.prout.org

Also visit:

New Renaissance: A Journal for Social and Spiritual Awakening:

http://www.ru.org

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Regarding higher ideals, social service work is a must.

Social service work and its support is essential to spiritual life.  There
are ample opportunities for this. Similarly, the establishment of social
services with progressive  values can also have its obstacles and struggles.
But one should see through this and over time success is inevitable, as
shown in history itself.

The structure of Ananda Marga and its social service goals is briefly shown
below.

THE STRUCTURE AND DEPARTMENTS

The major departments and sections of Ananda Marga are listed.  These
departments are run by full-time workers, mainly 'WT's (or wholetimers of
Ananda Marga who  are renunciate monks and nuns). Where local chapters of
these departments exist, then often local practitioners are involved in the
running of them.

ERAWS (Education, Relief and Welfare) - The main service section of Ananda
Marga, including schools, relief work and welfare institutions.
Structurally, Education includes Education (I, II, III) and extends to AMSAI
(Ananda Marga Special Academic Institutions), AMJAS (Ananda Marga Jagriti
Schools), AMPES (Ananda Marga Peoples Schools).  Structurally, Relief
includes Relief (I, II, III). It extends to AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal
Relief Team) for relief work around the world and there is also AMURTEL
which is the section of AMURT run by women, as well as AMUPRESO (Ananda
Marga Universal Permanent Relief Society).  All these provide emergency or
permanent relief to the public at times of natural and human made disasters.
Welfare covers: MEDICAL for establishing hospitals, clinics and medical
programs; TPW (Tribal People's Welfare) and PCAP (Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals and Plants) for the practical expression of Neo-humanism and
promoting vegetarianism.  PCAP is an organisation of environmentally
conscious people working towards the elevation of human consciousness in
respect to ecological principles and service to all living species, both
plants and animals.  CL (Cheap Literature) is also associated with PCAP.

WWD (Women's Welfare Department) - Managed and staffed by women for women's
needs in the ERAWS activities. It also covers PWSA (Progressive Women's
Spiritual Association), HPMGL (Hari Pari Mandala Ghosti (Ladies), GV (Girl's
Volunteers) and NARII ABHYUDAYA.  AMURTEL is managed from here as well.

DHARMA PRACAR - The propagation of the spiritual ideology, especially
through the teaching of meditation and yoga.  This sees to the propagation
of Ananda  Marga's spiritual philosophy and practices. It teaches meditation
and yoga classes and conducts retreats as well as talks on spirituality.

RENAISSANCE UNIVERSAL (RU) - promotes universal and progressive ideas and
concepts amongst intellectuals, academics and students.  RU is an affiliated
organisation of Ananda Marga.  Its central objective is to unite
intellectuals and value oriented individuals in their efforts to bring about
progressive social change. RU  produces an international magazine 'New
Renaissance'. Renaissance Artists and Writers Association (RAWA) is a
section of RU which promotes 'arts for service and  blessedness'. RAWA is
for the development of fine arts with the idea of service and spirituality.
RAWA's activities revolve around the basic premise of 'Art for Service and
Spiritual Unfoldment', and aims to uplift society both socially and
spiritually by encouraging positive artistic  stimulation.

EMS (Eka Manav Samaj or One Human Society) - Creates popular movements in
society which promote unity, cooperation & justice amongst all people.

FOOD AND CARE - Solving the problems of food and proper care of all beings
in society.

SOCIAL SECURITY - Establishes cooperatives including industrial, consumer
and housing.

SOCIETY BUILDING - Encourages "revolutionary marriages" (inter racial,
national, cultural or religious marriages) and assists those wanting to lead
a renunciate life by  becoming WT acaryas (wholetimer teachers).

Two particular wings in Ananda Marga have wide objectives. These are:

MASTER UNITS (MU) - Establishes model socio-economic-spiritual communities
based on Prout, Neo-humanism and P R Sarkar's concepts of agriculture and
farming.

SEVA DAL (GENERAL) and SEVA DAL (LADIES) - For training young men and women
as local full-time workers in specific details of Ananda Marga.

There is also:

GENERAL

PUBLIC RELATIONS

LEGAL

FINANCE

ISMUB (Inspection, Seminar, Movement, Utilization and Board)

PUBLICATIONS

PRESS AND PRINTING

LAND

FARM

FARPRO (Farm Products)

CONSTRUCTION (of buildings)

JAGRITI (spiritual meeting places)

INDUSTRY

INPRO (Industry Products)

COMMERCE

AMUS (Ananda Marga Universal Stores)

All social service projects are based on Neo-humanism or Spiritual Humanism,
which promotes love for all of creation, and is against all intellectual and
social dogmas and  narrow mindedness.

GURUKUL - This is the name of the body that oversees the educational
institutions of Ananda Marga.

In addition to AMPS (Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha) which generally covers
all of the above, there is SDM (Seva Dharma Mission), VSS (Volunteer Social
Service) and PU (Proutist Universal).

Volunteers

Most of the projects in the Ananda Marga social service network are run
through the dedicated service of trained volunteers. Because of the large
variety of projects,  opportunities are available for medical personnel,
teachers, artists, student interns, fundraisers and many others, to share
their talents.

Ananda Marga's philosophy and practices are based on the motto: ' For the
Liberation of Self and the Welfare of All.'  To realise this ideal there is
a personal and a social  aspect to Ananda Marga.

Ananda Marga is supported financially through donations from individuals,
organisations, businesses and government. Ananda Marga also has its own
commerce  department, running various small businesses like bakeries,
printing presses, market gardens, import businesses, shops and the like.

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Time line to 1997

The below is a small time line of events, and despite opposition by the
reactive forces over the years, the Ananda Marga mission keeps going
unabated.  The timeline is  up to 1997.  But since then numerous projects
have been established.  Examples include: a school in Papua New Guinea for
which the Chinese and New Zealand  Ambassadors / Embassies recently provided
substantial funding for the school building; the children's home in
Mongolia, thanks in part to Rotary Australia; and the school  in Thailand,
thanks to a major American women's' charity organisation.  It has also been
constantly inspiring to see world wide government recognition.

ANANDA MARGA: A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY

1921 - The birth of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, the Propounder of Ananda Marga,
on the day of Vaeshaki Purnima (Full Moon) at 6.07 am in the year 1921 at
Jamalpur,  Bihar, India.

1939 - The first initiation. Kalicharan Bandopadhyay was initiated at Kashi
Mitra Ghat on the River Bhagirathi in Kalikata, India on the day of
Shravanii Purnima in the  year 1939.

1955 - Ananda Marga was founded. The first Dharma Maha Cakra (a great
spiritual gathering) was held on 9 January 1955 at Rampur Colony, Jamalpur,
Bihar, India.

1958 - Renaissance Universal was founded on 26 January 1958 at Trimuhan,
Bhagalpur District, Bihar, India.

1959 - The fundamentals of PROUT (PROgressive Utilisation Theory) are first
given - a socio-economic theory.

1962 - The first acarya Avadhuta (renunciate monk) was initiated.

1963 - Anandanagar, the registered headquarters of Ananda Marga Pracaraka
Samgha (Society for the Propagation of the Path of Bliss) was established in
the district of  Purulia in West Bengal, India. Education, Relief and
Welfare Section (ERAWS) the social service wing of Ananda Marga was also
started.

1964 - Ananda Marga Board of Education was formed.

1965 - The Women's Welfare Department (WWD) was started.

1966 - The first missionary was sent overseas. Ananda Marga Degree College
was set up at Anandanagar.

1967 - Anandanagar was attacked by communists on 5 March 1967 and five
dedicated monks were murdered. The Court, after a prolonged trial, found 19
persons,  including the Block Development Officer of Garjaipur, guilty of
the crime and sentenced them to prison terms.

1968 - Ananda Marga Institute of Technology (AMIT) was set up at
Anandanagar.

1969 - Ananda Marga congregation at Coochbihar in West Bengal was attacked
by communists on 29 August 1969 and a margii worker was killed.

1970 - Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) was founded. Kiirtana
(spiritual dance and chant) with 'Baba Nam Kevalam' as a siddha mantra was
introduced  in Ranchi, India.

1971 - The seven year long incarceration of the Marga Guru (Anandamurti)
begins.

1973 - Anandamurti was poisoned inside Bankipore Central Jail, Patna on 12
February 1973. From 1 April 1973 Anandamurti goes on a five year long fast,
demanding a  judicial enquiry into the poisoning event.

1975 - Ananda Marga was banned in India on 3 July 1975 when a nation-wide
emergency was imposed. Many other organisations and groups across the
country were  also banned by Indira Gandhi.

1977 - The ban was subsequently withdrawn in 1977; and the unprecedented
electoral tide thereafter swept the then government out of power.

1978 - The incarceration ends. Anandamurti comes out of Jail on 2 August
1978 following the verdict by the Patna High Court pronouncing him not
guilty and acquittal of  all the charges. The Marga Guru breaks his fast.
Kaoshikii - a spiritual dance was introduced on 6 September 1978 in Patna,
India.  

1982 - The Philosophy of Neo-humanism was expounded. Communist activists
massacred 17 Ananda Marga monks and nuns on 30 April 1982 in Kalikata,
India.  Anandamurti, using his legal name - Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar,
introduced Prabhat Samgiita (Songs of the New Dawn) with the first
composition on 14 September 1982.   All together 5018 songs were composed.

1983 - Ananda Marga was declared a religious denomination (as per the legal
definition) by the Supreme Court of India in its judgment in the Tandava
Case on 20  October 1983.  This gave it status along with all traditional
spiritual movements in India.

1984 - Ananda Marga was recognised as religious organisation (as per the
legal definition) by the Canadian government.  This gave it status as per
all established  institutions.  In law, religion includes all spiritual
movements that have a Universal Entity as their core belief.  Ananda Marga
becomes similarly recognised in many other  countries.

1985 - Anandamurti introduces 10 new letters in the Bengali alphabet to
improve its versatility.  Subsequently, his writings on language are
recognised as the forefront in  linguistics by many noted Indian scholars.

1987 - The theory on Microvita was propounded on 31 December 1987.

1988 - Shrii P. R. Sarkar (Anandamurti) was invited by the Government of the
Peoples' Republic of China to a Conference on Futures of World Development
in Economy, Culture, Ecology and Education. He sent his representative -
Acarya Ragunath.

1989 - AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team) received the Indicator
International Human Rights Award for its 1988 outstanding relief work
rendered to the victims of apartheid in South Africa.

1990 - 2 April 1990, Acarya Asiimananda Avadhuta and four other Ananda
Margiis were brutally murdered at the hands of the goons of the Communist
Party of India  (Marxist) (CPIM) at Anandanagar, Purulia, West Bengal. On 4
June 1990, Acarya Karunaketan Brahmacarii was killed by police gunfire at
Anandanagar. The incident was instigated by the CPIM. Communist opposition
to Ananda Marga had become brutal.  In September 1990, Anandamurti gave the
initial directions for the establishment of the Gurukul University.

1990 - 20 October l990, the last Prabhat Samgiita (No. 5018) - Songs of the
New Dawn - was composed. The number of songs surpassed those of Rabindranath
Tagore, who had previously been the person who had written the most songs.

1990 - 21 October 1990, Anandamurti (PR Sarkar) left his body in Calcutta,
India.

1990 - 31 October 1990, Acarya Shraddhananda Avadhuta became the Purodha
Pramukha (spiritual head) and President of Ananda Marga after Anandamurti's
departure.

1991 - AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team) received recognition as an
NGO under the United Nations.

1992 - Ananda Marga registered in Uganda, Greece, Ethiopia, Russia, and many
other countries with established orthodox churches.

1993 - Ananda Marga registered in Moldavia, Korea, Haiti, Dominican
Republic, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Chile and other countries where people
all seek new  inroads in spirituality.

1994 - The government of Jamaica recognized Ananda Marga as a non -profit
charitable organisation - in line with many other countries who had done so.

1995 - Ananda Marga registered in Madagascar and Mongolia, where resources
are scarce but in which Ananda Marga has always managed to establish
significant  social service projects.

1996 - Supreme Court of India lifted the notifications of the Government of
India (a hangover from Indira Gandhi's time) banning employees from
participating in Ananda Marga activities and also reaffirmed the religious /
spiritual status of Ananda Marga. The Charity Commissioners, an agency of
the Government of the United Kingdom, declared Ananda Marga as a
charitable-religious organisation (in accordance with the legal definition).