India is a land of saints and savants and has produced some of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders. The message of brotherhood and compassion that these spiritual leaders have propagated over the years formed into movements and institutions and many of these have striven for social reforms through emancipation of women. Dada Lekh Raj, better known as Prajapita Brahma, was the founder of the Prajapita Brahma Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya with its headquarters at Mount Abu in Rajasthan. He was born in Sind in 1876, and when he grew up and he became a dealer in diamonds, and acquired great wealth.
Around the age of sixty, he suddenly underwent an inner transformation, renounced opulence and devoted himself to the pursuit of self-awareness and helping to raise mankind to a nobler status. His goal was renewal of the world through virtue, human compassion and universal brotherhood.
Prajapita Brahma was a man of vision and a social reformer. He had great compassion for humanity and concern for the weak. Emancipation of women being uppermost in his mind, he founded the institution of Brahma Kumaris in 1937. He emphasized the need for freeing the human mind from all kinds of bias and prejudices. The Raja Yoga meditation taught by him is a powerful means to get rid of mental tension.
Prajapita Brahma expired on 18th January, 1969. His legacy, the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, has grown into a very large organisation today, managed mostly by women. It has a network of 3000 educational centres in India and 330 overseas centres in 62 countries and is open to all. It has received the appreciation of the United Nations for its good work and is respected worldwide for the moral and spiritual education it imparts. It has received numerous other awards for service to humanity in propagating peace and value education.
The First Day Cover shows the Universal Peace Hall, which is a part of the headquarters complex of the organization at Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative stamp in honour of Prajapita Brahma whose selfless work for upliftment of humanity and women, in particular, may strengthen those engaged in pursuit of moral refinement and social reforms.
Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India