Ramesh Bhutada, an Indian American businessman and philanthropist from Houston, has recently donated USD one million to the burgeoning Hindu University of America (HUA), giving it an important financial boost. HUA is the only institution in the US whose goal is to spread Hindu philosophy via education.
The Hindu University of America was founded in 1989 and granted authorisation by the Florida State Government in 1993; this is the most noticeable donation it has ever received.
The donation, as per Bhutada, CEO of Houston-based Star Pipe Products, was made so that young people might learn about and appreciate Hinduism much earlier in life, helping them to have fulfilling lives.
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HUA honoured Bhutada at a gathering in Houston. Bhutada noticed that 2,600 students had attended the school's educational programmes over the preceding three to four years despite its lack of certification. Further, the institution plans to receive accreditation at the end of 2023.
Bhutada asserted that he did not truly comprehend the core of Hinduism despite being born and nurtured in a traditional Hindu family and a member of numerous well-known Hindu organisations and traditions.
As per a statement from HUA, Bhutada took more than 60 years to realise the true essence of Hinduism, which teaches mankind how to live in harmony with themselves, their families, their friends, others at work, and the rest of humanity as a whole. Since Hindus are born with this heritage, he added, being born as a Hindu is a privilege.
As stated by Bhutada, his contribution is an investment in the future of the country's youth rather than a donation. Young minds must have actual intellectual knowledge of Hinduism if they are to adhere to the Hindu tradition; else, he continued, they are likely to lose sight of what Hinduism is all about.
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Other universities might teach students how to make a living and find employment. An institution like HUA can teach students about Hinduism and how to conduct their lives, the statement read.
The president of the HUA, Kalyan Viswanathan, called on the Hindu community to collaborate to create a Hindu university that endures for a thousand years. It will be much like the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, which has endured for more than a thousand years, or like the Nalanda University, which served as a global centre of learning for 1,700 years before it was annihilated.
In 2023-2024, HUA is going to file an accreditation, which is a fundamental milestone. According to Viswanathan, HUA hopes to become recognised over the following five years as a common forum for all Hindu traditions and organisations to convey their teachings. In the words of Viswanathan, the guiding principle of HUA is that pure knowledge, or Vidya, liberates.
Approximately 75 students are now enrolled in Master's and Doctoral programmes at HUA, and over 2600 students have attended educational programmes since October 2019. More than 150 courses are currently available through HUA's 15 distinct ongoing education programmes, which are taught by more than 70 faculty members.
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Ved Nanda, the university's chairman, stated that HUA will work to establish itself as a recognised academic authority on all issues relating to Hindu Dharma, not only in the United States but also internationally.
The Hindu University of America was established to foster interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and cross-civilizational interaction and to nurture harmony, self-discovery, and conscious evolution. Its goal is to impart instruction in knowledge systems grounded in Hindu philosophy that emphasise critical thinking, morality, and introspection. It trains students for service, leadership, and involvement in the world while being committed to rejuvenating Hindu Dharma in the context of academic success and independence.
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Source: Hindustan Times
