How MP spiritual retreat will shine the light on Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta

Religious scholars, scientists, spiritual gurus and cultural exponents will be gathering at Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh from April 17 to 22 for the birth anniversary celebrations of Adi Shankara, the 8th century monk, philosopher and teacher of Advaita Vedanta. The birth anniversary is held every year on Vaishakh Shukla Panchami.

Adi Shankara is credited with the concept of Advaita or non-duality, which states that the Aatman (one’s soul) and Brahman (ultimate reality) are one. He also established the cardinal monasteries at Dwarka, Joshimath, Sringeri and Puri.

The temple town of Omkareshwar, located on the banks of the Narmada, has been chosen as the venue for the five-day retreat as it is not only one of the 12 Jyotirlingas (sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva) but also where Adi Shankara, as a child, studied under the tutelage of his gurus.

Omkareshwar is presently being developed as a spiritual religious centre, the backdrop being Adi Shankara’s association with the temple town and the Advaita Vedanta he espoused. In 2023, the Madhya Pradesh government installed a 108-ft-tall of Adi Shankara in Omkareshwar. It is known as the ‘Statue of Oneness’.

The retreat, ‘Acharya Shankar Prakatotsav: Ekatm Parv’, will be held at Ekatma Dham in the Mandhata Hills. It will witness discussions on the association of Advaita with modern-day concepts and its bearing on modern life. The first day will have a panel discussion on the topic ‘Advaita for Gen Z’, followed the next day by ‘Advaita for Environment’, and another session, ‘Ek Bharat: Through Footsteps of Shankara’.

Panel discussions would follow on Advaita and AI (artificial intelligence) as well as Advaita and World Peace. Through these events, the organisers aim to bring attention to how Advaita has a bearing on modern scientific tools like AI and how it can foster world peace, especially in the context of the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Every evening, cultural performances based on Advaita and the writings of Shankara are planned.

Around 1,000 delegates from India and abroad will be participating. Among them are some top names in science and technology, such as Dr Pratyush Kumar, co-founder of Sarvam AI; Prof. Rahul Garg of IIT Delhi; environmentalist Chetan Singh Solanki and Vishal Chaurasia of tech firm HyperQuest, besides additional solicitor general N. Venkatraman.

On the spiritual side, the event would witness participation in discourses and discussions on Advaita by Maa Poornapragya of the Acharya Shankara Sanskritik Ekta Nyas, Swami Darshan Singh of Nirmal Akhara, monks from the Chinmaya Mission and Dakshinamurthi Math, and Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Haridwar.

The retreat would be inaugurated in the presence of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Sadanand Saraswati and Madhya Pradesh culture minister Dharmendra Lodhi. The closing ceremony would have the presence of chief minister Mohan Yadav. Shankardoots, or those who have been serving the cause of Advaita Vedanta, would be felicitated on the occasion.

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