As per Mahabharata, King Dhritarashtra gifted the region of modern-day Gurugram to Dronacharya. It was a token of the King’s gratitude to the respected teacher for taking on the task of training the Kuru princes in the art of warfare. Dronacharya opened his school in the village, eventually settling here. Thus, the place was called ‘guru ka gaon’ meaning the teacher’s village. Over time, the name got shortened to Gurgaon, and in 2016, it was officially renamed Gurugram by the Haryana government.

Source: https://www.amarchitrakatha.com/mythologies/how-gurgaon-got-its-name/

Picture Credit: The Quint

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa (19th century) was a yogi who translated complex spiritual concepts in an easily intelligible manner. Born in a simple Bengali rural family in 1836, he explored the Divine as defined by every path and religion. His most prominent disciple Swami Vivekananda carried on his teachings and philosophy to the world through Ramakrishna Mission. In essence, his teachings were as traditional as ancient sages, yet he remains contemporary.

Source: https://www.culturalindia.net/reformers/ramakrishna-paramhansa.html

Picture Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Babasaheb Purandare, the celebrated historian, was once asked what made Shivaji Maharaj special. He replied, “he had a mother like Jijabai”. Jijau as she is fondly called in Maharashtra, is as much of an inspiration as her great son.

Source: https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/mother-guru-how-jijabai-helped-her-son-achieve-his-dream-of-hindavi-swarajya

Picture Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared as a devotee of Krishna in Bengal in the late fifteenth century. He introduced sankirtan, widespread congregational chanting of the Supreme Person’s names, as the most effective means by which anyone can achieve spiritual perfection. At the age of 24, he renounced the world and traveled all over India to preach his ideas. His disciples have made great contribution to restoring Vrindavan as a place of Krishna pilgrimage. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, popularly known as Hare Rama Hare Krishna movement, is a continuation of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtan movement. Sri Prabhupada, the founder of ISCKON, is considered a representative of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by his followers.

Source: https://iskconberkeley.us/who-is-lord-chaitanya/

Picture Credit: ISKCON Desire Tree

Chanakya mentored Chandragupta Maurya in 4th century BC. With the wisdom and strategy of his mentor, Chandragupta Maurya destroyed the Nanda Dynasty, defeated Alexander the Great and the Greeks and established the Maurya Empire. Even though there is a dispute if Chandragupta Maurya and Alexander ever met at all, he defeated his general Selucus Nicator and also conquered territories that were under Alexander.

The famous 1977 Telegu film Chanakya-Chandragupta brought together doyens of South Indian cinema such as NT Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Shivaji Ganeshan.

Source: Various

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Pashupatas are mentioned in the Mahabharata and flourished from atleast the 2nd century BCE. Their preceptor is said to be Lakulisha. He lived in Gujarat and introduced Hatha Yoga and Tantra in his philosophy.

As per Puranas, Shiva indicated that he would enter a dead body and incarnate himself as Lakulin (or Nakulin or Lakulisha, lakula meaning “club”). Pashupata Shaivism was popular in Gujarat, Rajasthan and the Konkan.

The great Shiva temple at Elephanta was excavated during the 6th century, Kalachuri period. The large sculpture panel depicting Lakulisha in a contemplative posture is situated on the left of the north entrance. The photo shown is this sculpture.

Source: British Library Online

Picture Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Ravidas, also called Raidas, a mystic and a poet, was one of the most renowned of the saints of the North Indian bhakti movement. He was born in Varanasi as a member of an untouchable leather-working caste, and his poems and songs often revolve around his low social position. His hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib of the Sikhs. His teachings make him a figure of pride in the contemporary Dalit movement.

Mirabai was married to the crown prince of the royal family of Mewar in the early 16th century CE. After the deaths of her husband and father, she became a mystic, toured the country and wrote some of the finest Bhakti poetry. Popular lore regards her as a disciple of Ravidas after she met him in Kashi. Scholars are divided, some detect the influence of Ravidas in her work while others contend that she followed the saguna ( with form) bhakti while Ravidas favored Nirguna (formless Bhakti).

Source: https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/mirabais-mystical-experiences-and-about-her-guru-ravidas

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Vallabhacharya, ( 1479 – 1531 CE), founded the devotional sect Pushtimarg ( “way of flourishing”). Born to a Telugu Brahman family, Vallabha made Mathura his centre of his activities. He undertook several pilgrimages throughout India, propagating his doctrine of bhakti (devotion) to god Krishna. It was near Mathura, at the foot of Mount Govardhana, that Vallabha discovered the central devotional object of the sect, the deity of Krishna called Shri-Nathaji. While in flight from the Mughals, the chariot carrying the deity broke down at Nathdwara, where it was given protection by the local Rajput chief. Pushtimarg has lot of adherents in Gujarat even today

Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shri-Nathaji

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Sree Narayana Guru (1856 –1928) was a saint, philosopher, spiritual leader, and a social reformer from Kerala, India. Born in the Ezhava community, considered low on the social scale, he paved the way for social reform and change in India. So great was his influence that he attracted some of the greatest thinkers, philosophers, and fellow social reformers of his time, including Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and many others.

His three key teachings are: One in Kind, One in Faith, One in God, is Man; Whichever be the religion of a man, it suffices if it makes a better man; Acts that one performs for the sake of oneself should also aim for the good of others.

Source: https://sreenarayanamission.org/about-us/about-sree-narayana-guru/

Picture Credit: Amar Chitra Katha

Vidyaranya helped establish the Vijayanagara Empire sometime in 1336, and served as a mentor and guide to three generations of kings who ruled over it. Harihara and Bukka were two Kannada Hoysala Dynasty Army Chiefs. After the Kakatiyas were defeated by Muslim sultans, the brothers were forced to convert to Islam. Vidyaranya identified them, reconverted them back and asked them to identify a place to establish a Hindu empire.

Vidyaranya or Mādhavācharya, was the jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the late 14th century CE. Madhavacharya is known as the author of the Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha, a compendium of different philosophical schools of Hindu philosophy.

The sketch is that of the brothers with Vidyaranya.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harihara_and_Bukka_meeting_Vidyaranya.jpg

Picture Credit: Amar Chitra Katha

Basava, (12th century, South India), was a Hindu religious reformer, teacher, theologian, and administrator of the royal treasury of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I (reigned 1156–67). His poetry to Shiva as “lord of the meeting rivers” earned him a place at the front rank of Kannada literature and the literature of Hindu devotion (bhakti). His life and doctrines were recorded in the Basava-purana, written by Bhima Kavi (14th century) in the Kannada language. Basava opposed caste & jati distinctions, child marriage and ill treatment of widows. In these areas, he anticipated the Hindu social reform movements of the 19th century by several centuries.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Basava

Picture Credit: Karnataka Tourism

Mandana Mishra was a great contemporary of Adi Shankaracharya and was initially renowned for his Mimanska philosophy. He indulged in an eight day debate with Shankara on the merits of Mimanska and Advaita. Only Mandana Mishra’s wife, Ubhaya Bharati was considered scholarly enough to act as referee. Mandana Mishra, though loser of the debate, was appointed the first head of the Sringeri math established by Shankara.

Source: https://sringeri.net/jagadgurus/sri-sureshwaracharya

Picture Credit: Dharmic Path, Twitter