Azim Premji the founder of Azim Premji & family trust
SUPER-RICH WITH PHILANTHROPY BENEFITS - ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES
The India Philanthropy Initiative (IPI) is an informal effort driven by leading Indian philanthropists to promote and enable thoughtfulness.
Azim Hashim Premji (born 24 July 1945) is an Indian businessman, investor, engineer, and philanthropist, who was the chairman of Wipro Limited. He is informally known as the Czar of the Indian IT Industry. He is one of the best philanthropists in the world.
Needless to say, he not only raised up and dignified his company Wipro into the global platform but also achieved such a level as a philanthropist which one could only dream of.
Other two businessmen who spend a fortune towards charity in India were Jamsetji Tata and Shiv Nadar.
Among the top personal Philanthropists in the Edel Give Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022, Shiv Nadar & family tops
the list of individuals and families who have contributed the most in
their individual capacity of ₹1,043 Cr followed by Azim Premji &
family with a donation of ₹344 Cr.
The
global philanthropist list has Warren Buffet and Melinda & Bill
Gates in the lead. The two Indians featured in the Global
Philanthropist list are Jamsetji Tata and Azim Premji.
How do the benefits gained from
philanthropy work? Philanthropists get tax breaks and also these
companies get popularity with the masses all over the world.
However,
not only is the prime motive behind the huge sums being donated to
charity by these philanthropists but also noble intentions to give the
dues to Caesar and God.
Those
who give gifts or donations voluntarily are truly rare and great,
worthy of kingship and divine fortune as per Hindu Puranas.
Now,
let's examine the donations before 500 BCE. Indian history was firmly
based in the Gangetic plains during those days. After 500 CE the old
Vedic rituals of Ashwamedha Yagna and Vajpeya Yagna were meaningless to
the kings as were the old gods such as Indra, Agni, and Soma. So new
king-like gods emerged - Shiva and Vishnu whose temples were like
durbars, and goddesses like Durga perched outside forts. A new Hinduism
is borne.
Puranas
spoke of new ritual practices that were as good as the old yagna. Most
important was the invention of a set of rituals known as Maha-dana
(great gift-giving ceremonies) referred to in early texts such as Matsya
Purana (500 CE) and even Linga Purana, composed 5 centuries later;
indicating their popularity . Agni Purana even says that in the Krita
Yuga, people went to everyone's house to give donations; in Treta
Yuga, people went to houses of Brahmins to give them donations; In
Dwapara Yuga donations were given only when asked; while in Kali Yuga
donation is given only when the rich are pursued.
Traditionally there are sixteen Maha-dana, the gifts are given to Brahmins, local gurus, local artists, and the poor.
Rich
chieftains and rich merchants also performed Maha-dana to seek the
grace of divine forces, for wealth, health, children, victory, and
prosperity. This gift-giving played a key role in the economy as it
enabled the distribution of vast amounts of wealth.
The
rituals involved gold. The patron would sit on a pan balance (tula)
and gold equal to his weight would be used to make a huge pot (hiranya
garbha), or seven pots filled with milk, curds, ghee, treacle, honey,
and toddy to represent seven seas (sapta sagara). Or gold coins would
be stacked like bricks in the shape of a mountain (meru) or a tree
(kalpataru), a cow (dhenuka), a horse (ashva), elephant (gaja), ploughs
(hala), land (dhara), or continent (dvipa). These were all symbols of
abundance, affluence, and auspiciousness, created with the most sacred
precious metal.
The
grand offering would be displayed in a ceremony witnessed by everyone,
not just humans, but also Vedic gods (Indra, Soma, Agni, Prajapati) and
Puranic gods (Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati) and local
gods of the local regions as well as gods of space (Diggapala) and time
(Graha) and spirits (Gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, asura). The gold
would finally be distributed to all those assembled. Epigraphs would
proclaim the ritual was done so that its benefits would last forever
(as long as the sun and moon adorn the sky).
While
donation (dana) was always part of Indian tradition since Vedic times,
this Maha-dana was an innovation in later times, to mark the shift into
Kali Yuga, when it was impossible to conduct yagna as there were very
few who remembered the old Vedic ways.
Some
of these practices like making offerings equal to the king's weight
(tulabhara-dana) was practiced later in Mughal courts too and is still
found in South Indian temples today. These offerings are made to God to
create the karmic balance that assures fortune to the donor.
Thulabharam is offered at Lord Sri Krishna Temple at Guruvayoor,Thrissur, Kerala. Thulabhram in Guruvayur is a symbol of one's offering to the Lord with represented items equal to his weight.
Offering one's weight of such materials as water, coconut, butter, sugar, fruits, copper, silver, gold or any other materials is a famous vow taken by devotees. The Devaswam will supply most of these materials.
Thulabharam is offered seeking relief from distress, for achieving a dream or deliverance from an ailment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered 'Thulabharam' with lotus flowers at the Lord Sree Krishna Temple at Guruvayur on June 8, 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers Thulabharam in Guruvayur Temple with Lotus flowers.
Select Offerings at Lord Shree Krishna Temple at Guruvayur
- Archana Sahasranamam. ...
- Bhagavatha Sapthaham. 1000.
- Butter Nivedyam. ...
- Gheelamp. ...
- Lalitha Sahasranama Archana. ...
- Neipayasam. ...
- Palpayasam. ...
- Prasada Oottu Evening. 15000.
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