Satnarayan Maharaj

Satnarayan Maharaj CM, also known as Sat Maharaj, (pronounced [sət̪ənɑːrɑːjəɳə məɦɑːrɑːɟə]; April 17, 1931 – November 16, 2019)[18] was a Trinidadian and Tobagonian Hindu religious leader, educationalist, and civil rights activist in Trinidad and Tobago. He was the Secretary-General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, a major Hindu organisation in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean.[19]

Satnarayan Maharaj

CM
सतारायण महाराज (Hindi)
Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha
In office
1977 – November 16, 2019
DharmacharyaPt. Dr. Rampersad Parasram (5 May 2019-16 November 2019)[1]
Pt. Uttam Maharaj (30 April 2005-d. 29 November 2018)[2][3]
Pt. Krishna Maharaj (d. 2003)[4]
Pt. Sahadeo Persad Dubay Sharma (d. 1986)[5][6]
UpadharmacharyaPt. Ganpat Maharaj[7]
President GeneralPt. Krishna Rambally (2018-16 November 2019)
Pt. Uttam Maharaj (30 April 2005-d. 29 November 2018)
Vice SecretaryVijay Maharaj[8]
Preceded bySimbhoonath Capildeo[9]
Succeeded byVijay Maharaj (acting)[10]
Trustee of the Central Vishva Hindu Parishad
In office
26 January 2011[11] – 26 January 2014
Assistant Secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha
In office
1972[12] – 1977
Personal details
Born
Satnarayan Maharaj

(1931-04-17)April 17, 1931 [13]
Chandernagore Village, Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago
DiedNovember 16, 2019(2019-11-16) (aged 88)
Saint Joseph, Tunapuna–Piarco, Trinidad and Tobago[14]
CitizenshipTrinidadian and Tobagonian
NationalityTrinidadian and Tobagonian
Spouse(s)Shanti Maraj (deceased)
ChildrenVijay Maharaj (son)
Vindra Maharaj (son)
Vidya Satnarayan Maharaj (son)
Vimala Tota-Maharaj (daughter)
Sati Maharaj (daughter, deceased)
Deviyani Gobin (daughter) [15]
MotherSirjudaye Maharaj
FatherPt. Sieupersad Maharaj
RelativesBhadase Sagan Maraj (father-in-law)
Deolatia Maharaj (paternal grandmother)[16]
Changa Maharaj (paternal grandfather)
Rampartap Misir (maternal grandfather)
ResidenceChamp Fleurs, San Juan–Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago
Education
Nickname(s)Sat Maharaj
Hanuman ji
The Bengal Tiger[17]
Personal
ReligionHinduism
EthnicityIndian
SectSanātanī
Religious career
GuruPt. Krishna Maharaj
AwardsChaconia Medal
Satnarayan Maharaj on the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha’s TV and Radio Jaagriti’s television and radio show The Maha Sabha Strikes Back.

The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha operates 150 mandirs and over 50 schools in Trinidad and Tobago. It was formed in 1952 when Bhadase Sagan Maraj, the father-in-law of Satnarayan Maharaj, engineered the merger of the Satanan Dharma Association and the Sanatan Dharma Board of Control. An affiliated group, the Pundits' Parishad, has 200 affiliated pundits. The organisation's headquarters are located in St. Augustine.

Under the Secretary General Satnarayan Maharaj, the Maha Sabha has modernised all 42 schools and built 5 secondary schools as well as 12 early childhood educational centres. Maharaj has also revived the observance of Phagwah and was instrumental in the creation of the Indian Arrival Day holiday and annual celebrations. The Maha Sabha also introduced a Children's Cultural Festival - Baal Vikaas Vihar.[20]

References
  1. "New Dharmacharya congratulated". 2019-05-05.
  2. "Maha Sabha loses its Spiritual Head". 2018-11-30.
  3. "Pundit Uttam Maharaj is new Dharmachaya". 2005-05-03.
  4. "Death of a Guru". 2003-10-21.
  5. "Pt. Bhisham Persad » » About Me".
  6. "Rare Photos of Pandits of Trinidad".
  7. https://www.academia.edu/9099985/REFLECTIONS_ON_DIVALI_IN_TRINIDAD_AND_TOBAGO
  8. https://newsday.co.tt/2019/11/14/sats-son-to-succeed-in-sdms/
  9. "Satnarayan Maharaj – Founder of the Indian Caribbean Museum of Trinidad & Tobago". 2018-07-17.
  10. https://newsday.co.tt/2019/11/14/sats-son-to-succeed-in-sdms/
  11. "Sat Maharaj appointed trustee of Central Vishwa Hindu Parishad". 2011-04-26.
  12. "Happy 80th birthday Sat". 2011-04-25.
  13. "Happy 80th birthday Sat". Trinidad Newsday. 2011-04-25. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  14. http://www.looptt.com/content/sat-maharaj-has-died
  15. https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/calls-for-a-state-funeral-for-sat-6.2.987938.00c1e3f2b5
  16. "Central Beat".
  17. https://catholicnewstt.com/index.php/2019/12/05/long-live-the-bengal-tiger/
  18. "A fighter passes on - Sat Maharaj has died".
  19. https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/a-fighter-passes-on--sat-maharaj-has-died-6.2.987561.ca738b7827
  20. "Baal Vikaas Vihar Festival". DiscoverTT. Retrieved July 13, 2016.

Sat Maharaj: Hindu Civil Rights Leader of Trinidad & Tobago ISBN 978-976-8249-70-8

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