Kanchi Mutt head welcomes proposal to celebrate Shankaracharya's birth anniversary as 'Philosopher's Day'

THANE: Kanchi Mutt head Jayendra Saraswati has welcomed the reported move of the central government to celebrate philosopher Adi Shankaracharya's birth anniversary as 'Philosopher's Day' from next year.

"Adi Sankaracharya was India's most profound philosopher who propagated the theory of 'monism or Advaita', which is the basis of all philosophies ultimately," Sarawati said during a visit here.

According to reports in a section of media, the central government is planning to give a final nod to celebrating philosopher and theologian Adi Shankaracharya's birth anniversary as 'Philosopher's Day' from next year.

Saraswati, however, said that "the only distortion in the whole proposal is the 'misrepresentation' of the birth year of Adi Shankaracharya," which he alleged "was the handiwork of the westerners to post date any such major event after the birth of Christ, to establish their supremacy."

As per the seer, the Kanchi Mutt and four other Adi Shankaracharya-established mutts -- Dwarka, Kudali-Sringeri, Puri and Badrikashram -- insist on a birth year of 509 BC.

He said all the major mutts confirm the BC theory as based on the scientific carbon dating of the Kaladi river sand, it was established to have flowed about 2,500 years back (509 BC). This is in conformity of the story that Adi Shankaracharya persuaded the river to flow into Kaladi to assist his mother to take bath without travelling to the river, he said.

"There has been lot of controversy whether Adi Shankara was born in 780 AD or 509 BC, with various historical evidences being exchanged both for and against each of the dates. A striking scientific proof in favour of the BC theory was provided by Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati of the Kanchi Mutt," Saraswati added.