Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s 1966 Mahakumbh at Prayagraj: A Hindutva milestone

The first conference was organised at Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh in 1966.

(RSSFACTS is a column that demystifies the functioning, organisational structure and ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.)

As preparations for Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj reach their final stage, it is interesting to recall a historical moment from around six decades ago at the same location. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an organisation inspired by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), successfully organised the first World Hindu Conference (WHC) at Prayagraj in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh during the Mahakumbh in 1966.

In India, the Maha Kumbh at Mauni Amavasya takes place every 12 years. In 1966, this occasion fell in January. Therefore, it was decided to organise a three-day-long Vishwa Hindu Sammelan (World Hindu Conference) from 22–24 January 1966. The decision to organise this conference was made when the VHP was set up in 1964 in Mumbai.

It was a momentous event for several reasons, leaving a long-lasting impact by bringing the VHP to the centre stage of the Hindutva movement globally. This was the first World Hindu Conference where delegates from around the world gathered to deliberate on the issues and challenges faced by Hindus globally.

Dada Saheb Apte, an RSS Pracharak (full-time worker) and the key architect of the VHP, took it upon himself to make this conference successful and historic in every respect. Apte travelled almost all over the country to ensure its success. He contacted leaders of all sects, religious and spiritual organisations, and political parties.

Though the VHP was set up in 1964 and was still in its nascent stages, it managed to put on an impressive show. The RSS was also not as large an organisation as it is today. Yet, around 25,000 delegates gathered from all over the world to participate in the conference, which took place from 22 to 24 January 1966. Spiritual and religious heads of every significant Hindu sect were present at the conference.

Addressing the conference, Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya of Dwarka Sharada Peeth said, “It is important that we have gathered here under the aegis of ‘Vishwa Hindu Parishad’, so that we can move towards establishing unity among Hindus across the world.”

The then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Vishwanath Das, inaugurated the conference. Anant Shaynam Iyengar, Governor of Bihar, while releasing a special issue of Hindu Vishwa (Hindu World) published specifically for this occasion, said, "The adoption of Hindu ideals and values can help establish peace in the world. The entire world is suffering from many crises. The crisis of war can be resolved only when the principles of Hindu Dharma are followed.”

Messages of good wishes were received from all over the world for this historic conference. Many scholars from America, Canada, Australia, England, Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries expressed their happiness. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the religious leader and head of state of Tibet, wrote to Apte, “Among the many religions of the world, Hinduism is the oldest and eternal, and its philosophy is very rich. Therefore, the followers of Hinduism should be very vigilant to protect Hinduism, so that they can make their due contribution to modern society.”

The then President, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, while emphasising the importance of this historic conference, said, “From the Vedic period to the Upanishads and the Gita, and to the Acharyas and modern devotees, the tradition of self-renewal has been emphasised in various forms. Everyone has emphasised various appropriate aspects according to the times of their time. Today, the same development-oriented tradition is being presented, and internal amendments are taking place in Hinduism. This does not mean that Hinduism should abandon its fundamental principles through which one can have a personal experience of God, and these elements of Hindu Dharma inspire the spirit of sacrifice and service to humanity. Hinduism has always emphasised the search for truth and it never likes to stick to mere tradition. It is not necessary to abandon one's body or life for the spirit of sacrifice. It is also not necessary to abandon the world. Divine elements are present everywhere. We have to explore them. For this, it is necessary that every person has mental hunger and self-curiosity.”

In the message sent to Apte, the King of Nepal wrote, "If the 'Vishwa Hindu Sammelan' can solve the great problem of world peace in a practical and peaceful manner through cultural sources, then it will be a great contribution, this is undeniable. From this point of view also, all of us Nepalese welcome this conference. If the unity of all the Pandits, Yogis, and learned men present in this Hindu Sammelan can focus on this and provide modern guidance to scientifically investigate all these subjects and raise the standard of living based on their ideals, then it will be a great achievement for the Hindus, we have no doubt about it. Our Dharma has been in existence since time immemorial. This Dharma has maintained its existence intact despite many upheavals in the world due to the high thoughts, generosity, and the feeling of 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' residing within it."

Many representatives from Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Trinidad, Fiji, Thailand, and other countries participated in the conference and expressed their views.

The conference passed 11 resolutions. One of the resolutions stated, “Today it has become very necessary that anyone who wants to return to Swadharm (the religion of their ancestors) voluntarily, without any pressure, should be assimilated and adopted.”

Another resolution discussed the ‘Glory of Temples’. It urged the administrators and trustees of temples, monasteries, and ashrams to make efforts to re-establish their importance and improve these holy places by bringing appropriate changes with the help of the general public. The conference also passed a resolution requesting the government to immediately enact a central law to ban cow slaughter in India, giving due respect to the Hindu reverence for the mother cow.

Earlier RSSFACTS columns can be read here.