His face was adorned with a white beard that reached his belt. A small man from whom clear and essential thoughts emanated. Prof. Sureshchandra Upadhyaya was a person with a vast culture and profound spirituality. He was an expert in Sanskrit and Hindu culture which he continued to study and spread also through his teaching activity. His meeting with Chiara Lubich and her charism in 2001 marked the beginning of a deep spiritual and intellectual friendship that included other Indian academics.

Prof. Upadhyaya was a leading exponent of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, the Institute of Indian Culture, with centers present throughout India. He joined it in 1960 at the age of 28 as a Sanskrit teacher. Then, in 1972, he was promoted to academic director and continued his career with great passion, guiding many students through their PhDs.

He received numerous awards, including the “Eminent Vedic Scholar” award from the University of Mumbai and the Brihan-Maharashtra Oriental Conference (India), the “Certificate of Honor” from the President of India, the “Eminent Sanskrit Scholar” award from the National Sanskrit Institute in New Delhi, and the “Best Teacher Award” from the Government of the Indian State of Maharashtra.

On January 5, 2001, in Coimbatore (India) in the hall of the Nani Kalai Arangam College, for the conferral of the prestigious “Defender of Peace Award” to Chiara Lubich, 500 people were present, mostly Hindus, a qualified audience, including Prof. Upadhyaya. After listening to Chiara, he exclaimed, “As long as there are people like this, God is with us, and one day, the earth will become heaven. All faiths seek the truth, and truth is nothing but love and peace, as Chiara tells us.” Last August 12, 2021, Prof. Upadhyaya finally reached the bliss of “Ananda” (the pure state of joy and happiness) which he often spoke about.

A.M.A.