IYENGAR – BELLUR SCHOOL TRUST (BKSSNT)
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Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (Kannada: ಬೆಳ್ಳೂರ್ ಕೃಷ್ಣಮಾಚಾರ್ ಸುಂದರರಾಜ ಐಯಂಗಾರ್, Tamil: பெல்லூர் கிருஷ்ணமாச்சார் சௌந்தரராஜா ஐயங்கார்), (generally known as Yogacharya B. K. S. Iyengar) (Born December 14, 1918 in Bellur, Kolar District, Karnataka, India) is the founder of Iyengar Yoga. He is considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world and has been practicing and teaching yoga for more than 75 years. He has written many books on yogic practice and philosophy, and is best known for his books Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. He has also written several definitive yoga texts. Iyengar yoga centers are located throughout the world, and it is believed that millions of students practice Iyengar Yoga. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002. In 2004, Iyengar was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.
The Bellur Krishnamachar and Seshamma Smaraka Niddhi Trust (BKSSNT) or the Bellur Trust is a charitable Trust formed by Guruji, his family and students, with the objective of undertaking educational, social, cultural and health related projects for the upliftment of the people of Bellur, a poor and backward village in southern India where Guruji, BKS Iyengar was born and lived as a young boy.
Guruji’s vision for Bellur is to establish the village as a model through the provision of educational, medical, social and cultural facilities and opportunities to raise and enhance the general quality of life and improve future prospects for the young in the community.
It is hoped from this firm foundation that lasting social and economic reform can be achieved. Guruji’s father had been a school teacher and taught at a school in a nearby village as there was no school in Bellur until Guruji in 1967 built a primary school with the help from money raised by English students.
In the past several years a further level has been added to the existing primary school providing a large space for yoga classes A 50,000 gallon water tank has been erected to provide fresh clean drinking water to the village A fully staffed, equipped High School (Smt. Ramamani Sundararaja Iyengar High School) has been built with the villagers sending their children to enroll at 8th grade School fees for the students have been waived and a system of free education established for those who come from under privileged homes.
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School uniforms have been provided free to all students as well as books and stationery
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A kitchen has been established to provide a free mid day meal
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The necessary infrastructure of boundary fences, power supply and road access has been established
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A Day Hospital providing for the health of the villagers has been built, equipped and staffed
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A Guest House to provide accommodation for visitors to Bellur.
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Restoration and building of the world’s first Sage Patanjali temple (pdf).
The future plans are as ambitious as those already completed and will need ongoing support from the Iyengar community and a very large amount of funding to see their completion and maintenance. The benefits to the village of Bellur have been enormous and the future plans will benefit the whole locality around Bellur.
Guruji has asked his students world wide to launch fund raising initiatives to help raise the significant amounts of money to further the already successful projects which the Trust has embarked upon. You can donate individually or you can organize a group project. For further information about the Trust and its work and to download the donation form go to www.bksiyengar.com .
Download: The World’s First Sage Patanjali temple > (pdf) <.
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