A critical role of the Sanathan Sabha of South Africa was to promote and propagate the teachings of the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, together with the epics... The Shree Sanathan Dharma Sabha of South Africa functioned informally since 1910, and its genesis was at the Thakurdwara Mandir (Durban Hindu Temple). However, the Shree Sanathan Dharma Sabha of South Africa was formally established as an in
dependent organisation on 7 September 1941 at a meeting attended by 102 Hindu leaders from across the province of Natal and Pt. The first President was Pt Dwarika Maharaj Tripathi, who served until he died in 1950. The joint secretaries in 1941 were Pt KL Maharaj and Mr. The joint treasurers were Mr. Ramlal Juggernauth Maharaj and Mr. Since its inception, several presidents have served the Sabha, including Mr Ramgulam Salligram, Mr Baboolall Juggernauth, Pundit SK Sharma, Mr RR Maharaj, Pundit Tulsiram Maharaj, Pundit KL Maharaj, Mr K Ramdutt and Professor Brij Maharaj. A critical role of the Sanathan Sabha of South Africa was to promote and propagate the teachings of the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, together with the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharatha. According to the Constitution, “Sanathan Dharma” means Dharma whose followers adhere to the Vedas, Shastras, Upanishads, Smrithis, Purana, the Ramayana, Mahabharatha and Bhagavad Gita. Therefore, it is appropriate to reflect on the objectives of the Sabha, which include:
i) To help establish/build temples and religious institutions in any part of the Republic of South Africa for the purpose of worship;
ii) To support the training of Hindu priests (in this regard, the Sabha works closely with the Sanathan Dharma Purohit Mundal);
iii) To build, conduct and maintain institutions for the furtherance of Sanskrit and Hindi languages;
iv) To assist wherever possible by monetary grants or otherwise, needy and destitute persons and/or institutions which, in the opinion of the Sabha, are deserving of support;
v) To strive for unity, concord and fellowship among Hindus. Fifty-four Hindu organisations are affiliated with the Sanathan Sabha. Over the past 25 years, the Sanathan Sabha has supported several affiliates to complete the temple building projects. This was possible largely because of the yeoman service rendered by Pundit TS Maharaj, who served as treasurer of the Shree Sanathan Dharma Sabha of SA for more than 15 years. In the 21st century, the Sabha continues to support affiliates in different projects; engage in public propagation initiatives through the distribution of Hindu literature; support the training of priests, which is critical for the future of Hinduism in South Africa; and promote Hindu unity through active participation in the activities of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha. As part of its strategy to develop the next generation of leaders, the Sanathan Sabha co-hosted a convention with the Isipingo Hindi Sabha on “Hindu Youth in the 21st Century”. The promotion of the teaching and learning of Hindi was an important objective of the Sabha. The iconic Pundit Nardev Vedalankar influenced the Shree Sanathan Dharma Sabha of South Africa and the Arya Prathinidhi Sabha to establish the Hindi Shiksha Sangh in 1948. Since then, thousands of South Africans have learnt to read and write Hindi and have written and passed senior examinations. The launch of Hindvani Radio in 1998 served as another catalyst to promote interest in the Hindi language.
