Sarkar tried to conceptualize and mobilize
new ways of education. He advocated a form of
education that encourages simultaneous devel-
opment of the physical, mental, and spiritual
aspects of humanity. His philosophy extends his
emphasis on human development to include
animals and plants. He established a global plant
exchange program and animal sanctuaries around
the world.
Sarkar proposed a political program in 1959,
called Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT),
which calls for economic democracy and human
rights. He also advocated a global bill of rights,
constitution, and system of justice.
In India, Sarkar’s political activism generated
much controversy regarding the movement dur-
ing the 1960s and 1970s. He ran unsuccessfully
for political office in 1967 and 1968, representing
the Proutist Bloc. Many in India saw the Proutists
as a terrorist organization, and both PROUT and
Ananda Marga were banned in India during the
period of national emergency declared by Indira
Gandhi. Sarkar was accused, convicted, and sen-
tenced to life imprisonment for conspiring to
murder former members. In 1978 he won a new
trial and was acquitted of the charges.
Since the acquittal of its leader, Ananda Marga
has recovered slowly in India but has spread
widely outside India, including Germany, the
United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.
Led by Acharya Vimala-ananda, the movement
entered the United States in 1969 and gained
many followers.
Ananda Marga has adherents and social bet-
terment activities in more than 160 countries and
claims more than a million followers worldwide.
It supports a variety of schools, clinics, and chil-
dren’s homes. It is attempting to put its larger eco-
nomic program into effect through the formation
of cooperative communities, the largest of them
Ananda Nagar (the City of Bliss) in West Bengal,
and promoting rural development. International
headquarters of the movement is in West Bengal.
The society produces several periodicals,
including a monthly newsletter and a magazine.
Sadvipra, begun in 1973. A branch of Ananda
Marga, Renaissance Universal, is dedicated to
working toward a renaissance of social institutions
based on neohumanistic values. This renaissance
will involve a redesign of the major institutions of
society and will foster individual growth and self-
realization. Twice a year Renaissance Universal
organizes a worldwide forum on contemporary
issues. Its quarterly journal, New Renaissance, fea-
tures articles on neohumanism, art, and science in
service of self-realization, and social justice.Further reading: Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, Ananda
Marga in a Nutshell, 4 vols. (Calcutta: Ananda Marga,
1988); Acarya Vijayananda Avadhuta, The Life and
Teachings of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (Calcutta: Aananda
Marga, 1994); Shrii P. R. Sakar and His Mission (Calcutta:
Ananda Marga, 1993); Way of Tantra: Ananda Marga
Yoga Philosophy (Calcutta: Ananda Marga, 1989).Anandamayi Ma (1896–1982) mystic and
avatar of Shakti
Born Nirmala Sundari Bhattacharya in Vadyakuta,
East Bengal (now Bangladesh), on April 30, 1896,
Anandamayi Ma was a mystic considered by her
disciples as an AVATA R of SHAKTI, the manifest
energy of the divine, and as God in the form of
the goddess KALI.
Her father, Bipin Behari Bhattacharya, was
head of a poor Brahmin family and was often in
religious ecstasy as he sang songs from the Vaish-
navite tradition. Her mother, Moksada Sundari
Devi, also experienced states of religious emotion
and reported visits by avatars and deities who
appeared surrounded by light. Moksada eventu-
ally took vows of renunciation.
As a child, Nirmala also behaved as an ecstatic.
She fell into trances, saw visions of religious fig-
ures, and gazed into space with eyes not focused
on physical objects. Her education was limited
and her writing skills minimal.
Married at age 13 to Ramani Mohan Chakra-
varti, she spent a few years living in her brother-
in-law’s house, often in a trance. At age 18, whenAnandamayi Ma 31 J