>PohranicniStraze: fixed spelling; Columbia, not Colombia

2021-11-24T20:48:48Z

fixed spelling; Columbia, not Colombia

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = V. R. Gowrishankar
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|11|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Karnataka]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Social worker<br>Religious administrator
| yearsactive =
| known for = [[Sringeri Sharada Peetham]]
| spouse = Geetha
| domesticpartner =
| children = Two children(Chinmayee sharada and Abhinava Chandra)
| parents =
| website =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]]<br>[[Rajyotsava Prashasthi]]
}}
'''Padma Shri V. R. Gowrishankar''' is an Indian religious administrator, social worker and the chief executive officer and administrator of [[Sringeri Sharada Peetham]].<ref name="Sringeri Math opposes road widening - Times">{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/Sringeri-Math-opposes-road-widening/articleshow/21640496.cms | title=Sringeri Math opposes road widening - Times | publisher=Times of India | date=6 August 2013 | access-date=20 January 2016}}</ref><ref name="Math Administrator, the Adroit, Adept Dr. V. R. Gowrishankar">{{cite journal | url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/interviews/66616991/math-administrator-adroit-adept-dr-v-r-gowrishankar | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126111201/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/interviews/66616991/math-administrator-adroit-adept-dr-v-r-gowrishankar | url-status=dead | archive-date=2016-01-26 | title=Math Administrator, the Adroit, Adept Dr. V. R. Gowrishankar | journal=Hinduism Today| orig-year= Oct–Dec 2011 | date=October 2011 | volume=33 | issue=4 | pages=36}}</ref> He is credited with expanding the activities of the [[Sringeri Sharada Peetham|Sringeri Math]] into education and social service.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} His efforts are reported behind the establishment of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham Temple and community center in Houston, Texas in 2013.<ref name="Bricks laid for Sringeri Sharada Peetham Temple in Houston">{{cite web | url=http://india-herald.com/bricks-laid-for-sringeri-sharada-peetham-temple-in-houston-p3559-1.htm | title=Bricks laid for Sringeri Sharada Peetham Temple in Houston | publisher=India Herald | date=28 August 2013 | access-date=20 January 2016}}</ref> The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of India, the [[Padma Shri]], in 2008, for his contributions to society.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2016 | access-date=3 January 2016}}</ref> He has constantly given money for charity to help poor people. V.R Gowrishankar landed in controversy for Sanctioning the Sanskrit studies in Columbia University [https://www.juggernaut.in/preview/9789351775393.html] but due to huge pressure from Indic Sanskrit Scholars, Dr Subramaniam Swamy, Dr Rajiv Malhotra the project was shelved off causing embarrassment to the prestigious institution as well for the administration.

== Biography ==
Gowrishankar was born in the south Indian state of [[Karnataka]] on 30 November 1954 in a family closely associated with [[Sringeri Sharada Peetham]] where his father and grandfather had earlier served as scholars.<ref name="Strides Newsletter - August 2014 - V-Excel">{{cite web | url=http://www.v-excel.org/nstrides/templates/tpl_vxl_201408.shtml | title=Strides Newsletter - August 2014 - V-Excel | publisher=V-Excel | date=August 2014 | access-date=21 January 2016}}</ref> He graduated in engineering from [[B.M.S. College of Engineering]], [[Bengaluru]] and followed it up with a post graduate degree (DIISc) in industrial management from the [[Indian Institute of Science]].<ref name="V.R. Gowrishankar - Profile">{{cite web | url=http://www.sringeri.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/gowrishankar_optmised.pdf | title=V.R. Gowrishankar - Profile | publisher=Sringeri Math | date=2016 | access-date=20 January 2016}}</ref> In 1986, he took charge as the chief executive officer and administrator of the [[Sringeri Sharada Peetham|Peetham]], holding the general power of attorney of the properties and the administrative authority over more than 150 branches and other subsidiary organizations of the Peetham.<ref name="V.R. Gowrishankar - Profile" />

Under Gowrishankar's leadership, it is reported that the Math expanded its activities which now include a scheme for providing free meal to children, ''Swasti Grama Yojana'' and adoption of villages, Healthcare schemes and providing free educational wares such as computer kits to students.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sringeri.net/activities/ceo-and-administrator | title=CEO and Administrator | publisher=Sringeri Math | date=2016 | access-date=21 January 2016}}</ref> During his tenure as the chief executive officer, Math constructed a new residence for the pontiff, a new dining hall with a capacity to host 3000 people at a time (considered to be the largest of its kind in Asia) and a new headquarters for the ''Veda Samskrita Pathashala'' (School of Vedas).<ref name="V.R. Gowrishankar - Profile" /> His contributions are also reported in the establishment of a temple in Houston and two other temples in Detroit and California.<ref name="Bricks laid for Sringeri Sharada Peetham Temple in Houston" /> He then has also participated in the social movements and his leadership of the public movement against the demolition of heritage properties by the Nashik Municipal Corporation for widening road was one such activism.<ref name="Sringeri Math opposes road widening">{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/Sringeri-Math-opposes-road-widening/articleshow/21640496.cms | title=Sringeri Math opposes road widening | publisher=Times of India | date=6 August 2013 | access-date=21 January 2016}}</ref>

Besides heading the administration, he is also a part of the management of many Math organizations. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation in Canada,<ref name="Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation (Canada)">{{cite web | url=http://www.svbfcanada.com/SVBF/Trustees.html | title=Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation (Canada) | publisher=Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation (Canada) | date=2016 | access-date=21 January 2016}}</ref> chief executive officer of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham Charitable Trust, and of the Board of Governors of Rangadore Memorial Hospital, a charitable hospital under the trust,<ref name="Management Team">{{cite web | url=http://www.rangadorememorialhospital.com/teammanagement.htm | title=Management Team | publisher=Rangadore Memorial Hospital | date=2016 | access-date=21 January 2016}}</ref> and a member of the Board of Governors of the [[Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering Technology]].<ref name="The Management and Board Members">{{cite web | url=http://www.adishankara.ac.in/administration.aspx | title=The Management and Board Members | publisher=Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering Technology | date=2016 | access-date=21 January 2016}}</ref> He has had the honour to address the [[General Assembly of the United Nations]].<ref name="Padmasree Sri V. R. Gowrishankar on ASIET">{{cite web | url=http://www.adishankara.ac.in/content_page.aspx?id=CEO%20and%20Administrator%20SringeriMutt | title=Padmasree Sri V. R. Gowrishankar on ASIET | publisher=ASIET | date=2016 | access-date=21 January 2016}}</ref> The Government of Karnataka awarded him their second highest civilian award of [[Rajyotsava Prashasthi]] in 2003<ref name="V.R. Gowrishankar - Profile" /> and he received the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of the [[Padma Shri]] in 2008.<ref name="Literature-and-Culture">{{cite web | url=http://nammakpsc.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Chapter-13-Literature-and-Culture.pdf | title=Literature-and-Culture | publisher=Namma KPSC | date=2016 | access-date=21 January 2016}}</ref>

Gowrishankar is married to Geetha and the couple has two children.<ref name="Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation (Canada)" />

== See also ==
* [[Sringeri Sharada Peetham]]
{{portal|India}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web | url=http://www.nandannilekani.in/en/blog/49-campaign-chronicle-siddaganga-mutt-and-sringeri-shankar-mutt | title=Campaign Chronicle: Siddaganga Mutt and Sringeri Shankar Mutt | publisher=Nandan Nilekani | work=Personal Blog of [[Nandan Nilekani]] | date=27 March 2014 | access-date=20 January 2016}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Social Work}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gowrishankar, V. R.}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Chikkamagaluru district]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2003]]
[[Category:Indian Institute of Science alumni]]
[[Category:Social workers from Karnataka]]

V. R. Gowrishankar - Revision history

>PohranicniStraze: fixed spelling; Columbia, not Colombia