Mahatma Hansraj, Educator

India Post issued a commemorative postage stamp on #LalaHansraj, also known as Mahatma Hansraj for his contribution as an Indian educationist and follower of Swami Dayanand, the founder of the AryaSamaj movement.

On 1 June 1886, he co-founded the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System ( D.A.V ) in Lahore with Gurudatta Vidhyarthi.

He was also a compatriot of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai. Hansraj served as the principal of D.A.V. College for 25 years, and committed the rest of his life in social service. Today D.A.V. runs over 669 colleges, schools, professional and technical institutions.

Hansraj was born in Bajwara, Hoshiarpur district, Punjab, British India into a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family on 19 April 1864. His father died before Hansraj was 19 and thereafter he was looked after and educated by his elder brother named as Mulkhraja. Subsequently his family moved to Lahore where he joined a missionary school. Meanwhile, he heard the lecture of Swami Dayanand and this changed his life course forever. He went on to complete his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with excellent marks.

Today, many educational institutions are named after him, including Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, Punjab Hans Raj College, Delhi University, where Mahatma Hans Raj College Road, is situated at the heart of the University’s North campus.