Gurudev blessed the property of Melpazhur Mana and renamed it Adi Sankara Nilayam. The inauguration was held on February 18, 1990. Commencing with a traditional Ganapati-homa, the event was dotted with remarkable addresses by Gurudev and other dignitaries followed by a samasti-biksha.
On that day, devotees also offered their prayers at each of the four temples of the Mana. At the auspicious hour of 11:30 AM various dignitaries in the presence of Pujya Gurudev lit the traditional lamp and Chinmaya International Foundation was born.
An extract from what Gurudev wished for CIF to be:
“Let CIF grow up as a National Institute of Hindu Culture, fearing up to embrace the entire humanity in love and great concern for their welfare.
All our efforts would be a waste and CIF as unnecessary burden upon the public if we are not direction our efforts in discovering and propagating in modern language, methods by which we can help man to move from his present state into an altered state of consciousness.
That alone if the remedy for the growing madness in man’s social living in the present age. Let us help our holy Rishis to lift man from his helpless predicament with their flawless wisdom.”