Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Gaddi Nashin of Dargah Ajmer Sharif and Chairman of the Chishty Foundation, Ajmer, was an esteemed speaker at the inaugural edition of Dialogues for Harmony, held at Azim Premji University, Bangalore. This landmark gathering brought together spiritual leaders and interfaith scholars from across India to foster deeper understanding, mutual respect, and shared values among diverse religious communities.
Hosted by the Azim Premji Foundation — an institution deeply committed to building a just, equitable, humane, and sustainable society — Dialogues for Harmony seeks to create an open, respectful, and inclusive platform for the exchange of perspectives across traditions. This year’s theme, “Voices in Harmony: Exploring Common Values and Understandings,” brought together eminent speakers from various faiths, including Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Geshe Ngawang Norbu, Rev. Dr. Peter Machado (Archbishop of Bangalore), Shaista Ambar and Swami Narasimhananda (Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Kozhikode), with the session moderated by Mr. Sudheesh Venkatesh of the Azim Premji Foundation.
In his address, Haji Syed Salman Chishty emphasized the timeless teachings of Khidmat-e-Khalq (Service to Humanity) and Ishq-e-Ilahi (Divine Love) as foundational values of the Chishty Sufi tradition. Reflecting on the theme of the gathering, he remarked:
“India’s soul is rooted in spiritual pluralism and shared sanctity. Dialogues such as these are not just academic or intellectual exercises — they are spiritual necessities in today’s world. The Chishty Sufi message of Love, Tolerance, and Unity has always celebrated our diversity as a divine blessing, not a divide.”
He further highlighted the importance of spiritual connectivity in community cohesion, stating that sincere interfaith dialogue helps counter the global rise of intolerance and misinformation by emphasizing our collective ethical and moral responsibilities.
The event, introduced by Indu Prasad, Vice Chancellor of Azim Premji University, marks a significant step in cultivating open channels of communication across religious and cultural lines. The Dialogues for Harmony initiative exemplifies the Foundation’s larger mission to enable conversations that deepen social empathy and reinforce the secular and inclusive spirit of India.
Other spiritual leaders and speakers were Bharat Bala, Dr Kerman Daruwalla, Narayani Ganesh, Dr Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, Dr Nagaraj Rao Havaldar, Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Dr A Keshavaraj, Jain Acharya Lokesh Ji, Rev Dr Peter Machado, Dr Sarada Natarajan, Dr Deepti Navaratna, Swami Shubamritananda Puri, Rene Singh, Fr Dr M D Thomas, Prof Akhtarul Wasey.
For Haji Syed Salman Chishty, whose life work is dedicated to promoting Peace, Interfaith Dialogue, and Spiritual Unity through the Chishty Foundation in Ajmer Sharif and globally, this participation reaffirms his enduring commitment to spiritual diplomacy and the power of sacred dialogue.
“Let the hearts meet before the minds argue — this is the essence of true dialogue,” says Haji Syed Salman Chishty
