The 13th century saint, poet, philosopher and yogi from Maharashtra, Sant Dnyaneshwar, is well known for his commentary on Bhagwad Gita – Dnyaneshwari – and other spiritual treatises. He played the pioneering role in the bhakti (devotional) movement in medieval Maharashtra with his holistic teachings on the philosophy of life and was truly an embodiment of divine knowledge.

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Today, when the world is witnessing a range of problems in the form of chaos, confusion, terrorism, violence, environmental degradation and illness, the sustainable teachings of philosophers like Dnyaneshwar are very relevant to facilitate a turnaround. Ever since the first World Philosophers’ Meet - Parliament of Science, Philosophy and Religion was organized by MAEER’s MIT in 1996, consistent efforts are being undertaken for establishing a culture of peace, under the able guidance of Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad.

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As a part of this endeavour, World Peace Centre, Alandi, instituted the Philosopher Saint Shri Dnyaneshwara World Peace Prize in 2005 to honour the great men and women who have been working for the greater good of the society by eradicating the differences among people at the national and international levels.