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Vaidya Pandit Kailash Mishra “Deenbandhu”
Passed away 11 December 2016
Traditional healer of Purnea, Bihar · Guiding light of Manovikas since 1997
Kailash Mishra ji was a healer in Bihar.
He helped poor people for free.
People called him “Deenbandhu”. It means “friend of the poor”.
He guided Manovikas from the start.
Every year a lecture is given in his name.
His siddhi was a life of action and service to others.— Manovikas Convocation, 2021
A life of service
Vaidya Pandit Kailash Mishra was a traditional healer (Vaidya) who led a simple, saintly life in Purnea, Bihar, providing health care and treatment to the poorest families of the region without charge. People called him “Deenbandhu” — friend of the poor.
He carried the scholarly lineage of Mandan Mishra, the celebrated philosopher and contemporary of Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE), and joined that inheritance of learning to a life of practical service.
He was the son of Shri Shobhanand Mishra. With his wife, Smt. Indu Devi, he raised a family devoted to service — his son Dr Alok Kumar Bhuwan founded Manovikas, and his granddaughter Adya, a medical student, is the third generation of the Deenbandhu tradition.
He passed away in Purnea on 11 December 2016.
Their place in the Manovikas family
From the founding of Manovikas in 1997 he was its guide and inspiration. He visited regularly, spent time with students and teachers, took a personal interest in their needs and hopes, and extended his care to residents in Manovikas’s residential and respite care.
His philosophy of seva — service joined with spiritual wisdom — shaped the Manovikas idea of holistic care: education, care and advocacy together.
He sponsored the Shobhanand & Deonarayan Memorial Award for vocational skills, in honour of his father Shri Shobhanand Mishra and his father-in-law Shri Deo Narayan Jha, social reformers who supported poor families in Purnea during India’s freedom movement.
The work that continues in their name
Vaidya Pandit Kailash Mishra “Deenbandhu” Memorial Lecture
Held every year since 2017 with the Manovikas Convocation cum Award Ceremony in early January. Each lecture joins ancient wisdom with the work of inclusion.
| Year | Lecture | Convocation | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1st | 2nd | Theme to be added |
| 2018 | 2nd | 3rd | Karm Yoga — the Yoga of Action |
| 2019 | 3rd | 4th | Gayatri (Rig Veda 3.62.10) |
| 2020 | 4th | 5th | Being–Consciousness–Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda) |
| 2021 | 5th | 6th | Siddhi Yog — speaker Ezekiel Isaac Malekar, Judah Hyam Synagogue (online) |
| 2022 | 6th | 7th | Spiritual Wisdom (आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान) |
| 2023 | 7th | 8th | My Identity is Cosmic — अहं ब्रह्मास्मि · speaker Shri Krishna Kant Dwivedi |
| 2024 | 8th | 9th | निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् — Only be an instrument |
| 2025 | 9th | 10th | ॐ Aumkar — the Primordial Mantra of the Universe |
| 2026 | 10th | 11th | उद्धरेदात्मनाऽत्मानं — From Self-Awareness to Self-Reliance · speaker Shri Prashant Khanna, Sri Aurobindo Ashram |
“Deenbandhu” Award for Teacher Trainee Excellence
Sponsored by Dr Ashish Kumar “Raman” in his memory, this award honours special-education trainees for excellence in teaching, academics, empathy and commitment to inclusion.
Book: A Journey — Convocation cum Award Ceremony and the Deenbandhu Memorial Lecture
Published by Mrs Indira Alok, Manovikas, 2024. ISBN 978-93-48204-82-0 (e-book) · 978-93-48204-63-9.
12th Convocation and 11th Deenbandhu Memorial Lecture
January 2027
Details will be announced on our Events page.
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