Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha

What Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha does

SWAHA International is a non-profit, charitable Sanatanist Hindu organization incorporated by Act of Parliament No. 7 of 1993 in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. Formed by a breakaway group from the older Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) — originally the Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali (GDKM), founded in the early 1970s under Pundit Hari Prasad — the organization was motivated by Professor L.N. Sharma of the University of the West Indies to adopt a more progressive approach to orthodox Sanatanist Hindu traditions suitable for the 21st century. Its operational mandate spans spiritual instruction and guidance through trained Pundits, social and cultural leadership, community welfare, and the preservation of Dharmic principles such as truth, cleanliness, and compassion.

The organization delivers its mission through a portfolio of wholly-owned operating units: SWAHA Hindu College (an educational institution serving nursery through secondary students, with noted CAPE and CSEC exam performance), approximately 15 SWAHA Centres and branches across Trinidad and Tobago, the SWAHA Vishok Bhavan children's home, the SWAHA Sri Raam Dhaam temple complex (including a Ganesh temple established in 1999), media broadcasting via ieTV and ieRadio, and three affiliated spiritual mandalis (Bhakti Jyoti, Shiva Shakti, and Om Shakti). Distribution is supported by an extensive web presence (134 published pages), a YouTube channel, Facebook pages, email newsletter, and traditional broadcast media.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a faith-based non-profit: the organization does not publicly disclose financials, derives support from community donations and tuition, and operates without external investors. Geographic reach extends across Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Canada, and India via affiliate branches. The entity is governed internally by spiritual leadership, including the Paramacharya (H.H. Pt. Hardeo Persad), and operates as an Act-of-Parliament-incorporated body rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha

Legal name

SWAHA International

Website

https://swahainternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SWAHA International is a non-profit Sanatanist Hindu organization incorporated in Trinidad and Tobago, providing spiritual instruction, education (SWAHA Hindu College), community services, temple worship, and media broadcasting to the Hindu community in Trinidad and Tobago and the diaspora in the USA, Canada, and India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and community non-profit services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPABALAH

Hindu Broadcasting

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Religious/Faith-Based Broadcasting

SECONDARYMPABAAAF

Religious/Faith-Based Broadcast Networks

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Broadcast Television Networks

SECONDARYMPAGAEAC

Religious & Spiritual Festivals/Observances (Public Events)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Cultural Festivals & Community Events

Keywords

• Hindu religious services
• Spiritual instruction
• Community education
• Religious broadcasting
• Social welfare services

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SWAHA International, the operating arm of Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, is a non-profit Sanatanist Hindu organization that delivers spiritual instruction and guidance through trained Pundits and mandalis, academic education from nursery to secondary level through SWAHA Hindu College, residential child care through the Vishok Bhavan Children's Home, and community worship at temples and approximately 15 centres and branches across Trinidad and Tobago (plus affiliates in the US, Canada, and India). It also operates wholly-owned ieTV and ieRadio broadcast channels for religious content, publishes spiritual and cultural content, and produces annual calendars and horoscopes for the Hindu community.

Product overview

SWAHA International operates as a non-profit umbrella organization following Sanatanist Hindu traditions, providing a unified platform of religious instruction, education, and community services. The organization offers educational services through SWAHA Hindu College, spiritual guidance through various mandalis (Bhakti Jyoti, Shiva Shakti, and Om Shakti), community services including the Vishok Bhavan Children's Home, media broadcasting via ieTV and ieRadio, and maintains temples such as SWAHA Sri Raam Dhaam. The organization propagates Dharmic principles through publications, approximately fifteen centres and branches across Trinidad and Tobago with affiliates in the USA, Canada, and India, and provides resources including calendars and horoscopes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SWAHA Hindu College Educational institution operated by SWAHA International providing academic education from nursery to secondary level integrated with Hindu cultural instruction; students have achieved top regional CAPE and CSEC results.
• SWAHA Centres Network of approximately fifteen centres and branches in Trinidad and Tobago (with affiliate branches in the US, Canada, and India) providing religious instruction, community gatherings, and spiritual guidance to the Hindu community.
• SWAHA Vishok Bhavan (Children's Home) Residential children's home operated by SWAHA International providing care and support services to children in the community.
• SWAHA Publications Repository of religious articles, spiritual teachings, scriptures, and cultural content published through the SWAHA website, SWAHA Publications Committee, and related media channels.
• ieTV and ieRadio Television and radio broadcasting channels operated by SWAHA International for spiritual content, including the International Gita Forum Caribbean broadcasts.
• SWAHA Sri Raam Dhaam (Temple) Temple institution of SWAHA International featuring a Ganesh temple established in September 1999, providing spiritual services, worship, and community gatherings.
• Calendar and Horoscope Services Annual calendar (Calendar 2026) and horoscope services provided to the community for religious observances and spiritual guidance.
• SWAHA Bhakti Jyoti Mandali Spiritual mandali (group) led by Pt. Umadutt Maharaj, conducting satsangs and spiritual teachings within the SWAHA International network.
• SWAHA Shiva Shakti Mandali Spiritual mandali led by Pt. Dr. Umesh Persad, based in Marion Oaks, Florida, USA, providing satsangs and spiritual teachings to the SWAHA community in the US diaspora.
• SWAHA Om Shakti Mandali Spiritual mandali led by Pt. Balram Persad, focused on teachings about the Nav Kanyas and divine feminine energy within the SWAHA International network.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Sewa International: A Hindu-rooted humanitarian nonprofit running disaster relief, education and community service programs across the US and beyond. Comparable to SWAHA's social-service and educational orientation (children's home, college), though focused on charitable service rather than direct spiritual instruction.

Broad incumbents

• BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha: A global Hindu organization operating temples, educational institutions (BAPS Swaminarayan Vidya Mandir), community youth programs and broadcasting. Comparable to SWAHA in combining schools, temples and mandals, though with significantly greater scale and a more centralized denominational structure.
• ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness): Global Hindu movement with established temples, schools (Gurukula), food-for-life programs and active digital/media operations. Comparable to SWAHA in providing temples, education and community service, but with a worldwide footprint and significantly larger broadcasting/content infrastructure.
• Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP): A worldwide Hindu organization operating temples, educational trusts and diaspora advocacy. Comparable to SWAHA in serving overseas Hindu communities and promoting Sanatan Dharma, though at a much larger scale and with a broader political-advocacy remit.

Regional players

• Hindu American Foundation (HAF): Hindu advocacy and education organization serving the North American diaspora with policy work, educational resources and community programs. Comparable to SWAHA's diaspora education and content mission, but focused on the US rather than the Caribbean.
• Hindu Temple Society of North America: A major Hindu temple and cultural complex in Flushing, NY — the same neighborhood listed as SWAHA's US location. Operates religious services, education and cultural programs for the Hindu diaspora, making it a geographic peer for SWAHA's New York-area affiliates.

Emerging players

• Aastha TV: A dedicated Hindu devotional broadcasting channel. Comparable to SWAHA's ieTV/ieRadio operations in broadcasting Hindu religious content, though Aastha operates at significantly larger scale across South Asia and the diaspora.

Direct peers

• Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS): A Hindu diaspora organization with active branches in the US, Canada, UK and Caribbean, running youth shakhas, cultural programs and community education. Comparable to SWAHA's mandalis and diaspora affiliate structure, with strong presence in the same Trinidadian diaspora communities.
• Arya Samaj: Hindu reform organization with schools, mandirs and outreach programs present in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean diaspora. Comparable to SWAHA in offering Hindu instruction with an emphasis on education and reform-oriented Sanatanist practice.
• Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha of Trinidad and Tobago: The original recognized Sanatanist Hindu organization in Trinidad and Tobago from which SWAHA's founding members originated. Operates schools, mandirs and community programs for the same Trinidadian Hindu population, making it the closest direct peer and primary local competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/swahapublications
• Facebookfacebook.com/swahainternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sanatan-dharma-maha-sabha

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha