Omguru

Omguru
Born	Pritesh Ashokkumar Shah (1977-02-08) 8 February 1977 (age 48) Ahmedabad
Nationality	Indian
Organization(s)	Omkar Foundation Trust, AIFF, The KCCS Ltd.,
Notable work	Omkar Chalisha
Honors	Rashtriya Puraskar (2016)
Website	sadguruomrushi.org

Omguru (born Pritesh Ashokkumar Shah, 8 February 1977) known as Shri Sadguru Omrushi, is an Indian spiritual leader and social worker from Gujarat. He is the founder of the Omkar Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that supports persons with disabilities, and the Omkar Sampraday, a devotional group. He also organises the Ahmedabad International Film Festival (AIFF). In 2016, he received the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, and in 2019, the Glory of Gujarat Award. ^{[1] [2]}

Early life

Omguru was born in a Jain family in Ahmedabad. As a child he was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and is reported to live with about 80% disability. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree from L.J. College Ahmedabad, and also passed the preliminary stage of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam.

Work

Omkar Sampraday

Omguru established the Omkar Sampraday, which focuses on devotional practice. He has written and composed bhajans, doha, ghazals, and stotras, many of which have been published in Gujarati media. ^{[3] [4]}

Omkar Foundation

Omguru began work with persons with disabilities in 1996 and later founded the Omkar Foundation. The organisation reports assisting over 30,000 people with food, medical aid, and education; facilitating health insurance under the Niramaya scheme for nearly 15,000 individuals; and supporting more than 500 persons with disabilities in handicraft-based livelihoods. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

Ahmedabad International Film Festival

Omguru organises the Ahmedabad International Film Festival, which features films from India and abroad. By its 16th edition in 2025, the festival had received more than 3,600 entries from over 100 countries. Categories include Divyang (disability-focused) films, short films, documentaries, and feature films. The programme includes screenings, awards, and cultural exchange activities. Lifetime Achievement awards have gone to individuals such as Padma Shri Murlikant Petkar and Padma Shri Muktaben Dagli. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]}

Honours

Omguru received the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2016 ^[7] and the Glory of Gujarat Award in 2019.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Gupta, Priyanka. "Conquering disability: Way of bed-ridden prince who turned people's healer". DNA India. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
2. Live, A. B. P. (2025-06-06). "From Pain To Purpose: Omguru's Journey From Childhood Agony To Championing India's Disabled". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
3. "Shri Omkardham Tirth: Temple Where Wishes and Wounds Heal". The Blunt Times. 2025-07-01. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
4. "Omguru the Spiritual Leader in a Wheelchair Who Turned Pain into Power | ગુરુપૂર્ણિમાના પાવન અવસરે ઓમગુરુની પ્રેરણાદાયક વાત..." www.gujaratimidday.com (in Gujarati). 2025-07-10. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
5. "Ahmedabad's 9th 'Divyang Patang Mohotsav' saw hundreds of disabled children enjoying the Kite Fest – Bilkul Online". 2024-01-07. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
6. "Shravan month marked by largest women's Kavad Yatra in Surat: 5,000 devotees chant 'Har Har Mahadev' and perform collective Shivling puja - Surat News". Bhaskar English. 2025-08-03. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
7. "Live, A. B. P. (2025-06-06). "From Pain To Purpose: Omguru's Journey From Childhood Agony To Championing India's Disabled". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
8. Gupta, Priyanka. "SURAT HOSTED A LARGEST WOMEN-LED KAWAR YATRA UNDER BLESSINGS of OMGURU". DNA India. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
9. "સિનેમા અને સાંસ્કૃતિક અભિવ્યક્તિનો ભવ્ય ઉત્સવ:"કશું જ અશક્ય નથી" તેવો આત્મસાત કરનારા દિવ્યાંગ સંત ઓમગુરૂ દ્વારા અમદાવાદ ઈન્ટરનેશનલ ફિલ્મ ફેસ્ટિવલનું આયોજન". divyabhaskar (in Gujarati). Retrieved 2025-04-09.
10. "Spiritual healer Omguru's another feat: Organises 16th edition of Ahmedabad International Film Festival". The Times of India. 2025-05-09. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2025-06-23.
11. "अहमदाबाद अंतरराष्ट्रीय फिल्म महोत्सव: सिनेमा के जरिए सामाजिक बदलाव की अनूठी मिसाल - Ahmedabad International Film Festival sets a unique example of social change through cinema". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 2025-06-23.
12. "Spiritual healer Omguru's another feat: Organises 16th edition of Ahmedabad International Film Festival". The Times of India. 2025-05-09. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2025-07-10.
13. "Press Trust Of India". www.ptinews.com. Retrieved 2025-07-10.