Brazilian spiritual guru Jonas Masetti was conferred the Padma Shri India’s fourth-highest civilian honor for his exemplary work towards disseminating Vedanta philosophy and Vedic wisdom to the globe. President Droupadi Murmu handed over the award on the second Civil Investiture Ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday, celebrating excellence in different realms.
Masetti, also goes by his spiritual name Acharya Vishwanath, was left surprised and thankful to receive the honour. “I was not expecting this. It’s a great honour… not just for me, but for our family striving for this tradition,” he said to ANI. His acknowledgement has also created a trend of attention all over social media.
Bare feet, Rudraksha Maala & cotton dhoti – meet Jonas Mazetty a Mechanical Engineer from Brazil
He is so influenced by Indian spirituality that he is spreading the knowledge of Vedanta and Bhagavad Gita in the world
He was Awarded Padma Shri
— Sameer (@BesuraTaansane) May 28, 2025
From Engineer to Acharya
Native to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Masetti first worked as a mechanical engineer with top companies in the nation’s stock market. Although he attained material success like money, social prestige, and friendship—he felt an intense longing for greater purpose in life.
Inspired by this pursuit of truth, he had gone to India and finally achieved spiritual peace in an ashram in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. There, guided by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Masetti immersed himself in the study of Vedanta philosophy. He later became an Acharya and chose the name Vishwanath.
Upon his return to Brazil, Masetti founded the Vishva Vidya Gurukulam in the quiet hills of Petropolis, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. The institute, where traditional Vedic education is combined with contemporary methods, provides free online courses. The platform, within seven years, has touched 1.5 lakh students across the globe.
Masetti’s work received national recognition in 2024 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned him during the Mann Ki Baat radio programme, referring to him as a “cultural ambassador of India.”
In addition to teaching, Masetti has authored several books on Vedanta and Yoga, available in both Portuguese and English, further extending his influence as a global advocate of Indian philosophy.
