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Shiv Prasad Gupta (28 June 1883 – 24 April 1944) was a visionary, philanthropist, a leader of the Indian Freedom Movement and the founder of the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth. Though belonging to a very wealthy industrialist and "Jamindar" family, he devoted his entire life to actively participate, assist and give financial aid to the various movements of the freedom struggle. He was a close associate and friend of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya and all the other nationalist leaders, who often stayed with him on their visit to Varanasi and relied upon his advice and support.
In Varanasi he established the Kashi Vidyapeeth – a state university; the "Bharat Mata Mandir" – a National Heritage monument; "Shiv Prasad Gupta Hospital" – the civil Hospital of Varanasi; the daily Hindi newspaper Aaj – the oldest existing Hindi newspaper, and numerous other projects and activities. At Akbarpur, he gave 150 acres (0.61 km2) of land for setting up the first Gandhi Ashram in India to promote the production and sale of indigenously manufactured Khadi clothes.