Pandit Shardha Ram Phillauri, profound scholar of Sanskrit, Persian, Urdu and English, was born in 1837 at Phillaur in Punjab. From his early days, Shardha Ram went from town to town to propagate the principles of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). He is the author of the famous Om Jai Jagdish Hare Prayer.
In 1867-78, with the help of Munshi Yamuna Prasad, he established a Hindu school in Ludhiana, where both Sanskrit and Persian were taught. Besides this, both organized a Hindu Sabha to defend Sanatana Dharma.
Panditji published a number of books and tracts, including Dharma Raksha. He explained in rational manner image worship, pilgrimages and other Puranic traditions.
He advocated prohibition and advised against gambling. In 1872, he joined the Amritsar Dharam Sabha long with other Hindu leaders.
In March 1880, he founded the Hari Jnana Mandir at Phillaur. Along with the temple, he also setup a school to teach the four Vedas. In the same year, he organized Haridwar Sabha with a rest-house in Haridwar and a Jnana Mandir in Lahore. Attracted to this was as school for learning the old samskaras of Hinduism. He passed away in the first quarter of 1881.
The arati (concluding prayer song) Om Jai Jagdish Hare, which is recited at all Hindu functions, is a composition of Pandit Shardha Ram. The services of Panditji to Sanatana Dharma are immense.