An activity that benefits others – feeding the hungry, sharing knowledge with the unknowing, resolving the suffering of others, worshipping the poor, and serving the needy – thinking of them as the very personification of God. One’s spiritual purification is realized only through this selfless service. – Sri M
Euphoric celebrations mark the 75th birthday of our Founder Sri M
The 75th birthday of Sri M on 6 November ushered in a wave of euphoric celebrations at The Satsang Foundation (TSF) centres and kendras across 13 states in India and overseas under the banner of the Satsang Seva Mission (SSM) with a 10-day-long festival of sevas in the spirit of selfless service and the joy of giving and sharing with our brethren, our Bhoomi, uniting all TSF initiatives – education, environment, health, and well-being in complete harmony.
Recapitulating the poignant moments of this momentous occasion, we invite you to accompany us on a whirlwind journey of nostalgia, empowerment, empathy, and sheer devotion as volunteers went beyond the call of duty and truly embraced the recipients with gratitude and humility.
Caring for the forgotten
Elders languishing in senior citizen homes, craving for the loving warmth of dear ones in their twilight years were among the foremost recipients at Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Lathira, Mumbai, Pune, and Tuticorin. Festive meals, dry ration supplies, bed linens, and light clothing were some of the means by which their material comfort was ensured. Endearing conversations, karaoke sessions set to old Hindi film songs, bhajans, meditation, and pranayama sessions brought much solace to the resilient seniors, teaching our volunteers a thing or two about living life to its fullest without regrets.
Supporting marginalized youth
Diverse groups of youngsters residing at shelter homes, bereft of sustained financial backing and stable familial situations, have long received unstinting support from the Satsang Seva Mission volunteers at Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and Pune by way of regular nutritious meals, academic classes, and skilling activities. Founder’s Day celebrations offered yet another opportunity to fulfil their aspirations with the provision of festive meals, clothes, scholarships, school supplies, health awareness sessions, and yoga sessions. A group of school students from a government school based in Bargodam, Kalka were treated to an extraordinary excursion to Chandigarh’s Rock Garden and other tourist attractions. As for the mostly first-generation learners at The Satsang Vidyalayas at Madanapalle and Lathira, this annual celebration was a magical tribute to their muse and inspiration – Sri M.
Serving the less privileged
Anchored in Sri M’s exhortation “To feed a hungry mouth is equal to 10 days of tapasya,” annadaanam seva was offered to women at shelter homes, daily wagers, pavement dwellers, rickshaw pullers, patients and their caregivers, and hungry travellers and passersby at Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Chowdepalle, Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Pune, and Trichy. The Madhu Ki Rasoi mobile unit offered meals to weary pilgrims, sadhus, and the homeless in the twin cities of Mathura-Vrindavan. The teachers and support staff of The Peepal Grove School offered dry rations to less privileged families at Sadum while at Bujumbura, Burundi in East Africa, volunteers offered a week’s supply of dry rations to the indigent and miserable. Dry rations were also offered to sanitation workers at Bengaluru and at shelter homes for the differently abled and the elderly at Pune. Wordless yet heartfelt exchanges spread cheer and tranquility as the volunteers and recipients were bound together in their common humanity.
Providing multi-faceted healing modalities
The team of general physicians, specialists, and nursing staff of Swaasthya Hospitals (Madanapalle) provided health checkups and supporting care in collaboration with The Sacred Grove and ArogyaM team (Chowdepalle), Vydehi Hospital (Bengaluru), and local hospitals, in line with Sri M’s vision of making quality healthcare accessible to the rural communities living in and around Madanapalle. Ayurveda outreach camps and daily camps also boosted therapeutic modalities available for chronic ailments and disorders. The Sacred Grove also conducted daily yoga sessions, contributing to the holistic development of the local community. At Cuttack, a free medical camp brought much-needed relief to patients suffering from orthopedic and back ailments. Health awareness sessions sensitized young girls and women at Madanapalle and Nagpur.
Reaching out beyond the human community
The volunteers at Pune stepped beyond the human community to reach out to abandoned, ailing cows and cattle at two goshalas and supported their well-being with nutritional fodder, leafy vegetables, and grains. The volunteers received unalloyed love from these oft-neglected yet gentle creatures.
Planting the seeds of tomorrow, conserving precious water resources
“My Bhoomi, My Tree, My River. All this is not a mere physical project, it’s a spiritual seva.”
Sri M’s vision of maitri or amity and harmonious coexistence with Nature took shape with MyTree plantation drives at Bengaluru, Chowdepalle, Ernakulam, Gurgaon, and Pune. With over 900 saplings finding their home in urban and rural spaces, this evergreen gift to future generations stood testimony to the unity of all beings. Satsang Jal Seva Sangatan (SJSS) volunteers also continued their project of constructing percolation wells in low-lying areas at Bengaluru by creating 10 such wells at the Crime Branch Office in Shanthinagar within a week’s time, ensuring the efficient conservation of rain water run-off and recharging of groundwater.
Arduous devotion, heartwarming tributes
Special prayers and pujas in Sri M’s honor poured in from volunteers of Namami Goda Foundation, Godamai Prathisthan, and Jalbiradari, our trusted partner organizations of the Aviral Godavari Mission, spread across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
On a tender note, groups of volunteers also organized satsangs at Chandigarh, Dharwad, Kannur, Kolkata, and Pune, revisiting the words and wisdom of the Master with ardor and affection, recalling fond memories, and sharing their personal experiences in a joyous ambience.
To read about each of these sevas, please browse through the Satsang Seva Journal.
To join our Satsang Seva Mission teams and spread the joy of giving and sharing, please write to connect@satsang-foundation.org.
