Sadhu Vaswani Mission, on the auspicious occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, organised celebrations, satsangs and the annually awaited- modikhana — where devotees make purchases of grains, the cash proceeds and grains of which are donated to the poor and needy.
The sacred day of Guru Purab began with a morning satsang at the sacred Samadhi. This was followed by an afternoon session that included devotional bhajans and kirtans sung in dedication and love to the great Sikh Guru — Guru Nanak Devji. ‘Waheguru Waheguru’ echoed in the Satsang Hall. On this day, the Sadhu Vaswani Mission was enveloped in divinity as devotees joined in to mark the celebrations. Vachans from the Sikh Scriptures — Guru Granth Sahib and Japji Sahib were read. This was followed by a vachan from the Nuri Granth.
The commemorations followed on with a recorded upadesh of Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani. He spoke on ‘five treasures of life’ — Name Divine, Charity, Purity, Remembrance and Service. With this, he narrated an account from the life of Guru Nanak Devji and how he had the vision of God. From that moment on, Guru Nanak renounced the worldly life and lived on to illumine humanity and awaken its sleeping souls. Rev. Dada further went on to elaborate on ‘true blessing’ — “We use the word blessing but we don't know its true meaning. If we were bestowed with the treasure of the whole world on the one hand and on the other hand a grain of blessing the value of the grain of blessing is much more than the treasure of the entire world.” Dada then retold a story from Guru Nanak’s times. Modi Nanak, as he was known then, would work as a grocer —a modi— at the Nawab’s modikhana. The front door of the grocery would be open for the rich to make purchases and the back door was the poor, the hungry, the destitute and the crippled who would queue up at the compassionate Modi Nanak’s grocery. He would then distribute whatever he would have for free to the needy, none was turned away empty handed. Dada also said how Guru Nanak would wait for them each day so he could give groceries away. With this Rev. Dada’s upadesh, the modikhana session was opened up at the Mission. Devotees queued up to make their purchases. Total proceeds for the modikhana amounted to Rupees two lakhs fifty-one thousand.
“Guru Nanak Devji always said, ‘Dena Sikho’- ‘learn to give’. This modikhana is an opportunity to put his teaching to practice,” said Janny Punjabi.
Finally, with kirtan, the celebrations came to a close. Devotees then partook from the guru langar- fellowship meal. A devotee expressed, “Even a morsel of it is filling. I have observed how eating from the langar calms the mind and cleanses the thoughts; negative thoughts are at bay. It is truly purifying.”
On serving the langar, Meenakshi Dhanani said, “Serving on Guru Purab is a blessed opportunity indeed. The devotion in the eyes of the devotees while accepting langar is different, it’s filled with love, and makes me feel happy to be a part of the process.”
Guru Purab also marked the sacred 12th of Rev Dada J.P. Vaswani’s ‘Dada Yagna’. Sevas included distribution of cash, rice, sugar, tea, cooking oil, poha, rajma, moong dal, coconut oil, toothpaste, washing soap, bath soap, towel, napkin and Sholapuri bedsheet to the poor and needy.
11th November 2019 also saw students of St. Mira’s school giving speeches in honour and remembrance of Guru Nanak Devji.
