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Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani and Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani greatly revered Guru Nanak Devji. In continuance of the love for the Guru, the Sadhu Vaswani Mission welcomed the Pune District Sikh Gurudwara Association’s Nagar Kirtan commemorating the 550th birth anniversary — Prakash Purab— of Guru Nanak Devji. Starting from Gurudwara Guru Singh Sabha, Ganesh Peth, the Palkhi arrived at the Mission to bless the eagerly waiting devotees before proceeding to its onward journey towards its final destination - Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar. At the Mission, devotees bowed down their head in reverence and gratitude to Sri Granth Sahib. Chorus of banis and devotional calls of “Jo bole So Nihal’ reverberated in the Mission. “Sikhism is a religion that preaches oneness and the Mission resonates the same. This Palkhi is a procession of love, of bhakti, of seva. Beloved Dada Vaswani is very dear to us, his banis, his sevas, all touch us deeply. As much as Guru Nanak Devji is with us, so is Dada. We experience him here and our association has been a long one,” said Charanjit Singh, Trustee of the Gurudwara. “Sadhu Vaswani and Dada, they both held Guru Nanak Devji in reverence and love. Therefore, the Mission has always been a part of us. And the one teaching that sums up Guru Nanak Devji’s life and we wish to pass on, is - Oneness of God. He belongs to all and He is One,” said Daljeet Singh Mokha. “I am here just before Guru Nanak Jayanti. It feels like I am on a pilgrimage at Amritsar. It’s surreal. Their reverence for Dada shows in their graceful gesture of coming at the Mission,” said Aanchal Valecha. “I tried the last two times the Palkhi came, but I couldn’t make it. I was pining for it and today I feel so fortunate,” said Bina Bhatia. Prasad was distributed amongst the devotees.

A seva group headed by Didi Krishna set out on 5th of November 2019 morning in the sacred month, marking the 140th birthday of Revered Sadhu Vaswani. The first stop was Sadhu Vaswani Medical Center in Khandala. The Medical Center provides facilities of: General medicine Visiting Specialists X-ray ECG Physiotherapy Audiometry & Hearing Aids Eye Care - Surgeries - Optician Computerized Path Lab TB Eradication Programme Leprosy Eradication Programme Free mobile Dispensary for the service of poor villagers Village Children Deworming & Malnutrition Program. The consultations at the Centre are only Rs.50 and medicines are provided for free. Most of the doctors travel from Pune everyday to serve at this little temple of healing in the hills. The seva group then traveled into the interiors to the village of Karivilli. A sari was given to each woman & their faces lit up with joy. Towels, chiwda, water bottle, biscuits, banana and toys were distributed. "Their main challenge is clean drinking water," said the leading doctor as they contract mostly water-borne diseases. The Khandala centre takes care of the medical needs of 22 villages with mobile clinic visits & free medicines.

Inauguration of newly renovated Dental Department of Shanti Clinic 14th October, 2019 “Gurdev hai adhaar” — Master, thou art our anchor, our protector — echoed in the premises of Shanti Clinic, Pune. 14th October 2019, a renovated and expanded ‘Dental Department’ was consecrated at Shanti Clinic, Pune. Bhajans and kirtans marked the inaugural session. A holy havan fire was lit, a vachan read from the Nuri Granth and prayers were offered by Didi Krishna Kumari, Working Chairperson, Sadhu Vaswani Mission; Mrs. Ratna Vaswani, Chairperson; Mr. Haresh Advani, In-charge Shanti Clinic and all the department doctors. Later, the officials were taken on a tour of the facility and the inaugural concluded with the distribution of prasad. “We started the dental department with one chair and one table. However, over the years, knowing the dental care clinic offers, the number of patients grew and expansion became essential. Today, we have four cabins for the doctors and a well-planned waiting area for the patients,” said Mr. Haresh Advani. Adding on to the details, Dr Jyoti Naik, Head of the Dental Department, Shanti Clinic said, “We have also upgraded a few equipments; all of which meet international standards. We will, as always, cater to all classes of patients. The pricing is much lower than what is prevailing in dentistry now. Our intent was to make the latest treatments and care available to everyone regardless of their ability to spend. It is our continued perseverance to adhere to the principles of the Mission, ethics and discipline that has led to the growth of the facility.” All welcome to avail the benefits at our clinic.

4th Oct World Animals Day observed by Sadhu Vaswani Mission Schools Pune STOP ALL KILLING: Little ones take out their hand-made placards to show compassion to animals on World Animals Day, today, 4th October 2019. The schools of Sadhu Vaswani Mission celebrated World Animals Day commemorating St. Francis of Assisi’s anniversary. At the Pune schools, cute faces voiced enthusiastically for saving the animals and also the earth at the round of the campus with the sacred Samadhi of the revered founder Sadhu Vaswani, whose call was reverence for all life. In Pradhikaran, Sadhu Vaswani International School took out a little rally along with a talk by Mrs. Darshana Muzumdar on animal rights. The students also donated Rs. 8900 to an NGO - ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha’ that takes care of stray animals. These funds were self-earned by the students (profit of swakamai) by setting up a vegetable market for the parents. In Manjiri, the Sadhu Vaswani Gurukul students had little ones displaying their cute placards, voicing it out for the voiceless ones.

'Nanak Aaya! Nanak Aaya!’ was the call at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission on the 21st September morning. From the sacred birth place of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, the first ever International Nagar Kirtan (procession) arrived in Pune on September 20, 2019 and was welcomed by Sadhu Vaswani Mission on 21st September morning. The atmosphere at the Mission was that of a celebration, the hustle was joyous and the yearning in the eyes of the devotees was intense! They were unable to contain their happiness! After 550 years, Guru Nanak Dev had chosen to walk into the abode of the two Great Masters — Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani and Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani. Amidst the conch trumpet, beating of drums and the clarion call of ‘Jo Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal’ the Palkhi Sahib halted at the Mission entrance. The welcome was soulful. It was extended by honouring the ‘panj pyaras’ with the traditional offering of coconut and shawl. Chants of ‘Satnam Waheguru’ echoed aloud! Where thePalkhi Sahibhad halted in the Mission, devotees lined up to have one glimpse of the ‘khadawa’— wooden slippers —of Guru Nanak Dev and rest their forehead in obeisance to the 350 year old Granth Sahib. Many a tear-touched eyes were seen as they waited to have the blessed darshan. “Guru Nanak Dev’s Khadawa has come all the way from Pakistan, what more can one ask for!” said Shyam Ubriani. “Never did I imagine that I would have this opportunity. I am immensely thankful to Guru Nanakji for he has come to meet me,” said Khushboo Mirani. “Going to Guru Nanak’s birthplace is unimaginable. But his coming to us is indeed a blessing. The connection which has all along been, has further deepened. All I can say is I am ecstatic!” said Dimple Wadhwani. Finally, with another call of ‘Waheguru Ji Da Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Di Fateh’, the Palkhi Sahib proceeded to its onward journey towards Mumbai. At the Mission, prasad was distributed amongst all the devotees. What was unimaginable, unfathomable, had come true! Who would have thought being well within the Mission premises, Guru Nanak Dev’s Palkhi would come all the way from Pakistan! Yet, it was true. The three Great Masters had met on the holy grounds of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission. History had been created “Guru Nanak was one of the most radiant stars in the firmament of India’s spiritual leaders. His face was so luminous that people saw him and they bowed down to him of their own accord. On this dark planet he appeared as a heavenly light. And this light continues to shine even today in millions of hearts. It is the light of love.” —    Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani

In dedication and homage to the Great Masters- Dada J. P. Vaswani and Sadhu T. L. Vaswani, the Government of India through the Indian Railways, a few months ago, renamed the 1293/ 1294 Pune-Nizamuddin AC Express to the Darshan Express after the Darshan Museum of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission. On 13thSeptember, 2019, a gratitude ceremony was held at the Delhi Nizamuddin Station. Speaking on the occasion, Suresh Angadi, Minister of Railways of India said, “I feel truly fortunate that I have the opportunity to flag off the Darshan Express. It is at the behest of the Prime Minister of India, Hon’ble Narendra Modi that this initiative has come to fruition and has been named after the Great Masters- Rev. Dada J .P. Vaswani and Sadhu T. L. Vaswani.” At Baroda: As Dada’s will had it, and devotees called it a miracle, Darshan Express arrived early at Baroda, making it a 40-minute halt! A slow rumble and a whistle announced the arrival of The Darshan Express at Baroda, Gujarat from Delhi. Drummers had set the tone for the welcome of the train and the Baroda Station echoed in the clear celebratory melody of the drums. Lunch packets, mithai and goodies awaited the passengers. 250 volunteers of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission joy knew no bounds for their dilemma had been put to rest by a miracle! A stop of 10 minutes had surprisingly changed to 40 minutes! The train arrived half an hour earlier adding to the minutes of seva! In spontaneity, the group broke into the ‘Shukarana Anthem’. Within a minute to the train’s arrival, volunteers spread out and began distributing lunch packets and mithai to the passengers. Copies of ‘Dil ka Dwar Khol’, a monthly Hindi magazine of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission were distributed. The engine drivers and staff were felicitated. MLA’s and VIP’s too were present to join in the celebrations. 40 minutes flew past amidst sevas and celebrations and the train left with a slow chugging sound flagged off, flag in gratitude to the Indian Railways, not with the traditional green flag but that of the Sadhu Vaswani School’s green flag! Only to soon arrive at its destination- Pune, the home to the Great Master. At Pune: In homage to the Great Masters, arrives in Pune, the Darshan Express! The clock struck 21:25 and right on-time arrived the majestic Darshan Express; to its very home in Pune! The Sadhu Vaswani Mission volunteers who were already stationed at the arriving platform were overjoyed at the sight of the train as they waited with a banner welcoming the train and its on-board passengers to their destination! Echoes of ‘Dada Shyam’ resonated in the Pune Railway Station. The spirited group of the Mission welcomed the passengers with warmth and love, giving them goodies and a pen souvenir. The train driver and staff were honoured with shawls, gifted T-shirts and goodie bags. Everyone was seen smiling their way home. A long journey had been turned into a joyous and memorable one! An onboard passenger said, “We have been pampered throughout this entire journey.” Finally, the dusk had set in leaving a momentous and memorable day behind to cherish and relive. With the grace of the Masters, the Darshan Express will continue to serve the people of the nation, helping them all reach their homes and destination for decades to come.

The Muharram procession moved its way past the Sadhu Vaswani Chowk, where the Great Master's plaque seemed to welcome, 'Children of the earth, ye all are one’. The Alam, symoblizing truth and bravery, was brought inside the gates of the Mission to the sacred Samadhi of Sadhu Vaswani in homage. Volunteers served the procession with refreshments, a seva which Dada did with his own hands, in the spirit of brotherhood of all saints. One of the oldest participants of the Muharram procession said, “We all have the feeling of oneness when we come here, as Sadhu Vaswani used to believe all religions are one. We feel blessed stopping at the great saints place and do Mataam in keeping Imam Hussain’s memory alive.” Sadhu Vaswani Mission pays obeisance to the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and saint of Islam, Imam Husain (a.s.) and to the lessons of sacrifice, truth, courage and patience, which Imam Husain (a.s.) has left behind as a legacy for mankind. Imam Husain was killed in the battle of Karbala in the year 680 AD. In the Imam’s homage and to fortify in his footsteps, mourning ceremonies & processions with ‘Alam’, ‘Tazias’ & ‘Maatam’ are carried out. The Mission seeks to serve all the great ones of humanity, following the Master’s teaching, ‘In all the saints the picture is Thine’.

The great teachers of India have taught that simple living and high thinking leads to fulfilment and freedom. —    Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani 5th September 2019 on the auspicious occasion of Teacher’s Day, Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune organised an event for teachers of the Mission’s educational institutions. The congregation of teachers initiated the event by offering salutations to the Great Masters- Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani and Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani at the Sacred Samadhi. The mantra of all ages, ‘asatoma satgamaya, tamasoma jyotirgamaya, mrityurma amrutamgamaya’ was chanted in a chorus rendering a Vedic melody to the atmosphere. Dada aarti was sung and the teacher’s group proceeded on to the Satsang Hall. The event at the Satsang Hall began to soulful renditions of Mira bhajans by teachers of the Mira Institutions. The musical touched by the teacher’s stirring vocals instantly turned the bhajans divine! As everyone was absorbed in the sanctity of it, came a rich and engaging address by Didi Krishna Kumari. At the outset, she congratulated St. Mira’s College on its achievement of being ranked amongst the 20 best colleges of India in 2019. She then traced back the legacy of Mira education, the seeds of which were sown by Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani who renounced his standing as one of the great freedom fighters and took up the cause of education. Speaking on the occasion, “Sadhu Vaswani was a unique visionary who transformed everything and everyone he touched. He realised politics will not make India new. His vision of New India was not an India that runs after material achievements, fleeting power, but an India which would be reckoned as a world leader. Opulence, power authority, he said would not make India new. But it was new education that would change its destiny. Stepping aside from politics, he plunged himself into education; an education that nourishes the head, the hand and the heart.” She continued, “It is only true education that can change the world. This is the great opportunity that Sadhu Vaswani has placed before every one of you that of being creators, of being builders of this new brave world. The onus is much more on teachers today. Google can provide the best information and knowledge but it cannot give the personal touch, the understanding, the compassion which only a teacher can. Therefore said Sadhu Vaswani, the role of the teacher is crucial and multifaceted.” She concluded her address with a small story of an alumni of St. Mira’s School. This was followed by a recorded English talk of Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani. He spoke of St. Mira and the founding ideals of the Mira educational institutions on a beautiful composition penned by her: Learn ye of flowers and birds! Learn ye of streams and the stars! Learn ye of the village fold! Learn ye of the poor and simple! Learn ye of the little children! —Mirabai (In the words of Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani) Citing the poem, he spoke of how the Mira students are taught to build homes for home building he said, is nation-building. He also spoke of service of the poor and needy as the primary purpose of education and above all education strives to connect the student with the great truth, the worship of God and dedication one to ‘Life Divine’. Gurudev’s address was followed by a recorded English talk of Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani. He spoke and appealed that before the teachers was a great task, that of building a New India, a truly strong and truly free. He said how India was walking on the path of imitation and all imitation was emasculation, was weakness. He invoked all the piteous condition of millions of men and children of India whom evade two full meals, shelter, education and medical aid. To serve them was the purpose of learning as a student. He further emphasised on the five ideals of education that the Mira Schools abide by: Character-building Altruistic living Love of the Indian ideal Reverence for all life Spiritual unfolding Concluding his talk he called upon the teachers of the world to unite and work on the cause of nation-building. Next was held a felicitation for retiring teachers and sevikas. All attending teachers were given a book and a souvenir to mark the occasion.

Krishna! Beloved! True it is, He who hath Thee Lacks nothing! Thou alone sufficeth! —     Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani 23rd August 2019, Sadhu Vaswani Mission was enchanted with festivities and celebrations! It was the day of Janmashtami— the celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna, our God incarnate, who tread on our lands 5000 years ago and established dharma! Year after year, on the day of Ashtami in the month of Bhadrapad, the whole world comes together as one and celebrates the birth of this Apostle of Dharma— Lord Krishna. At the Mission too, festivities had begun much earlier on the 19th of August with little ones of the St. Mira’s School giving speeches on ‘Krishna Bhakti’. The speeches came from the heart and invoked the Great Lord! Audiences were spellbound at the little ones ability to bring out the emotions of bhakti through their love-filled words and their power of narration. 22nd evening was played the recorded upadesh of Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani. He appealed to all, “Belong to Krishna!” On the 23rd, the Mission was wearing a festive look. Bhajans, kirtans singing the glory of Sri Krishna reverberated in The Mission premises. Sevas were conducted. 46 needy families were given month’s ration and cash. Needy children were given notebooks and stationery kit. This was followed by the Moment of Calm awards ceremony. Star campaigners were given a token of appreciation at the hands of Didi Krishna Kumari, Working Chairperson and Mrs Ratna Vaswani, Chairperson. Volunteers who relentlessly and selflessly carry out seva activities too were given a memento. Finally was the afternoon upadesh of Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani. Sadhu Vaswani often said, ‘The Krishna-bhakta is aspiration-filled. His heart is parched with thirst. And the longing in him grows that he may pass away and perish at the Lotus Feet of the Lord. Such a Krishna-bhakta may I aspire to be!’ In echoing these very words, Rev. Dada’s upadesh was on Krishna Bhakti wherein he spoke on awakening to the purpose of human birth and seeking longing and yearning from God to attain to Him. “Lord Krishna is an inspiration for me. He taught us how to balance life. And Dada’s message today is one to take home. I’ll keep repeating to myself how we must have softer hearts that help and heal others and surely we will find God,” said Jyoti Chugh. “The programme was blissful. Krishna to me is my mother, father, brother; he is my everything! And as Dada said, we all must ask for a grain of bhakti, today and every day of our lives so we may be closer to him,” said Madhu Ramani. On 24th, Gokulashtami was celebrated in sacred Kutiya and later Krishna Leela was held in the evening satsang. Janmashtami also marks the 90th Foundation Day of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission.

550 Year Guru Nanak Prakash Yatra at Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune 16th August, 2019 ‘Guru Ki Sawari is on its way’ — was the talk heard all over the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune ahead of the day of the historic arrival. Preparations were in full-swing. On 16th August, 2019 morning, the 550 Year Guru Nanak Prakash Yatra arrived at the Mission amidst sounds of the conch, beatings of drums and chants of ‘Jo bole so nihaal Sat Sri Akal’. The specially designed ‘palki’ vehicle, carrying the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, parked in front of the sacred Samadhis of Sadhu Vaswani & Dada JP Vaswani. “It’s the confluence of the three great Masters and a symbol of the brotherhood of all saints of humanity,” said an official of the Mission. Devotees thronged the palki to receive blessings from the Guru amidst showers of petals and reverberations of kirtan. Sri Guru Granth Sahib was showered with flowers and garlands as an offering of love. The yatra marks the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism & the first of the gurus, Sri Guru Nanak. Retracing his journey and with an aim to spread the message of humanity given by him, the countrywide yatra had commenced from Gurudwara Sri Nanak Jhira Saheb, Bidar, Karnataka. “The yatra has covered 250 cities, and traveled over 1100 kilometers and has arrived in Pune,” said an organizer from the Pune District Sikh Gurudwara Association. The panj pyaare were honoured with the traditional coconut and shawl. The Working Chairperson of the Mission, Didi Krishna Kumari, speaking on the occasion said, “Our founder Sadhu Vaswani revered Sri Guru Nanak, often having trances at nights of the Guru coming to him and conversing with him. And to many of us Sadhu Vaswani himself was Guru Nanak. We are thankful that Sri Guru Nanak has visited our holy premises and sanctified it even more. This is the occasion to remember the teaching of Sri Guru Nanak that our Master would repeat often, ‘Naam Khumari Nanka, Chari Rahe Din Raat’  (May we remain absorbed, day and night in the intoxication of the Name Divine)” “The Mission is a pilgrimage in itself and today Guru Nanak Devji has come all the way up to us. What more can we ask for? Truly they say, wadbhagi hai jo satguru le darshan paye— fortunate is he who has the darshan of the Guru,” said Rashmi Bhagchandani from Accra. “The yatra has come from so many miles away and we are here to have the darshan. It’s truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. We never imagined we would have had this chance,” said Shalini and Pratap Advani from Dubai. The yatra proceeded to Ahmednagar from the Mission. Covering 19 states, the yatra will end also at the same starting point of  Gurudwara Sri Nanak Jhira Saheb in Bidar, Karnataka.

'Dada is a true example of a Spiritual Great’ says Jain Spiritual Leader August 15, 2019 HH Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni Ji expressed his privilege to be amongst the holy vibrations of the Spiritual Masters at Sadhu Vaswani Mission Pune on the sacred occasion of Raksha Bandhan & Independence Day, today, August 15, 2019. “Dada is a true picture of a Spiritual Great. According to Lord Mahavir and the Jain philosophy, a true saint is a confluence of purity, innocence and luminosity. And Dada is verily a glowing example of all three,” he said in his spirited tribute. “Dada will keep showing us the path and keep guiding us from the beyond,” Pujya Acharya added. He blessed the satsang occasion that also featured seva of the needy and offering of rakhis at the sacred pedestal of the Masters. He was felicitated and presented with Dada’s new biography: ‘A Messenger of Love’.

Pujya Sai Nitin Ram from Sant Satram Darbar, Faisabad visited Sadhu Vaswani Mission on 14th August 2019, in homage to Rev. Dada JP Vaswani. Pujya Sai Nitin Ram is the Grandson of Sacha Sai Satramdas Saheb of Pooj Raharki Sahib Darbar, Pakistan. “I still carry Dada's love that he showered upon me," recalling his earlier visit and meeting with Dada in 2017. And he felt that loving presence everywhere today, breaking into songs of glory of the Masters at the sacred samadhis, kutiya and the satsang hall.