Centenary celebrations of Gayatri Parivar founder Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma held
By Radhika NagrathHaridwar, 18 Jan: When the centenary flag was hoisted on Vairagi Island in Kankhal, the city of King Daksha, it seemed as if an era bowed to its glorious past and took a new resolution. Organised under the auspices of Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar, Shantikunj, the centenary celebrations of the founder of Gayatri Parivar, Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma and Akhand Deepak began with the flag salutation in a reverent atmosphere. This event will continue till 23 January.On this occasion, the Chief Guest, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, said that this centenary celebration is a direct expression of the nation’s gratitude for Mataji’s ascetic life, selfless service, and unwavering devotion. Mataji’s entire life is a light of renunciation, sacrifice, and spiritual practice, which gave direction and new vision to countless lives. He said that the Gayatri Parivar cannot be confined within the boundaries of any single organisation; it is a flow of consciousness that leads from the individual to society, and from society to the nation. Recalling the spiritual consciousness of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister said that pilgrimage sites like Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, and Adi Kailash are the heartbeat of India’s soul. Held in such a sacred environment, this centenary celebration conveys the message of a renaissance of Indian culture, values, and spiritual practice.Dr Chinmay Pandya, the leader of the centenary celebrations and Vice-Chancellor of Dev Sanskriti University, stated that this celebration is not a secluded place of asceticism, but rather the “Lost and Found Department” of the sage, revered Acharyashri, where individuals rediscover themselves and their responsibilities. He added that this good fortune is not waiting at someone’s doorstep; rather, this event offers the opportunity to open the door to one’s own good fortune. Giving a message of social change, he said, “I swear by the Ganga, I swear by the Yamuna, this fabric will change. We must change something, you must change something, only then will this world change.” He urged the crowd to consider self-transformation as the first prerequisite for social change, saying that only when individuals have the courage to change themselves can the foundation of rebuilding the nation and society become strong. The purpose of the centenary celebrations is to awaken this consciousness, so that positive change can be possible at the level of thought, conduct, and action.On this occasion, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that this centenary celebration, a confluence of service, spiritual practice and culture, will prove to be a milestone in building a new era. The creation of the world’s great civilisations was possible only through collective character building. Only when people in society make moral values, discipline and service the basis of their lives, a strong culture and a lasting civilisation are created. The Janshatabdi celebration is an important effort to awaken this collective consciousness.
Minister Satpal Maharaj, Sudarshan News Managing Director Suresh Chavan, former ED Director, Rajeshwar Singh, Vinay Ruhela and many other distinguished guests expressed their views on the occasion.In the final phase of the programme, Dr Chinmay Pandya along with special guests, Judge Parvinder Singh, Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Swami Sampurnanand, Swami Velu Bapu, K Narayan Rao, Ramesh Bhatt, Dinesh Kandpal, Acharya Dr Dayashankar Vidyalankar, and others were honoured with the Shantikunj logo, Ganga water, Rudraksha beads, and Yug literature. This moment became a living symbol of faith, culture, and determination. Thousands of volunteers from across India, including Haridwar’s administrative officials and from the United States, Canada, South Africa, and other countries, were present on this occasion.
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