25th November is the birth anniversary of Sadhu T.L.Vaswani and is also observed as International Meatless Day throughout the world. My earliest memories of Meatless Day is the form that we used to fill to evidence our pledge of not eating non vegetarian food on this day circulated by friends in the colony who used to study at Sadhu Vaswani Girls School located in Shantiniketan, Delhi. Sadhu Thanwardas Lilaram Vaswani was born in Hyderabad, Sindh in 1879. He was an educationalist, a philanthropist and a social worker who dedicated his entire life to spread and celebrate "Oneness of Spirit". Post partition, Sadhu Vaswani and the larger Sadhu Vaswani mission shifted base to Pune, Maharashtra, India. He remained the spiritual leader of Sadhu Vaswani Mission until his demise in 1966 when the baton was passed onto Dada J P Vaswani. He is lovingly referred to as " Gurudev" by his followers and admirers .
I have always held Sadhu Vaswani Mission and both the spiritual leaders in high regard. Mission has dedicated itself to actively contributing to nation building via its various initiatives such as focusing on girl child's education ( Mira Movement) by establishing various schools and colleges for girls throughout India, by providing medical and social facilities to poor and needy. Another key area of focus is the focus on spiritual activities. Their website states:- (edited excerpts)
The Sadhu Vaswani Mission seeks to bear witness to the truth that there is but one life flowing in all men, birds, animals, things animate and inanimate. It believes that life must have a spiritual orientation and promotes the practice of kirtans, prayers, meditation & above all, love for others. The others are not apart from us, we are all part of One Whole.
The pivot of the Mission activities is daily Satsang, and ever flowing fountain of music, devotional, spiritual solace and continuous inspiration to all devotees. Special satasangs are organized on Hero Days, to commemorate the great souls. Sadhana (meditation) camps are held across the world to rekindle the spiritual flame within the hearts of aspirants.
The pivot of the Mission activities is daily Satsang, and ever flowing fountain of music, devotional, spiritual solace and continuous inspiration to all devotees. Special satasangs are organized on Hero Days, to commemorate the great souls. Sadhana (meditation) camps are held across the world to rekindle the spiritual flame within the hearts of aspirants.
A lesser known aspect regarding Sadhu Vaswani's life is his flair for writing. Sadhu Vaswani's collection of Sindhi songs, the Nuri Granth, i understand is one of the largest collections by a single author/writer. In fact the book is revered by many as a scripture. Many of the songs in the book are prayers. His writings have been translated into English to enable them to reach a broader audience.
My admiration for the mission also stems from its emphasis on "Niswarth Sewa" ( Assistance/Help without any Expectation of return favor). Their medical centres offer free treatment to the poor and needy. The mission has always made a conscious effort to reach out to the larger Sindhi diaspora spread across the globe and both Sadhu Vaswani and Dada Vaswani played an important role in binding the community together. I pray to almighty that the mission continues to achieve greater heights and both these saints continue to guide our paths.
I end with this wonderful documentary by Sindhi Sangat on life and key teachings of Sadhu Vaswani. I strongly urge readers to view this lovely video and share it with fellow Sindhis. Also attached is the link to Dadi Abida Parveen singing in praise of Dada Vaswani. What a wonderful rendition! I hope you like it too.
(PS: Interested reader may want to refer to my blog page of August ,2019 on Dada J P Vaswani)
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