STOCKTON, CA: As millions of devotees of the Sant Nirankari Mission celebrated Human Unity Day or Manav Ekta Diwas around the world, the Bay Area observed the event in the divine presence of Mata Savinder Hardev Ji Maharaj.
The two-day spiritual congregation held on April 21-22 encapsulated the visionary Satguru’s call for love and selfless service to humanity. Like moths to a flame, hundreds of devotees from different states and countries flew in to seek blessings and to hear her words of wisdom.
The spiritual head has been an advocate for helping underserved populations through the Mission’s outreach services such as building schools, hospitals, hosting blood donation drives, cleanliness drives and providing disaster relief around the world.
Mata Savinder was welcomed with music and dance as a band of sewadal or volunteer members of all ages marched in harmony in parade-like fashion around the Mission’s center in Tracy, Ca. The welcome program continued into the late evening as devotional songs were sung, the atmosphere full of positive vibrations.
The festive and colorful celebration did not only feel like a large-scale wedding, but an actual wedding, engagements and baby showers also took place with the blessings of Mata Savinder.
“I love this mission,” said Robert Rickman, the Mayor of Tracy. “One of the highest acts that I can do is to issue you a proclamation on behalf of the entire city of Tracy.”
Mata Savinder pointed out that crowds gather together at places like movie theaters and fairs, “But this is not the togetherness we are talking about.”
“We are talking about the unity of hearts, bringing human beings closer to human beings,” she said at the main congregation held at the San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton on April 22. “And this unity only comes through God realization when we realize we are all children of the same father.”
The Sant Nirankari Mission is an all-embracing international spiritual movement aspiring to unify mankind by emphasizing self-realization, tolerance, love, humility, humanness, and oneness among all beings regardless of religion, caste, color, or creed.
“It does not matter what color we are… what sex we are…what religion we are… what language we speak because we all come from the same source, “ said Dr. Ron Oberstein, one of dozens of speakers at the congregation. Oberstein is President of Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward and helps send teams of chiropractic doctors overseas to provide free medical aid at Mission events in India, serving tens of thousands during recent years.
Human Unity Day is a tribute to Baba Gurbachan Singh, the third guru of the Mission, who was assassinated on April 24, 1980. Following his death, his son and the forthcoming guru Baba Hardev Singh declared, “Blood should flow in veins, not in drains.”
Since then, the Sant Nirankari Mission has become one of the largest blood donor organizations in the world. The Mission organizes mass blood donation camps and community cleanliness projects across the globe on Human Unity Day in an effort to promote universal oneness. It was no different in Stockton where a blood drive was held simultaneously during the spiritual congregation.
The American Red Cross presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Mata Savinder recognizing the collection of more than 476 units of blood at 10 donation drives held in Tracy, Ca from 2008-17, potentially saving up to 1,401 lives.
The humanitarian efforts of the Mission were also recognized with certificates of special appreciation awarded to Mata Savinder by dignitaries including Stockton Vice Mayor Elbert Holman, Congressman Jerry McNerney and Saratoga Councilman Rishi Kumar.
Acknowledging and honoring the extraordinary efforts put and community service provided by SNM , FIA presented a trophy of felicitation to Mata Savinder Hardev ji Maharaj on ‘Human Unity Day’. FIA Chairman and FOG (Festival of Globe) founder Dr. Romesh Japra has been organizing India Day Parade and fair every year for past 25 years. On his behalf, FIA Media chair – Ritu Maheshwari attended and presented the trophy to Mataji.
The Sant Nirankari Mission hosts spiritual congregations weekly throughout the Bay Area, with the main congregation held at the center in Tracy on Sundays at 11am.
Arti Nehru & Mehek Nagpal
