This year we happy to share Baba Siri Chand ji’s birthday celebrations throughout the world. We look forward to adding more stories as we receive them. Photos to follow.
GOBIND SADAN
Baba Siri Chand’s birthday was lovingly celebrated at Gobind Sadan on September 9., 10, and 11. Many old sangat members came to participate in the seva and the celebrations, and a very happy atmosphere prevailed, thanks to Maharaj’s blessings.
Eight Akhand Paths were carried on simultaneously, starting at 2 a.m. on 9th September. A photo exhibit of Gobind Sadan’s activities, including the development of Gobind Sadan and Shiv Sadan, daily forms of interfaith worship, and celebrations of all religions’ holy days was set up in the hall behind the langar.
On 10th September, students of the Baba Virsa Singh Ji Maharaj Public School and students from the weekly interfaith education classes told the history of Baba Siri Chand and presented the tale of the hare and the tortoise. The evening of 10th September was devoted to a special havan at Angeetha Sahib, with enchanting lighting decorations throughout the Gobind Sadan campus.
On 11th September, Akhand Path bhog was followed by kirtan. Several doctors offered free medical services, sevadars offered lassi, and thousands enjoyed the delicious meals served in the langar.
IN RUSSIA at Volokolamsk
On September 17, 2011, hundreds of people from many parts of Russia, India, and Kazakhstan gathered in Volokolamsk for a special havan to celebrate the birthday of Baba Siri Chand, elder son of the First Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, leader of the ascetic Udasis, and teacher of Gobind Sadan’s beloved Baba Virsa Singh Ji. Baba Siri Chand had taught him Guru Nanak’s practical programme—work hard to support yourself by honest means, share with others, and always remember God—and was revered by people of all faiths and all social levels, like Baba Virsa Singh.
The day began cold and rainy, but adaptable Russians tied plastic bags on their feet and performed havan from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in high spirits. Everyone helped in some way, from carrying wood and blowing up balloons to serving tea and a huge langar of Indian foods. Many people who had come to Gobind Sadan in India were joined by new friends, including two monks from a yoga community who are interested in Vedic culture.
The programme began with Ardas led by Bhagat Ji of Gobind Sadan. Then Yuriy Ageshin, President of the Moscow chapter of the International Association for Peace through Culture, gave a talk about the significance of havan (sacred fire). He said, in part, “The havan we are having today is a special and sacred act. The new epoch in the evolution of the world is supposed to bring fiery cleansing, and all the people of the world will have to undergo it. In all the holy scriptures and the books being published today, all the people who are spiritually distinguished are depicted with fire shining around them. And fire is really the greatest cleansing power. Jesus said, “I have come to you to bring the fire.” Of course, he was talking about spiritual fire, not physical fire, because we people are fiery spirit. When we speak of fiery baptizing, we mean that the spiritual aspiration of humanity should unfold itself on the planet. In our act of having fire in the name of the great purposes and great commandments given to us by Baba Virsa Singh, let us cleanse our consciousness. It will bring us closer to the comprehension of the new epoch and will enable us to see how much our actions and thoughts are attuned to the great laws of the cosmic evolution. This sacred fire will cleanse our souls, will cleanse our minds, and will let us see our great enlightened future more clearly. Russia is supposed to have a special role in this great cleansing process. Russian should have a Center of Spiritual Unity, and Baba Virsa Singh has told us that it should be here.”
A group of four singers from St. Petersburg who are devotees of Gobind Sadan offered an hour of very sublime sacred music from ancient Russian sources. Devotees from the Emil Bagirov School of Cosmoenergy Healing presented Gobind Sadan with a beautiful picture of Mother Mary with Jesus and a matrushka doll with Mother Mary, Jesus, and many Russian saints inside. A beautiful tapestry of the risen Christ was given by devotees from Kazakhstan. Then Bhagat Ji led an hour of chanting of “Dhan, Dhan Baba Siri Chand Sahib” (Great, Great Baba Siri Chand), followed by 10 repetitions of Jaap Sahib, with Russians reciting correctly using the Russian transliteration of the sounds. All the while, devotees took turns offering great quantities of ghee and samagri into the havan. The atmosphere was so spiritually charged and uplifting that no one wanted to leave, and many lingered on after the final prayer to savor the very special spiritual experience. They said, “We were longing to come to Gobind Sadan, but now Gobind Sadan has come to us!”
In the United States
Celebrations were held at Gobind Sadan, USA, with Akhand Path, a special havan, and kirtan. More details to follow.