Gobind Sadan
April has been a specially blessed time at Gobind Sadan this year since so many sacred celebrations have been held. Navratri, the 9-day festival of the Goddess, started on 2 April and was celebrated every day up to 10 April in Maharaj’s World Peace Havan. On the morning of 9 April, Gobind Sadan’s gardeners also began reciting the whole of Ramayana in Mataji’s Mandir, two people at a time around the clock up to the morning of 10 April. Then havan was held there, as well as traditional honouring of 11 little girls. The staff members cooked and offered a lovely meal from their own resources. Gobind Sadan sangat then gathered in Maharaj’s World Peace Havan that morning for the big havan and rituals marking the end of Navratri puja.
Ramzan—the month commemorating the revelation of the Holy Qur’an—has been observed in Gobind Sadan’s Nur-e-Ilahi Mosque starting on April 2. Many Muslims who live in Gobind Sadan have been observing the period of fasting, and every night they have gathered from 8:30 to 10 p.m. to listen to recitation of the Holy Qur’an and do Namaz.
Two more celebrations were held on April 13. One was Baisakhi, the birth of the Khalsa, observed with kirtan and talks in the central community. The other was Mahavir Jayanti, birthday of Lord Mahavir, which was celebrated by Jain families who have adopted Gobind Sadan’s Buddha and Mahavir meditation pavilion as their own place of worship.
The last of these wonderful events was a happy children’s party held on Easter Sunday, April 17. The children gathered in Gurdwara Sarbat Sangat to talk about why Jesus was crucified, and then what happened as he appeared again in bodily form to his disciples. They then enjoyed a treasure hunt for wrapped organic sweets which had been hidden in the gardens.
An especially bright full moon also joined the Light of God in showering blessings of Light during this holy period.