Gobind Sadan
Baba Virsa Singh Ji’s Birthday Celebrations
For three unusually balmy days from 18 to 20 February, many devotees gathered at Gobind Sadan to honour and celebrate the advent of Baba Virsa Singh Ji Maharaj. Seven Akhand Paaths started at 2 a.m. on 18 February and ended at 2 a.m. on 20 February. On 19 February, a special havan was held at Angeetha Sahib with chanting of Dhan, Dhan Maharaj ji, kirtan by Joginder Kaur, Bhai Gurdev Singh’s kirtan jatha from Jallandhar, and Sat Nam Singh and Sukhjit Singh Sai jatha from Amritsar. A huge birthday cake was brought for the occasion.
On 20 February, Akhand Paath bhog ceremony in the diwan hall began with kirtan by Maharaj’s longtime devotee Joginder Kaur, now living in USA, Bhai Sukhwant Singh Ji of Nissing, Balwant Singh Rebabi from Guru Granth Sahib Vidhya Kendra in Delhi, and Bhai Sukhjinder Singh, Hazoori ragi of Darbar Sahib, Amritsar.
Svetlana Smirnova, founder and Secretary General of Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly, greeted “all who love Maharaj ji.” She said the goal of her organization is to unite the many countries that comprise Eurasia, “according to our beloved Maharaj ji’s mission. He loved Russia, loved people, and showed us the way to peace, to our soul.”
Professor Anoop Taneja, former member of Indian Council of Historical Research, helped Stage Secretary Dr. Surjit Kaur Jolly in editing her under-publication thesis on Socio-Economic Dynamics of Gobind Sadan. He said that while reading the thesis he was impressed by Maharaj ji’s miracles, especially in Mizoram, where Maharaj ji was able to change the minds of the extremists. “Maharaj ji’s message was that we don’t have to kill the extremists; instead we need to win them over with love.”
Dr. Naresh Singh, former Executive Director of Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, United Nations Development Programme, shared the blessings he had received from Maharaj ji. He had first met him 35,000 above the earth on a plane. He was then an environmental scientist but Maharaj told him that his work would soon change, and he would work on poverty. He told Maharaj ji that he wanted to be in the fields among the poor like him, but Maharaj ji told him “No. Poverty is not created by people but by the top leaders meeting in expensive hotels, framing incorrect rules and regulations.” Maharaj ji told him that he was needed there to change the minds of those leaders. After his work with the UN finished, under Maharaj’s guidance he became a teacher and developed a pioneering university programme in Applied Spirituality.
Ralph Singh, Maharaj’s first foreign devotee and Founding President of Gobind Sadan USA, was very touched to return to Gobind Sadan after a gap of three years. He gave a heartfelt and touching talk about Maharaj ji’s “school for human transformation”: “Each one of you was blessed the minute His Divine Gaze fell on you. Of all the people in the world he allowed you to enter the great and most difficult school of all. This is the laboratory where He tests each one of us. He lifted us up as examples in each of our fields, to show that the Power of God was still present in the world. He built this Sacred Place so people could experience the universal message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Where else do you find the power of the Havan, Jesus Place, a Masjid, mandirs, a Sh’ma Place, and Buddha and Mahavir? He built it through us, tasla after tasla. He gave his every breath and muscle to develop a model farm for the world to see, to counsel us, to give His body and time to solve conflict among leaders and stand up to corruption. What can we do to be worthy of being called devotees of the Greatest, His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh ji? Remember, a Guru’s legacy is spread through His devotees. And if we don’t do it, He will reach out to new people around the world, whom we don’t even know yet, and so inspire to change the world! ”
Various officials of the area came to pay their respects on Maharaj ji’s birthday. Brahm Singh, ex-MLA, spoke about Maharaj ji’s blessings. Others who came included ex-Counselor Anil Tiyagi, Chattarpur village Gurdwara President Harpreet Singh, ex-President of Gadaipur Panchayat Mahesh Kumar, Ex-Counselor Ranbir Singh, and MP Sri Ramesh Bhiduri.
Kabil Singh Virk, Gurmukh Singh, and Sonali Wadwa also offered their poems in praise of Maharaj ji. All remembered Baba Virsa Singh Ji with love and faith that He is still here, doing everything.
Throughout the mela, many sangat rolled up their sleeves and helped in preparation and serving of delicious langar.