THREE SACRED CELEBRATIONS

 

Gobind Sadan’s calendar of sacred celebrations is full of the holy days of all religions, all honoured with respect, love, and joy. This year three great events were celebrated in close succession in April: Eid-ul-Fitr, Baisakhi, and Navratri. 

For Eid-ul-Fitr, more people than ever before filled Gobind Sadan’s mosque and its garden to overflowing on 11 April. After Namaz, they were treated to delicious seviyan prepared by Gobind Sadan’s staff and sevadars of various religions. 

Hundreds of devotees came for Baisakhi celebrations from 11 to 13 April. Many of them from as far away as Australia took Amrit on Baisakhi day, April 13 at the end of Akhand Path, with Panj Piaras and Sri Guru Granth Sahib in attendance. In addition to kirtan, they also recited Jaap  Sahib and Chandi di War together with loving gusto. Bhai Sukhjeet Singh Kanhaiya, Kathavachak, praised Guru Gobind Singh’s creation of the Khalsa, saying, “Guru Gobind Singh is so powerful that if he looked at any of his Sikhs even once, that person became the same as him. Today Guru Gobind Singh is looking at all of us. Whomever he sees will be transformed into his form. We bow to the great Baba Virsa Singh, who created Gobind Sadan on this land and who is still present here.” 

Navratri was honoured in Mataji’s Mandir and the World Peace Havan from 9 to 17 April. From 16 to 17 April, staff members recited the entire Ramayana at Mataji’s Mandir. At the conclusion of the reading, havan was held, young girls were honoured, and the whole sangat was fed a delicious meal which the staff had started cooking at 2 a.m. In Maharaj ji’s World Peace Havan, puja had been going on daily since 9 April. On 17 April a big havan was held at the end of the puja. The havan concluded with Jagjit Singh’s spontaneous singing in praise of Mataji and Maharaj ji, footwashing of the young girls, and langar for the children and sangat.