Satsang Seva Journal

Teams SSM Nagpur and Ahmedabad joined hands with Youth for Seva to offer shirts to 20 children of pavement dwellers at Nagpur on 12th August 2023. Youth for Seva is an organization which helps children living in slums by providing them basic education across 10 centres in Nagpur.  A volunteer from Team SSM Ahmedabad provided about 300 Indigo Plus branded shirts to be offered to the children supported at these 10 centres. While the children were ecstatic after having received their new attire, the Youth for Seva volunteers were also happy to receive copies of Sri M's autobiography - Apprenticed to an Himalayan Master : A Yogi's Autobiography . To participate in the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at  connect@satsang-foundation.org . #SriM #TheSatsangFoundation #SatsangSevaMission #SSM #Seva #Nagpur #Ahmedabad #YouthForSeva

Even as this monsoon saw the River Yamuna rise to unprecedented levels in Delhi after 45 years, flooding the plains, the poor migrant population living in and around its banks were left stranded without food, water, and essential supplies.   Team SSM Delhi worked in unison with the Centre for Holistic Development (CHD) from 14 to18 July 2023 to offer lunch and dinner to 250 people ousted from their homes by the overflowing water. One thousand litres of safe drinking water was distributed along with 300 packets of sanitary pads for the womenfolk. From 15 to 22 July, two thousand litres of water along with hygiene kits comprising toothpaste, soap, shampoo pouches, sanitary pads, and mosquito repellent creams were provided along with 2,000 biscuit packets to people in the Yamuna Pushta area of Monestay, Kashmere Gate, Jawahar Shramik Sthal, Nigambodh Ghat, Yamuna Bazaar, Nili, Chhatri, Bela Estate, Mool Chand Basti, ITO, Geeta Colony Flyover, Sarai Kale Khan, and Behlopur Chilla Khadar. 

Since the past 6 years, Team SSM Bengaluru has been associated with Namma Mane, a shelter home for young girls aged between 5 and 18 years, supporting them with monthly dry rations, annadaanam seva on festive occasions, and educational material. On 16 July 2023, the team collaborated with the Bharat Yoga Vidya Kendra (BYVK) to launch weekly yoga sessions for 40 youngsters to support their holistic development. Spearheaded by BYVK volunteers, the inaugural session included a series of asanas, pranayama techniques, and chants to help the youngsters enjoy their yoga practice and embrace it at a deeper level. The youngsters beamed with happiness as the SSM team members offered them new yoga mats. To participate in SSM activities, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org . To know more about BVYK, please reach out to bharatyoga@satsang-foundation.org . #TheSatsangFoundation #BYVK #SSMBangalore #Empowerment #NammaMane #Yoga #YogaIndia

                                                Annam vai pranah                                                                              - Taittiriya Upanishad In the Taittiriya Upanishad it is said that 'all life force comes from food.' Annadaanam is therefore a vital seva offered to Nar Narayana - the Divine in human form. Team SSM Nagpur launched the Sri M's Annadaanam initiative, a monthly seva ,  on 15th July 2023 at the Super Speciality Hospital with the intention of reaching out to the less privileged, hungry denizens of Nagpur. A simple meal of chapatis , vegetable curry , and pulao was offered to 120 patients and their caregivers.  The volunteers were happy to see the smiles on the recipient's faces brimming with gratitude and satiety. To participate in the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org . #SriM  #The SatsangFoundation #SatsangSevaMission #SSM  #Annadaanam #Seva #Nagpur

On the eve of Guru Purnima, 2nd July 2023, five members of Team SSM Bengaluru offered dry ration kits and annadaanam seva to 125 pourakarmikas and 25 less privileged people in South Bengaluru. Comprising 5 kgs of rice, 2 kgs of wheat flour, I litre of refined oil, 1 kg of semolina, 1 kg of lentils, and 1 kg of sugar, this dry ration kit can sustain a family of four members for two weeks. To participate in such festive sevas of the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

Members of Team SSM Hyderabad offered the monthly dry rations at the Mathru Abhaya Foundation on 25th June 2023. Cooking essentials such as oil, groundnuts, condiments, and toiletries were given to the founder at the girls' home.  A few volunteers offered fruits to the children and youngsters who had gathered together for their Sunday meal. Light-hearted banter and interesting exchanges about academic achievements and hobbies concluded the visit on a cheerful note. To participate in the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

Volunteers of Teams SSM Mumbai and Ahmedabad joined hands to offer shirts to young boys students of Adivasi Ashram Shala, Matheran on 24th June 2023. Having organized a plantation drive and a series of activities centred round the protection and nurture of trees for students of Grades 5 to 10, the SSM volunteers then offered new shirts from Indigo Plus to 251 students of Grades 1 to 4. The excited students flocked to the display table and chose shirts of their favorite colors while the volunteers helped them to pick the right sizes. The silent mountains and soft drizzle set the ambiance for a homely lunch to conclude this unique event. To participate in the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org . #TheSatsangFoundation #SatsangSevaMission #SSM #Mumbai #Ahmedabad

On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, 21st June 2023, Team SSM Hyderabad connected with 60 enthusiastic students of Grade 8 at the GBH School in Balamrai, Secunderabad under the aegis of the Bharat Yoga Vidya Kendra (BYVK) and The Satsang Foundation (TSF). The session began with an introduction to the benefits of yoga , followed by a demonstration of simple asanas by a trained volunteer. The students learned how to perform warming-up asanas to loosen the joints; tadasana ; padahastasana ; and ardha chakrasana . The teachers too joined their wards, seeking relief from stiff joints. Finally, the session culminated with a simple breathing technique. The students sincerely promised to practise yoga regularly even as the team members reassured them of a follow-up session. The celebration ended with an annadaanam seva for 220 students of Grades 6 to 10.  A filling lunch of bagara rice, bagara baingan, potato curry, rumali rotis, white rice, vegetable sambar, an d strawberry ice cr

ANIKET Sevabhavi Sanstha, founded by Ms. Kalpana Varpe, offers food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and vocational training to specially-abled children. Team SSM Pune has been associated with this home since the past 4 years, providing monthly dry rations, meals, clothes, stationery, educational material, and financial support for utilities such as electricity. The team members have also organized medical checkups, special workshops on yoga and art, and festive events. Precious bonds of love and friendship have since blossomed among the children and the team members. The team members were extremely happy to know that after having lived in a small, tin-roofed shelter, the 60 residents and their 10 caregivers have now found a safe haven in a spacious building situated at Lavasa Link Road in Urawade, Pune.  During the inauguration event held on 18th June 2023, the team members were given a tour of the new space which has separate sections for boys and girls with 32 and 24 beds respecti

A member of Team SSM Hyderabad set off on 12th June 2023, a scorching day, to offer 150 tetra packs of buttermilk to a melange of recipients in the busy lanes of Bharat Nagar. Construction workers, autorickshaw drivers, fruit and vegetable vendors,  pedestrians, and two-wheeler riders smiled with relief as they partook of cooled buttermilk.  The team member was deeply touched when a fruit vendor graciously offered fruits in return. To be part of such seasonal sevas of the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

Team SSM Bengaluru has been associated with the Vallabh Niketan Ashram over the past 75 months, supporting the nutritional requirements of the residents sheltered here by offering monthly dry rations, weekly annadaanam seva, and milk on a daily basis. Academic support classes, games, and  informal exchanges with the youngsters have also enriched the weekly breakfast sessions. In January 2023, the team members received a request for Spoken English classes. The course content was created in collaboration with the Satsang Skill Development  Centre (SSDC), Madanapalle. The first session was launched on Saturday, 4th February 2023 for 26 youngsters. The volunteers used ice-breaker activities to assess their learning needs and gain their acceptance.  Subsequently, the cultural lore Bengaluru and Karnataka was introduced to enhance reading, listening, and comprehension skills. Occasionally, the use of Kannada, the regional language, helped the participants grasp the nuances of the context. St

Volunteers and members of Team SSM Bengaluru continue to support the nutritional requirements of different groups of recipients through the weekly annadaanam seva . Since the past 5 years, the team members have provided monthly rations to sustain the young boys and senior citizens sheltered at the Vallabh Niketan Ashram. Milk is served every morning to the growing adolescents and their elders. On Sundays, a hearty breakfast comprising South Indian dishes such as idlis, dosas, vadas, traditional sweets, and fruits brings together under the canopy of the ancient trees in the Ashram. At Lakshmipura, Gavipuram the team members have collaborated with Adamya Chetana since November 2022, to support the local community of daily wagers and pavement dwellers by offering a filling lunch comprising rice , sambar, buttermilk or curd , and a dessert every Sunday. Offered with reverence and gratitude, these nutritious meals have become the mainstay of this oft-neglected community. To participate i

Team Satsang Seva Mission (SSM), Mumbai Kendra has endeavored to support our young citizens in Maharashtra by providing learning that goes beyond their academic curricula in a safe learning environment.  The youngsters at the Angel's Nest Orphanage, Marol participated in their first-ever yoga workshop on 28 th April 2023. The facilitator, an experienced yoga instructor from the Bharat Yoga Vidya Kendra (BYVK), introduced the beauty and benefits of yoga through a fun-filled session comprising warm-up exercises, and standing and sitting asanas. Overcoming their initial inhibitions, the twelve sprightly youngsters participated wholeheartedly and simply loved the session!  Meanwhile, another group of SSM members was informed that a municipal school in Goregaon, Mumbai required pest control on their premises urgently. Immediate crowd-funding helped the members implement pest control measures on the entire school on 29 th April 2023, thus, ensuring a safe learning environment for the s

Team SSM Coimbatore has been associated with the Government School for the Visually Challenged in Poochiyur, Coimbatore since the past one year, supporting the children with frequent annadaanam seva and helping with the upkeep of the outdoor premises.  Recently, on the request of the school principal, a renovation of the classrooms was undertaken with complete sponsorship from Sterna Security, Coimbatore. Cracked ceiling plasters, water seepage, termite infestation, and bad floors were repaired through the month of April 2023. The newly water-proofed roof; application of termite protection; and tiled floors have thus ensured that the  children have a conducive and safe learning space. A joyous pooja  ceremony was held on 26th of April 2023 to formally welcome the children back to their newly-furbished classes. Team SSM Coimbatore and the school management expressed their gratitude to Sterna Security for their magnanimous gesture towards the creation of a comfortable learning environme

Team SSM Mumbai had organized a fun-filled day out on 17th April 2023 for 80 children from the age group of 10 to 16 years at the Hiranandani Park, situated near the Hiranandani Estate, Thane. An exhilarating games session of kabbadi and the ever-popular Tug of War preceding the offering of traditional snacks such as vada pav and the delectable khaja , a North Indian sweet. The children thoroughly enjoyed this session filled with joyous camaraderie not only with their peers but also with their dear friends from Team SSM Mumbai. To support these wondrous youngsters and participate in the seva initiatives of Team SSM Mumbai, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .