Satsang Seva Journal

Team SSM Bengaluru ushered in Christmas cheer with the weekly annadaanam seva offered to the less privileged on Sunday, 24 December 2023.  Prayers of gratitude and well-being preceded the offering of a special, sumptuous breakfast of shavige bhath, poori, sagu, upma, chutney , and sweet kesari to the senior citizens and youngsters sheltered at Vallabh Niketan Ashram. The volunteers then offered a simple, nutritious lunch to 100 people from the community of daily wagers and pavement dwellers at the premises of Adamya Chetana in Lakshmipura, Gavipuram. Join our teams of volunteers to support the hungry and the less privileged in other parts of Namma Bengaluru ! To take part in the Satsang Seva Mission and experience the joy of giving and sharing, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

Team SSM Nagpur has been associated with Nutan Bharat Vidyalaya, a school for less privileged children since the past four months, offering monthly annadaanam seva to the children. With the onset of the bitter winter cold, the volunteers offered blankets to 120 children sheltered at this institution on 23 December 2023. They were filled with much gratitude as the children's faces lit up with joy when they received these gifts of warmth. Join our volunteers to spread the joy of giving and sharing across the city! To participate in such seasonal sevas of the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

When Cyclone Michaung made its landfall in Chennai on 4th December 2023, torrential rains of more than 500 mm pounded the city over three days, throwing daily life out of gear. Unable to cope with these heavy rains, the Adayar and Cooum Rivers were in spate and most areas of the city were waterlogged. Roads were unmotorable and electricity was shut, leading to severe shortage of food and essential items.  On 8th December, Team SSM Chennai of The Satsang Foundation (TSF) joined hands with ExNoRa International and local agencies to set up a kitchen in a dharmashala and served cooked meals to 1200 residents of less privileged neighborhoods in Perumbakkam, one of the worst-affected localities.  Join our Satsang Seva Mission teams to help with relief work and support the rehabilitation of the affected. Please reach out to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org for more details.

During the last two weeks of October, Team SSM Nagpur offered the monthly annadaanam seva to 120 children studying at Nutan Bharat Vidyalaya, a school for the less privileged. The volunteers lovingly served a simple, nutritious meal of chapattis, dal, sabzi, rice and a sweet much to the delight of the children. The team members also continued their collaboration with Youth For Seva , an NGO that supports the education of children of pavement dwellers in 10 different locations in Nagpur by offering school bags to 50 children at the Swami Nagar Centre. Joyful smiles greeted the volunteers as the children held their new school bags aloft for a quick photo session.   To participate in the Satsang Seva Mission and experience the joy of giving and sharing, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

Teams SSM Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Youth for Seva continued their joint efforts at offering shirts to children of pavement dwellers supported at the 10 study centres of Youth for Seva , Nagpur. During the second round of seva, on 20th August 2023, the 20 children at the Mokhare centre were overjoyed to receive their new shirts. This ongoing seva was offered subsequently at other centres. During the third round of seva, on 27th August 2023, 25 children at Shyambagh Centre were elated to receive their new shirts even as the volunteers expressed their gratitude for having supported these bright youngsters. During the fourth round of seva, on 3rd September 2023, the 15 children at Ittabhatti Centre brimmed with joy as they received their new shirts. During the fifth round of seva, on 10th September 2023, the 50 children at Ganga Nagar Centre, were filled with joy to receive their new shirts. On 15th October 2023, the team offered s chool bags to 50 less-privileged children supported at ...

Team SSM Mumbai ushered in the festival of Navratri on the 15th of October 2023 with a special annadaanam seva at the Sai Dham Mandir, Malad East. During the next ten days, simple nutritious meals will be served to about 60 less-privileged recipients staying in the vicinity of the temple: local vendors, autorickshaw drivers, flower sellers, school children, and senior citizens. Prayers of gratitude and expression of contentment greeted the volunteers as they lovingly served the recipients. To participate in such festive sevas of the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

Team SSM Bengaluru continued to support the less privileged by offering the weekly annadaanam seva at the Vallabh Niketan Ashram and Adamya Chetana, Lakshmipura. Volunteers provide monthly dry rations to ensure daily nutritious meals for the young adolescents and the seniors sheltered at Vallabh Niketan Ashram. The holistic development of the youngsters is also assured with weekly yoga sessions, Spoken English classes, and academic support. The Sunday special breakfast is thus a joyous offering that brings the residents together for a shared meal in the cool shade of the trees. At the premises of Adamya Chetana in Lakshmipura, the community of daily wagers and pavement dwellers living in its vicinity partake of a filling lunch to assuage their hunger.   The volunteers serve the meals with much love and compassion even as the recipients express their gratitude with a prayer to their anna daatas . To take part in the Satsang Seva Mission and experience the joy of giving, please writ...

The Satsang Foundation Mumbai Kendra worked in unison with the Vatsalya Trust to conduct Skill Development Training for the inmates of the Thane Central Jail from April 2023. The first batch of participants have successfully completed a basic course in computers and tailoring, crucial skills that will help them face the challenges of life upon their release. Some enthusiastic inmates have also evinced interest in enrolling for the advanced course. During a brief ceremony held on 7th October, the Ex-Corporator of Thane, Pune District and Shirur Taluka Samparkapramukh Shri Vikas Repale distributed certificates to the inmates and encouraged them to use their skills well, steering away from a life of crime and imprisonment.  Smt. Bhosale, the Jail Superintendent, expressed her gratitude to The Satsang Foundation Mumbai Kendra and the Vatsalya Trust for  having facilitated this course.  To support the Satsang Seva Mission and its initiatives, please write to us at connect@sats...

On the joyous occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami , 7th September 2023, Team SSM Vrindavan offered a festive bhandara , a community annadaanam seva at the Mathura-Vrindavan Road, Vrindavan. During this continuous seva of 15 hours, from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm,  ov er 12,000 people received fresh meals prepared at the recently-launched Madhu Ki Rasoi : refreshing tea and biscuits in the morning; followed by puris and sabzi throughout the day; and sweet suji halwa and bananas in the evening. Volunteers, both young and elderly alike, worked joyously under a vibrant canopy to lovingly serve the hungry and the less privileged on this sacred occasion. To participate in the Satsang Seva Mission and support Madhu Ki Rasoi , please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

On 4th September 2023, the third day of the Srimad Bhagavatam Saptah with Sri M in Vrindavan, participants had the privilege of offering annadaanam seva to over 400 sadhus at the Kathia Baba Ashram.  Continuous singing of bhajans at the ground floor of the ashram provided the musical accompaniment for a special meal of puris, pua, channa, sabzi, and rice kheer , lovingly served to sadhus of all ages. Joyous fervor and reverence marked this sadhu seva . To participate in the activities of The Satsang Foundation, please write to connect@satsang-foundation.org .

Sri M, founder of The Satsang Foundation, inaugurated Madhu Ki Rasoi in Vrindavan - the Land of the Lord's Lila on 3rd September 2023. Madhu Ki Rasoi , an initiative of the Satsang Seva Mission (SSM) Vrindavan Kendra, is a community kitchen which will provide 200 meals per day to the hungry and less privileged in the twin cities of Mathura and Vrindavan. The number of meals will be increased to 1000 per day in the days ahead. The inauguration began with Sri M flagging off the Madhu Ki Rasoi vehicle followed by annadaanam seva offered to sadhus amidst chanting of sacred hymns. As Sri M lit the traditional lamp, he invoked the blessings of the Gurus upon the volunteers and their endeavors. To participate in the Satsang Seva Mission, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

Team SSM Bengaluru continued to support the less privileged by offering weekly annadaanam seva .   On Sunday, 13th August 2023, a special breakfast of shavige bath, vadas, chutney, and sweet holige, was offered to the senior citizens and youngsters of Vallabh Niketan Ashram.   In the afternoon, a filling lunch of uppittu , pulao , plain rice , sambar , and curds was offered to 120 people from the community of daily wagers and pavement dwellers of Lakshmipura, Gavipuram.   As the volunteers served the meals with much love and compassion, the recipients expressed their gratitude by offering prayers and motivating the volunteers to continue their seva sadhana .   To participate in the Satsang Seva Mission and experience the joy of giving, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org .

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

Team SSM Bengaluru has been associated with the Vallabh Niketan Ashram over the past 6 years offering monthly supplies of dry rations, weekly annadaanam seva, and special, festive meals for the young boys and senior citizens sheltered at this home for the less privileged. Academic support, interactive games, and Spoken English sessions for the youngsters are also offered to nurture their innate talents and skills. On the 6th of August 2023, Team SSM Bengaluru joined hands with the Bharat Yoga Vidya Kendra (BYVK) of The Satsang Foundation (TSF) to launch weekly yoga sessions for the 30 young boys aged between 8 and 20 years at the Ashram. During these sessions, trained BYVK instructors facilitate a series of Sukshma Vyayam followed by standing, sitting, and prone asanas, the Surya Namaskar , Shavasana , and pranayama under the canopy of the ancient trees of the Ashram. They interweave theoretical elements of Ashtanga yoga with the asana practice to help the youngsters understand yog...