Satsang Seva Journal

Team SSM Kolkata visited Tokipur village which is located near the Taki Indo-Bangladesh border on the 24th of April 2022 and interacted with the inhabitants who work there as farm laborers for a meager daily wage of 150 or 200 rupees.  Most of them are aged and ill. Some are bedridden and have no children to rely on and have to depend on their aging spouses. They have no other means to support their basic requirements of food, medicines, and education of their dependents. The dire lack of other livelihood opportunities and local municipal support have only worsened their situation through the COVID-19 pandemic. The team members distributed kits that comprised dry rations such as rice, semolina, broken wheat, pulses, sugar, and tea; and essential items such as clothes, bathing soaps, and clothes detergent. They also handed over cash to families which hardly have the wherewithal to buy vegetables and daily provisions.  Given the pitiable living conditions and lack of basic ameni...

ANIKET Sevabhavi Sanstha is a home which nurtures 60 cognitively-impaired children who have been abandoned by their families.  Team SSM Pune has been associated with this organization since the past three years and has supported these special children through annadanam seva, provision of groceries, medical check-ups, distribution of clothes and essential items, and financial support towards the payment of the monthly electricity bill. On the 5th of April 2022, the third day of the Chaitra Navratri , the team members spent a fun-filled evening of yoga followed by dinner and the distribution of  stationery kits. The children learned how to imitate the postures of animals and trees with pictures as visual aids and the guidance of a team member, who is a graduate of the Teacher Training Course of the Bharat Yoga Vidya Kendra, Madanapally.  Joyful laughter and enthusiastic cries marked this yoga session as the children performed asanas such as Marjariasana (Cat pose), Bhujang...

Mathru Abhaya Foundation, situated in Medipally in North-East Hyderabad, is an orphanage that houses 50 residents ranging in age from a tender 5 years to adolescents and young adults. The young boys and girls live in separate homes and receive food, shelter, education, and medical care. On the occasion of Ugadi , the Telugu New Year, members of Team SSM Hyderabad visited both the homes and shared a festive dinner with the residents. Watch video here. There was much excited chatter among the children and the youngsters as they waited to be served. Everyone,  including Giri the youngest, waited for the rest to be served before chanting the Sanskrit Shanti mantra that we hear Sri M recite often:  "Om Sahana Vavatu, Sahanau Bhunaktu...."  and then began their meal.  The traditional festival spread comprised hot rice, sambar , mixed vegetable rice, curry,   and curd. Piping hot bobbatlu, jaggery and lentil stuffed pancakes, and the ever-popular payasam completed t...

Udhavum Ullangal Helping Hearts, an NGO, was established in 2001 to support abandoned children and women who are rescued from the streets, parks, and railway and bus stations.    The managers of this NGO had requested Team SSM Chennai to provide dry rations and essential items to the 45 girls aged between 6 and 16 years and the 15 elderly women who are presently living at the home in Maralmarai Nagar, Chennai.     The team members visited the home on the 28th of March, 2022 and distributed dry rations such as rice, sugar, lentils, peanuts, semolina, salt, dried red chillies, dry fruits, coffee, and tea.      The children were delighted to receive a tiny goody bag filled with biscuits, a T-shirt, and a wire tray to store their personal belongings. To experience the joy of giving, click https://satsangsevamission.org/contribute .

Pathchala is a Kolkata-based NGO  that supports the formal education of children of street dwellers and sex workers in the Kalighat neighborhhod. The two women philanthropists who run this organization work relentlessly to ensure that these children receive inclusive education despite their challenging family circumstances.     On the 19th of March  2022, members of Team SSM Kolkata visited this safe haven which presently nurtures 60 children aged between 4 and 18 years. They offered them a goody bag filled with different items such as lentils, biscuits, bananas, potato wafers, mango juice; toiletries like bathing soaps and sanitary napkins; stationery items such as notebooks and pens; and Cadbury eclairs. The children enthralled the team members with graceful dance performances and interacted with them with great enthusiasm.   The team members expressed their gratitude at having spent these joyous moments with these wondrous children and supporting them with ...

Love is a many-splendored thing that simply fills our hearts with untold joy! The eve of Valentine's Day, the 13th of February, turned out to be a true testimony of universal love and fraternity f or Team SSM Kolkata as they dedicated this occasion to the 30 elders and mentally challenged residents of Maa Kali Old Age Home located at Panch Sayer, South Kolkata. The team members handed over a week's supply of dry rations comprising wheat flour, refined flour, semolina, lentils, sugar, oil, soya chunks, biscuits, and chyawanprash , a dietary supplement and immunity booster. The residents of this safe haven accepted these essential items with a bemused disinterest as all eyes were glued to the team members who festooned their home with red balloons, played music, and set the stage for a euphoric celebration of love sans frontiers. Watch the video here. Merry singing and dancing to foot-stomping music with the team members and ecstatic applause followed. The residents then receive...

In pursuance of its constant efforts to serve the needy, Team SSM Bengaluru reached out to the pourakarmikas or municipal sweepers who work at Sir C.V. Raman General Hospital in Indiranagar, East Bengaluru. On the 3rd of February 2022, the team members distributed 40 dry ration kits which comprised  rice, wheat flour, lentils, semolina, salt, sugar, oil, and soap.  They ensured that each kit could sustain a family of four members for a fortnight. The warm smiles and quiet dignity of the pourakarmikas touched the hearts of the team members as they handed over the kits to them with the assistance of the hospital administrative personnel. The team members also expressed their gratitude to the volunteers and donors for their unflinching support.   If you wish to be a part of such initiatives but don't know where to start… click the link below to know more about our mission, volunteer programs, and donation campaigns: https://satsangsevamission.org/contribute

Matrudevobhava Anadha Ashramam, situated at Nadergul in Western Hyderabad, is a shelter home and rehabilitation center for the destitute mentally-ill who wander the streets and have no recollection of their family members. They receive intensive health support and counseling so they may be reintegrated with their families and live a life of dignity. Recently the manager of this home reached out to a member of Team SSM Hyderabad requesting help with daily provisions and nutritious food since their supplies had dwindled and about 36 of the 100 inmates had tested positive for COVID. The team members immediately contributed towards the purchase of fresh fruits, dry fruits, and milk to help boost the immunity of the inmates and support the quick recovery of the COVID patients. On the 26th of January 2022, the inmates received their first serving of juicy oranges and delicious bananas which they relished to their heart's content. The team members expressed their gratitude to the manager ...

The SSM Kolkata team decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of the legendary leader Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which is celebrated on the 22nd of January by offering their seva to the pavement dwellers who live near the Syed Ali Shah Baba Mazar and the Masjid-e-Mazhaar in the Hastings area. On the 23rd of January 2022, the team members offered their prayers at the mazar or tomb shrine of the Sufi saint Syed Ali Shah Baba and then distributed little bags filled with dry rations such as wheat flour, rice, pulses, refined oil, sugar, and salt; and staples such as milk powder, tea leaves, and muri . The youngest team member lovingly offered toffees and biscuits to the  children and went on to feed the pigeons their share of grain too! The final part of this seva comprised the distribution of warm clothes such as shawls and sweaters. Given that the team members had made these donations in kind, their hearts swelled with gratitude for having had the opportunity of helping their le...

SSM Kolkata has been closely associated with the Ramakrishna Vedanta Ashram which nurtures 48 orphan boys in its sanctuary and provides them food, shelter, and education. On the 20th of January 2022, the team members provided a week's supply of fresh vegetables, refined oil, eggs, and milk powder. During this visit, one of the members noticed that the children were walking around barefoot in the bitter cold.  She recalled that she had a few pairs of socks in her car's glove compartment. She fetched them immediately and lovingly pulled them over the bare feet of the little children. She then returned the following day with 30 pairs of socks for the rest of the children.  Watch the video here . The team members left the Ashram feeling much contentment and gratitude for being able to support even the most elementary needs of these little adorable 'stars' whose endearing smiles and polite demeanor are simply heartwarming.

W hen the deadly second wave of COVID enforced another lockdown in May 2021, a member of the Satsang Seva Mission at Mathura and his family began preparing simple meals of roti , dal , vegetables, and rice, venturing out at night to serve 20 to 30 homeless people, unemployed daily wagers, some sadhus, and yet others struggling with various forms of addiction near his home.     As the number of people to be served grew, his extended family and friends pitched in to support his work to cater to the ever-increasing need for meals in the vicinity.    Come November 2021 and the Annadanam and Seva week to celebrate Sri M's birthday on the 6th of the month, Team SSM Delhi-NCR decided to pitch in as well to cover the cost of serving 100 meals a day for 10 days every month for a whole year. They felt drawn to the Brij Bhumi that Sri M had traversed during the Walk of Hope in 2015-16 and where he had done a Bhagvat Saptah in November 2019.      Till date Team S...

Pongal is a joyous festival that commemorates the hard work of the farmers and celebrates rural life and the abundance of Mother Nature. On the 15th of January 2022, Team SSM Coimbatore visited the Panchayat School at Periyathadagam near Coimbatore to celebrate this festive occasion. During previous visits to this school the team members had noticed that the classrooms were quite spartan and lacked basic amenities such as chairs and tables. The children used to sit on the bare floor or on mats regardless of the summer heat and the winter cold.  As a gesture of gratitude to the farming and rural community, the team members collaborated with the Thoorigai Trust and arranged for a set of ergonomically-designed, vibrant tables and chairs for these school children. The children were simply overjoyed at the sight of their new furniture and chatted excitedly with each other, their teachers, and the SSM team members. The team members were relieved and happy that these precious children cou...

Langar is a community act of service or seva where vegetarian food is distributed to people in a gurudwara , the Sikh place of worship. Guru Nanak, the revered Sikh guru, believed that food must be provided to people irrespective of their caste, creed,  color, or status.     Team SSM Mumbai initiated the Langar Seva Project to offer langar at the Malad Gurudwara from the 15th of January, 2022 and will continue to do so on every Saturday for the the next three months. Many underprivileged people, laborers, and daily wage workers come here to partake of the meals provided here.  The team members gathered at the gurudwara at 12.30 p.m.  The  Bhaiji, priest  began the seva by eloquently reciting the Ardas to the Guru Granth Sahib seeking the blessings of the Divine. The team members then served a simple yet filling meal of rice, lentils, vegetables, and a sweet to 60 people who had arrived there.  The team members were thrilled ...

The Acworth Municipal Hospital is a 131 year-old hospital that treats leprosy patients. It also houses a leprosy museum that educates people about leprosy, its history, causes, and modern treatment options.  Since the disease is mildly contagious leprosy patients are kept in isolation during their treatment.    Members of Team SSM Mumbai interacted with the management of the hospital and learned that the hospital requires a supply of medicines some of which are common for all leprosy patients and are required on a regular basis. They put together a list of these essential medicines and procured them.    Adhering to the COVID-19 protocol, they visited the hospital and donated the medicines on the 12th of January 2022 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and the anniversary of the commencement of the Walk of Hope, a  padayatra  for peace and harmony, led by Sri M from 2015 to 2016.