The 172nd Birth Anniversary celebrations of the founder of Dev Samaj, the revered Bhagwan DevAtma, were organized at Dev Samaj Head Office, Sector 36-B, Chandigarh from December 07th to 10th 2022. The range of activities organized during the four-day celebrations was as follows:
- Daily discourses on social ethics and moral culture.
- Every day Bhajan Gayan and Sangeet Sandhya.
- Quiz Competition and Play by students.
- Mega Blood Donation Camp on 09th December 2022
The Dev Samaj Mahotsava began on 7th December 2022 with a ‘Pravesh Sabha’ address by Shriman Jagdish Chandra Ji Bhardwaj. He welcomed the gathering and spoke at length on the importance of the Mahotsava. He preached that our emotions guide our life and thus we must embrace Satvik and Daya Bhava to lead a satisfying life. He also shed light on the noteworthy contributions made by Dev Samaj in the development and betterment of society and in the field of women’s education. The day concluded with Bhajan Gayan by the students of Dev Samaj Institutions.
The second day 08th December 2022 commenced with a discourse on ‘Taranhare Bhagwan Dev Atma’ by Dr. Shriman Manoj Madan Ji. In his discourse, he shared how Bhagwan Dev Atma ji helped in eradicating myths and superstitions from society. He enlightened the listeners by telling that the great soul emphasized real life on this planet rather than focusing on fictitious heaven and hell afterlife. We create heaven or hell in this world on the basis of how we nurture our relations with others. What is unique about this order is the awakening and cultivating of our bond with the four orders of existence that are carried out through Humans, the Animal world, the Plant world, and even the inanimate world of stones, air, light, and water. The next event was a Quiz Competition for the college students of Dev Samaj Colleges. The quiz was based on the life and philosophy of Bhagwan Dev Atma.
The next discourse of the day was delivered by Member, Dev Samaj Managing Council and Principal, Dev Samaj College of Education Sec 36-B, Chandigarh, Dr. Agnese Dhillon Ji on ‘Atulya Tyagi Bhagwan Dev Atma’. In her discourse, she shared episodes of painful and agonizing sacrifices from the life of the founder. She apprised the gathering about the struggles faced by Bhagwan DevAtma during his time to empower the girl child and uplift the society. His life was full of physical and emotional hurdles. He abstained from all worldly joys and led a simple life with the mission to elevate society from all misdeeds and sins. He faced obstacles in the path to spread humanity’s message and enlighten others. She further elaborated that for the first time scientific principles were introduced through him into a sect in the country. She stressed that Dev Samaj aims at strengthening relationships, creating a drug and sin-free society, and focusing to remove discrimination on the basis of caste and creed. And at present, all Dev Samaj Institutions guide others on to a path of philosophy laid by the worshipful founder. The discourse was then followed by Bhajan Sandhya performed by the students of Dev Samaj Institutions.
The third of the Mahotsava, 09th December 2022 commenced as “VISHESH DAY” to commemorate the 172nd birth anniversary of Bhagwan Dev Atma. A Mega Blood Donation Camp in collaboration with PGIMER and Sukh Foundation was organized. Shriman Nirmal Singh Dhillon ji, Secretary, Dev Samaj inaugurated the Blood Donation Camp in which volunteers from Dev Samaj institutions and members of the general public donated blood actively. In the camp, approximately 100 units of blood were donated. Refreshments were provided to the donors. Donating blood is a humanitarian and a philanthropic act, thus the camp is an annual feature of Dev Samaj on the eve of the birth anniversary of their esteemed founder. Shriman ji congratulated the organizers and lauded the efforts of the donors who came forward voluntarily for the noble cause.
On the same day, remembering the divine soul and his teachings, Secretary, Dev Samaj, Shriman Nirmal Singh Dhillon Ji delivered a profound discourse on ‘ Dev Jeewandhari Bhagwan Dev Atma’.The enlightening lecture emphasized on the teachings of Bhagwan Dev Atma and the necessity of imbibing scientific temper to understand and connect with the philosophy of the revered soul. “Truth, beauty, and goodness” should be the guiding force of our life. Bhagwan Dev Atma preached that always truth and falsehood would always be at loggerheads but the truth is supreme and would always outshine falsehood, so one must never leave the path of honesty. He wrote about his devjeewani and emphasized on the importance of bhaav in one’s life. He could not bear to see women suffering and always voiced for their rights and development. His golden principles leave a message of humanity, kindness, and respect toward all living beings on this planet. With his immense spiritual powers, he wiped out all the sins, atrocities, and misdeeds around him. He further directed people to follow the path of internal truth and justice, in order to make this world a better place for the coming generations.
The evening sabha was initiated by Shriman Ram Vilas ji Pandey. The focus of his discourse was on the importance of the relationship we have with our bodies and soul. He shared with the gathering that certain relations are of utmost importance for our physical well-being like parents, siblings, nature, etc and others are crucial for the salvation of the soul. He pondered further that Bhagwan Dev Atma’s relation was with both body and soul and his teachings help us protect both. He discoursed that in this life we need to focus on the actions that help us in attaining purity and elevating both body and soul. After the discourse, a play was staged by the students of Dev Samaj Modern School, New Delhi based on the theme of human relations and how to create harmony in them and also its importance in our day-to-day life.
The fourth day of the Mahotsava 10th December 2022 concluded with the Bhajans, prayers, and a pledge to follow the ideals and principles laid down by Bhagwan DevAtma to ensure a better environment around us.
