140th Birthday of Sadhu T.L. Vaswani also observed as International Meatless Day
- 25th November 2019 marks the 140th Birthday of Sadhu T.L. Vaswani, also observed as International Meatless Day
- Talk-show, rath yatras, drawing competition, Dada Mela and Seva programmes organised throughout the month of November 2019 at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune. Birthday celebrated across the world at Sadhu Vaswani Centers
- Meatless Day registrations open on http://sak.org.in/pledge-form/
Men of God have appeared in all climes and countries, in all races and religions. They have appeared to reveal God’s love for humanity and to lead erring humanity back to God. One such man of God was born on the 25th of November 1879, in Hyderabad-Sind, a town that has given birth to many saints, dervishes and fakirs (contemplatives and men of renunciation) – Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani
The 140th Birthday of Sadhu T.L. Vaswani will be ushered amidst sewas, kirtans, bhajans and recorded talks by the Great Masters— Dada Vaswani and Sadhu Vaswani.
The celebrations that commenced on the 8th of November 2019 — Sadhu Vaswani’s Hindu calendar birthday — will conclude on the 25th of November 2019 — Sadhu Vaswani’s birthday is also observed as International Meatless Day.
Talk-show, artificial limbs seva, drawing competition, rath yatras and Dada Mela marks the 140th celebrations. This year, the Youth Wing of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission has also planned a talk-show with celebrity nutritionist, Rujuta Diwekar on wellness.
Sadhu Vaswani was a strong advocate of vegetarianism and emphasised on ‘Reverence for all life’. He was the epitome of love and compassion. Ever so often he appealed, ‘Stop All Slaughter!’ He said, “I have heard educated Indians speak, echoing the words of the Western book, of ‘humane’ slaughter. As well might we speak of humane murder! Stop all slaughter! Animals and birds have, alas! No language which we can understand and in which they would tell us of their suffering and pain. Won’t you see in them your brothers and sisters? Won’t you behold in animals and birds the shadow of evolving Humanity?”
Year after year, the Sadhu Vaswani Mission appeals to humanity at large to be compassionate towards animals and birds. On this day, across the globe, the world observes the International Meatless Day.
Event Highlights:
Saturday, 16th November 2019:
- 9:00 am- Dada Mela — A fun-fair for needy and underprivileged children
Sunday, 17th November 2019
- 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm – Youth Programme at Magarpatta Amphitheatre — ‘Project Wellness’ — a talk-show with celebrity nutritionist, Rujuta Diwekar.
Wednesday, 20th November 2019:
- 11:00 am – Founder’s Day at Sadhu Vaswani International School, Pradhikaran
Thursday 21st November 2019:
- 11:30 am to 12:30 pm – Celebration by the colleges of Sadhu Vaswani Mission
Friday, 22nd November 2019:
- 11:30 am to 12:30 pm – Celebration by the schools of Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune
Saturday, 23rd November 2019:
- 7:45 am to 8:30 am- Parikirma at sacred Samadhi of Sadhu Vaswani
- 9:30 am to 10:30 am – Mithiyun Yaadgiriyun — Fond Recollections
- 5.00 pm – Rath Yatra
Sunday, 24th November 2019:
- 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm – Dada Leela — A theatrical performance by the students of St. Mira’s College on the life and teachings of Sadhu Vaswani
Monday, 25th November 2019:
- Meatless Day: Sadhu Vaswani’s 140th Birthday
- 11.00 am to 1:00 pm – Satsang, Reading of Sacred Scriptures, Seva, Limbs to the Limbless seva, followed by Langar
- 6.30 pm to 8:00 pm – Satsang, Sadhu Vaswani’s Upadesh & Rev Dada J.P Vaswani’s Upadesh
- 10:30 pm to 12:00 midnight – Vigil
Dignitaries will be gracing the celebration. The events are open to all.
About Sadhu Vaswani:
Sadhu Vaswani belonged to a time when patriotism manifested itself as a struggle for freedom from the colonial yoke. He was a freedom fighter and worked as a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi in the Satyagraha Movement. A patriot of the purest ray serene, he inspired the youth of the country to offer themselves in dedicated service of the Motherland.
Later, Sadhu Vaswani withdrew from the field of active politics and turned his attention to education, and other spheres, emphasizing that character building is nation-building. With this in view, he started the “Mira Movement in Education” which has, today, its headquarters at Pune and educational institutions spread across the world.
Sadhu Vaswani was a prolific writer-the author of several hundreds of books in English and Sindhi. He was a born orator. Seeing the beauty of the One in the many, Sadhu Vaswani felt drawn towards all religions as he saw them as different paths to the One God.
Implanted deep in Sadhu Vaswani’s heart was reverence for all life. Every little thing he did was inspired by the Vision Cosmic. His heart bled at the cruelties inflicted upon animals day after day, for food. “Take my head,” he pleaded,” but pray to stop all slaughter’ This deep awareness of the need for reverence for all life, in whichever form it is manifest, formed a very essential part of Sadhu Vaswani’s teachings and has been propagated by the International Meatless Day Campaign. For the last several years, hundreds of thousands of devotees have been observing November 25th, Sadhu Vaswani’s birthday as Meatless Day and Animal Rights Day expressing their shared commitment to the ideal of reverence for all life.
For more information, please contact the P. R. Office at 020-26055640
