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Samalkha (Haryana), October 31 (IANS) A grand spiritual program is going on at the 78th annual Nirankari Sant Samagam organized at the Sant Nirankari Spiritual Complex along GT Road in Samalkha, Haryana. Devotees from 25 countries have attended the gathering spread over approximately 650 acres, with more than one lakh volunteers engaged in managing the arrangements and serving at the 24-hour community kitchen or langar.
According to the organisers, 5 to 5.5 lakh devotees and saints have participated in the event so far and this number is expected to cross 10 lakh in the coming days.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, Samagam secretary Joginder Sukhija said the Samagam represents a “confluence of humanity and introspection”, where every aspect of the organization is being handled seamlessly. The massive venue has six large community kitchens, 22 canteens, a hospital, dispensary and thousands of toilets, ensuring top-class facilities for all attendees.
Sukhija said that about one lakh members of Nirankari Seva Dal are working with remarkable discipline from the national highway to the railway station. “This service knows no bounds of caste, religion or nationality. Volunteers from different countries are serving shoulder to shoulder with their Indian counterparts,” he said.
This year’s theme for the Samagam is “Atmamanthan” or introspection. Addressing the devotees, Satguru Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj urged everyone to look within themselves and evaluate their contribution towards the betterment of humanity and society. Nirankari Rajpita is also expected to share his insights on this topic in the upcoming sessions.
Sukhija said that around 3,000 devotees from 25 countries have already reached the venue and this figure is likely to increase to 5,000.
Describing the scale of the community kitchen, volunteer Pradeep Verma said that the langar runs round the clock. Ten large pans are used to cook the dal and rice continuously, while the chapattis are prepared one by one. More than 50 quintals of wheat flour and about 4 quintals of pulses and rice are used daily. Around three lakh rotis are made in the kitchen every 24 hours.
“At any given time, around 10,000 devotees can eat together and the process continues one by one,” Sukhija said.
More than 300 women and 300 men are engaged in preparing the food, while more than 2,000 volunteers serve the food in three-hour shifts. The sight of disciplined Seva Dal members wearing their distinctive uniform exemplifies the spirit of equality and service that defines the Nirankari Mission.
Sukhija said, “There is no discrimination in service. Everyone works shoulder to shoulder with equal devotion – this is the real essence of the Nirankari Mission.”
–IANS
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