The Nirvaan Mahotsav of Sindh-born Sant Baba Assudaram is celebrated every year with great enthusiasm.
Sindh Courier Report
Lucknow, India
The 3-day festival of 62nd Nirvaan Mahotsav of Sant Baba Assudaram (Sakhi Baba) was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from September 7 to 9, 2022 at Shiv Shanti Sant Assudaram Ashram.
The festival was organized under the guidance of Sain Chanduram (Present Gadinasheen), Sain Mohanlal and Sain Hareshlal. Approximately 3000 followers visited the festival from various cities of India.
Mr. Haresh Agnani of Baroda, who also took part in festival, and is regular visitor since 2015, told Sindh Courier that Sain Rajeshlal, great grandson of Amar Shaheed Sant Kanwar Ram from Amravati, Sain Kaliram, Gadinasheen, Sain Vasan Ghot Darbar, Ulhasnagar and many other saints visited the festival.
During the festival, Bhandara Service for all meals and 24 hours tea service was arranged for all the participants. Famous Sindhi singers Girish Sadhwani, Saral Roshan, Lavi Bhagat and many other Sindhi singers performed at the program.
In India it is the biggest festival (Melo) of Sindhi Community.
About Sant Assudaram
Sant Baba Assudaram Sahib was one of the great Saints. He was born in the village of Jatoin in the Panno Aaqil tehsil of the Sukkur district in the holy land of Sindh. He was born to Bhai Ludhromal and Mother Chaini Bai, on the auspicious Ramnavmi day in the year 1895. (Samvat 1952)
From his childhood, Sant Baba Assudaram Sahib, demonstrated, all signs of a great spiritual soul. Bearing a calm and composed disposition, he did not have an iota of the child-like caprice which attracted one and all in the village. On attaining the school going age, he was sent to the school at Panno Aqil, but he showed no interest in studies, yet he completed his education till the fourth standard.
This aversion to the world, was a cause of worry for his father Bhai Ludhrodmal. On one occasion the famed “Bhagat Shiromani Sant Satramdas Sahib ji” of Raharki, chanced to visit the village of Haji Gaon, situated at the distance of one mile from Jatoin. Like all other devotees who had gathered from the neighboring villages, Bhai Ludhrodmal, along with his son Assudaram, also reached Haji Gaon, to seek the Darshans of the saint. At the end of the satsang, Bhai Ludhromal implored the saint to take Assudaram in his service. Satramdas ji granted the request and looking lovingly at the child, said that “this child is undoubtedly mine, he was only born at your place, when he becomes young and strong, bring him to Raharki Darbar.
In those days it was a great accomplishment to be even accepted for “Guru Sewa”, and that too by as renowned and exalted a Saint as Satguru Sai Satramdas ji. Thus it was a great blessing.
With the grace of Sant Satramdas, the young child lost all attachment towards the world and was now completely devoted to the worship of the almighty. He would now spend most of his time in deep contemplation, like one who had renounced the world. He would always express a deep yearning to meet the great Satguru again. During this time Bhai Ludhromal ji brought the young Assudaram to Raharki Darbar and entrusted him into the services of the disciple of Sant Satguru Satramdas Sahib, Sant Shiromani Kanwar Sahib ji, who was now serving and managing the affairs of Raharki Darbar, after the holy demise of Sant Satramdas ji. Sant Kanwarram ji, not only accepted young Assudaram ji into the services of the Guru Darbar, but also blessed and favored him just as his own guru had blessed and guided him. Sant Assudaram ji too dedicated himself entirely to his Guru, serving him “mansa vacha karmana”; serving him with his heart, body and soul, following every word and command.
Following the commands of his Guru, Sant Baba Assudaram ji established “Darbar Sahib” in his native village of Panno Aqil, in the year 1940, which has gained recognition and fame in India and Sindh, a place where activities for social welfare and innumerous services are rendered perennially. The ‘Sadavrat or Bhandara’ goes on continuously 24 hours a day, in the Darbar of Sant Baba Assudaram Sahib ji. Not only food but cold, sweet water is also served round the clock. This service is rendered unto all without any discrimination whatsoever.
In his path of worshipping the divine and serving the poor and needy, Sant Baba Asudaram received such sublime grace that till date not one desirous devotee returns empty handed from his darbar. Even the desperate and hope-less return with a new lease of hope and feel rejuvenated. His Speech had been blessed by the almighty, he suggested easy remedies to incurable diseases. His blessings miraculously filled the life of child-less couples with the gift of a child, and the lives of the needy with self-satisfaction.
This holy place saw the establishment of several service centers. There is a home for the elderly, where destitute and homeless and also the physically handicapped are served with tender loving care. This small town has also been provided with a huge, magnificent hospital, which caters to a large number of women, children and men (indiscriminately), employing the latest medical technology and therapy. Today the Sant Baba Assudaram Darbar is not only a Spiritual center but also a center for social awareness and human welfare. Today various kinds of social service are being rendered in all the different towns around Panno Aqil, through the Sant Baba Assudaram Sahib Darbar. There is a “paathshaala” which caters to the educational needs of several hundred students every year. In this paathshaala, Hindi is also taught to the students alongwith the traditional “Gurumukhi”.
The dedicated, self-less, Saintly Baba Asudaram Sahib ji left this material, mortal world, after fulfilling the tasks assigned by the lord unto him, for his heavenly abode on Sunday, 4th September 1960, on the auspicious day of “Anant Chaturdashi (miti 19 month Bhado, Samvat 2017). On 15th September 1960, on the twelfth day after his demise, i.e. “barhvi”, Satguru Dar’s (Raharki Darbar) Hazir Sant Bhagat Chandiram Sahib ji laid the foundation of the Sant Baba Assudaram Sahib Samadhi, and installed the young adolescent son of Baba Assudaram sahib- Sai Chandruram Ji, on the “gaddi”, spiritual seat of his father, and crowned him with the Paakhar, (siropa) of the guru darbar, thus commencing a new tradition.
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