The Sydney branch of the Sant Nirankari Mission Australia has raised in excess of $20,000 for bushfire relief.
A total of $19,150 was donated to the Blacktown City Council Bushfire Appeal, while a small additional sum went towards food, water, toiletry and other essential items to the SES.
The Mayor of the Blacktown City Council Tony Bleasdale OAM accepted the donation at an event held at the Mission’s congregation hall in Glendenning, the Centre for Oneness.
“I am overwhelmed by the show of support to the appeal by local community organisations and their contribution such as Nirankari Mission,” the Mayor said on the occasion. “This goes a long way in providing relief to communities affected by bushfire.”
He also appreciated the teachings of Mission which promotes love and peaceful coexistence.
The 23 Feb event coincided with the Mission’s “Guru Pooja Diwas” at which the current and erstwhile spiritual leaders of the mission are honoured and their teachings recalled.
“More than 300 members who make up the Sydney congregation donated to the latest fundraiser,” Dr Gurprit Ganda, a spokesperson of the Sant Nirankari Mission Australia, told Indian Link.
Throughout this summer of devastation, the Mission’s members have contributed actively and selflessly, helping out the SES and RFS by packing relief supplies such as water, clothing, food etc for those affected.
The Mission has, over the past few decades, held numerous blood donation camps, raising funds for the homeless and organised cleanliness drives for which particularly, their order is well known in India.
The Sant Nirankari Mission is also a part of the Network of Faiths in Blacktown, given its central ideology is based on Universal Brotherhood and Peaceful Coexistence.
The Sydney Chapter also has a strong youth focus; the Mission’s worldwide head Her Holiness Sudiksha Ji blessed thousands of devotees from all over Australia and New Zealand last year at the Nirankari Youth Symposium.
Dr Ganda said about the Mission, “Founded by Baba Buta Singh Ji Maharaj in 1929, the Mission imparts God knowledge to eager seekers of salvation and then encourages its members to serve others with humility as the all-pervading God resides in the heart of all and the service of mankind with this attitude is service of God.”