Government of India includes Bhagwati Mataji centenary in national calendar; Gayatri family launches year-long celebrations in Haridwar

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], January 18 (ANI): The Government of India has included the birth centenary year of revered Bhagwati Mataji, the founder of the Gayatri Family, in the national calendar, giving nationwide recognition to the year-long spiritual and cultural programmes planned by the organisation.
Sharing the development, Chinmaya Pandya, youth representative of the Gayatri Family and Vice Chancellor of Dev Sanskriti University, said the Ministry of Culture has accorded national calendar status to the centenary year. He added that major programmes of the Gayatri Family, scheduled to be held from September 2026 to September 2027, will now be included in the national calendar, enabling wider public participation across the country.
The formal launch of the centenary year celebrations took place on Sunday morning at Vairagi Island in Haridwar with a traditional Dharma Dhwaja Vandan (flag veneration) ceremony. The event marked 100 years since the birth of revered Bhagwati Mataji as well as the centenary of the Akhand Deepak lit by Yuga Rishi Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya.
The inaugural ceremony was presided over by Chinmaya Pandya and attended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who served as the chief guest. Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj were present as distinguished guests, along with several other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, Pandya said the Akhand Deepak, lit a century ago by Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya, symbolises a living message for humanity. He noted that the spiritual resolve taken by Gurudev for the revival of Sanatan culture and global welfare is now entering a decisive phase, adding that the light of the Akhand Deepak has the power to dispel selfishness, narrow thinking and ignorance from human minds.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya revitalised the ancient Rishi tradition through the Yuga Nirman movement by giving momentum to scientific spirituality. He highlighted that under the guidance of revered Bhagwati Mataji, the Gayatri Family has expanded to more than 80 countries, bringing together millions of individuals through service, values and character-building.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat described the centenary year of Bhagwati Mataji and the Akhand Deepak as a significant milestone for the Gayatri Family movement. He said the year would strengthen efforts to spread India's Rishi traditions and Sanatan cultural values worldwide through service and spiritual discipline.
Thousands of Gayatri Family members from across India and abroad participated in the programme held on the banks of the Ganga, in the backdrop of the Himalayas. Participants took a collective pledge to transform the centenary year into a people's movement dedicated to human welfare, cultural rejuvenation and the restoration of ethical values.
The morning programme also included collective meditation and spiritual practices, marking the beginning of a year-long journey that organisers said would focus on spiritual awakening, social responsibility and the message of global peace. (ANI)