December 7 marks the birthday of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a spiritual leader and guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a worldwide organization dedicated to promoting harmony.

Born on December 7, 1921, Pramukh Swami Maharaj followed a spiritual path from an early age, seeking purity and possessing a striking humility and selfless desire to help all. Swami Ji lent his ears to millions around the world, shared their sorrows and taught them how to overcome personal battles.

Under his leadership, BAPS has more than 1,100 mandirs, including 150 centres in North America, offering a welcoming and spiritual space for devotees. His belief was that you cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.

With over 55,000 volunteers globally and here at home, BAPS has engaged in the art of giving, helped over 700,000 individuals from addiction and substance abuse, recycled seven million aluminum cans, planted 10 million trees and provided free medical service to 2.5 million tribal communities. Here in Toronto, it provided 4,400 hours of service, vaccinated over 21,000 people in 24 days during COVID, including many, many residents of Mississauga–Malton.

It is a pleasure to celebrate His Holiness’s birthday with his words: “Bija na bhala ma, aapdu bhalu Che.”