Fiji Sevashram Sangha relief operations began on Saturday 31st March in the West with hot meals served to more than 400 people taking shelter at various evacuation centres. Volunteers led by Swamiji and Kishore Kapadia waded their way through flood waters and silt to reach out to the affected people.

A lot of affected areas in Lautoka, Ba and Nadi are still not accessible due to road closures, however initial assessment indicate that the situation is more severe than 2009 flash floods, more people are affected, the water levels were higher and it happened so quickly that people didn't have time to take precautions. This time around, there are more people in more desperate need.
The Sangha intends to continue distribution of cooked meals today and will make arrangement for grocery packs distribution. The severity of the situations requires urgent deployment of greater number of volunteers with emergency relief supplies to the affected areas. The Sangha is appealing to volunteers to come forward to 10 Nasoki Street Lautoka and join the relief team. The Sangha is relying on generous donors for contributions in cash or kind to carry out the relief operations. You will be kept posted on the relief operations through daily reports by the volunteers.
With sincere appreciation of your kind and selfless support to the Sangha Relief operations. Photos

Indian Railway has built up a new Railway Station at Garia, Kolkata and named it as "Pranavananda Halt" to show respect to Srimat Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj, founder of Bharat Sevashram Sangha. This "Pranavananda Halt" Station will connect Indian Railway with Kolkata Metro Railway. People will be able to walk to and fro between "Kavi Subhash" Metro Railway station and "Pranavananda Halt" station using a subway between these two stations.

The Bhoomi Puja and Vedic Havan of the 3 acres land (acquired with the help of J&K government ) of Bharat Sevashram Sangha at Nagrota in Jammu was performed on 18th March 2012 by Srimat Swami Madhavanandaji Maharaj, Vice-President and other monks from Kolkata, Delhi, Puri, Lumding, Durgapur centres of the Sangha.

Shri Tara Chand, Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister of J&K, Shri Raman Valla, Hon'ble Revenue Minister of J&K, Shri Jugal Kishore Sharma, Local MLA, and Shri Shibdev Singh, Former MLA, were present to grace the occasion.

Shri Tara Chandji told in his address that Jammu is a city of temple and several temples are there in this State. Baba Amarnathji and Mata Vaishnadevi are in the State. The Sangha has its pilgrims centres in different holy places in India. By establishing another pilgrim center in Jammu, the Sangha opens its door to the people of J&K to make them associate with this great organization. He also told that they are proud to be associated with the Sangha. They are eager to assist Bharat Sevashram Sangha from all sides.

Shri Raman Valla who helped the Sangha to get this land, told that people of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist etc. have been living in J&K. He expressed his hope that the great ideals of sacrifice, service and universal unification of the Sangha-Founder, Acharya Srimat Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj will surely inspire the people of the State to live in peace and harmony. He promised to help the Sangha whole-heartedly in rendering its services to the nation.

Swami Biswatmananda
Joint Secretary

Sangha, which has worldwide network of its branches to serve humanity, is delighted to inform that it is establishing soon Yatri Niwas, Charitable Poly Clinic, Vocational Training Center, etc. for the welfare of the general public and yatries coming on pilgrimage to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi, Baba Amarnath and other religious places at Panjrain Nagrota, Jammu.

In this context His Holiness Swami Madhavanandaji Maharaj, Vice-President of the Sangha, will offer his Blessings. Hon'ble Sri Raman Bhalla, Minister for Revenue & Relief and Sri Shyam Lal Sharma, Minister of Health, Govt. of J & K, have kindly consented to be present and grace this occasion as Chief Guest & Guest of Honour respectively.

Your benigh presence is solicited on this occasion of Bhoomi Pujan. Blessings of the Almighty.

At the service of humanity.
Sri Indrajit Sharma
Secretary

Sri H. C. Katoch
President

Swami Buddhananda, former General Secretary, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, expired on 26th January at 3:45 p.m. He was 92. Swamiji came in contact with Swami Pranavananda Maharaj, the great founder of Bharat Sevashram Sangha in 1940 and renounced his life. He took Sannyas in 1952. He stayed in Gujarat, Jamshedpur, Ranchi and travelled all over India and abroad to preach the message of Swami Pranavananda. He started a movement of Leprosy eradication in the East Singhbhum tribal belt and ran 4 Leprosy Hospitals and 92 Clinics in this belt and made a successful rehabilitation of the Lepers. He also made a hectic effort for the upliftment of backward class and Tribal welfare in several districts of Jharkhand by running large number of Tribal Students Homes, Charitable Dispensaries, Mobile Medical Units, Hospitals, Schools Employment generation projects etc. His efforts for the poor and downtrodden was of exceptional quality.

(Swami Biswatmananda) Chief Coordinator

The swamiji of Jamshedpur branch of the Ashram had devoted himself to the service of the humanity, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. He extended wide range of services towards Leprosy, non- violence, malnutrition, education, health, community and social services for the upliftment of tribal and primitive tribal group of Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa.