•Sylvia Levi
 "She (India) has left indelible imprints on one-fourth of the human race in the course of a long succession of centuries. She has the right to reclaim... her place amongst the great nations summarizing and symbolizing the spirit of humanity. From Persia to the Chinese sea, from the icy regions of Siberia to Islands of Java and Borneo, India has propagated her beliefs, her tales, and her civilization!"
Global Hindu Heritage Foundation is very happy to announce that we are conducting 175 Bala Samskar Kendras to make sure our our children, who are our heritage and future, are enriched with our timeless wisdom to ensure the preservation and protection of Hindu ideals and morals. 
THIS WEEK, Sant Ravidas Jayanti is CELBRATED BY OUR Bala Samskar Kendras. The birthday of Guru Ravidas, celebrated on Magha Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Magha month. It is the annual focal point for the Ravidas’ religion. People across countries celebrate this special occasion in India. Also, devotees take a holy dip in the river to perform rites. The 2023 date for the Jayanti was February 5 on Magha Purnima.
Ravidas Jayanti marks the birth of Ravidas Ji. Ravidas Ji is well-known for making efforts in eradicating the caste system. He has also contributed to the Bhakti movement and is well-recognized as a good friend and disciple of Kabir Ji. Mirabai was his disciple.
His parents were cobblers and belonged to the “Chamar Community” and were considered untouchables then. He has taken up his family profession, but majority of his time was spent in listening to spiritual discourses of saints at banks of river Ganges. Being constantly in the company of saints, he too started writing mystic poems. His literary work is included in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji of Sikhs and Panchvani of Dadu Panthis. Forty-one of his mystic poems are included in the Sacred Book-Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji of the Sikh community.
Who Was the Guru of Saint Ravidas? Initially, Sant Ravidas took Naam Diksha (initiation) from Ramanand who a follower of Supreme Almighty Kabir Saheb Ji was. Being spiritually inclined, sage Ravidas got deeply engrossed in the way of worship given by Ramanand. Later on God Kabir Saheb gave him initiation and enlightened him about the existence of the True Almighty and the correct way of worship to be adopted to attain Him.
On the advice of Kabir Das, Meerabai went to meet Saint Ravidas, but he advised her that she should think about her decision of making him her guru as he was untouchable. But Meerabai insisted that she doesn’t care about his caste and is seeking her welfare. Saint Ravidas informed Almighty Kabir Saheb about this. He asked Saint Ravidas to initiate her. This is how Meerabai became one of his disciples.
Miracles of Sant Ravidas
Once a few people from Saint Ravidas’s village were going to take a bath in the Holy Ganges. They asked Saint Ravidas to join them. Sage Ravidas said he couldn’t join them but asked them to offer one coin to goddess Ganga on his behalf only if she takes it personally, else bring it back. Those people made fun of his condition but took the coin. When they reached the bank of river Ganga, they asked goddess Ganga (Controller of River Ganga) to come and take Sage Ravidas’s coin personally. Immediately two hands appeared from the river.
One was empty and the other hand was holding a gold bangle. One of those people offered the coin and in exchange of that coin goddess Ganga offered him the gold bangle and asked him to give it to Sage Ravidas. After getting the gold bangle, this person became greedy and thought what would a sage like Ravidas do with this bangle? Instead, I will give it to the queen and get some reward for it. When he took the bangle to the queen, the queen insisted on having a pair of those bangles since the bangle was very beautiful. Since it was a present from goddess Ganga, he failed to get the second bangle. The king got agitated and threatened him with his life.
This scared him to a great extent and compelled him to visit sage Ravidas and narrate the entire story. Sage Ravidas said that he can take a bangle from the vessel he used to keep his thread and leather in water for shoe making. Even though the feeling was gross enough, he immersed his hand in that vessel. He realised that there were many such bangles in that vessel.
Meerabai became his disciple
She met Guru Ji several times with her grandfather and was much influenced by him. After her marriage, she and her husband were blessed by Guru Ji, Later she accepted Guru Ji as her real Guru. In one of her songs, she said that:
“Guru milya Ravidas ji dini gyan ki gutki.
Chot lagi nijnam hari ki mharey hivrey khatki”.
Devotional songs
Because of his charismatic deeds, he has become an important figure in the Whole World, his followers who call themselves Ravidasis refer to him as their Guru, a term still used across India today. He was the first to motivate his followers to make/call them untouchables who make/call them so. By his deeds he proved that he was closer to God than those who were calling him ' low caste'. He was the first to attack the Hindu caste system.
His devotional songs and verses made a lasting impact in the Bhakti movement.
How to escape? I recite the name Ram.
Lord, if you are sandalwood, I am water;
with the fragrance in all parts of my body.
Lord, if you are a cloud, I am a peacock;
looking for you like a chakora for the moon.
Lord, if you are a lamp, I am the wick (bAti);
with the light burning day and night.
Lord, if you are a pearl, I am the thread;
together like gold and suhaga.
Lord, you are the master and I servant;
thus is the devotion of Raidas.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Ghar Waapasi is going on unimpeded. We appreciate it if you can help in hiring more people who can go to these villages to do Ghar Waapasi. We have employed 20 Pracharaks working at the ground level. More people we hire, more villages can cover to welcome them back and also create Chaitanya (Awareness) among the students and villagers.
1) Sponsor one Bala Samskar Kendra for $1000.00
2) Sponsor one Pracharak: In order to expand our base and hire one Pracharak, it would cost approximately $3000.00 per year. We have five anonymous donors who sponsored Assistants.
DONATIONS
PayPal Method: To donate visit our website: savetemples.org. Click on the Donate button, then press the Purpose category, and select the Ghar Wapasi Donation category.
By Zelle: ghhfusaorg@gmail.com
By Check: Or you can send a check payable to GHHF,  It is tax-deductible.
RUPEES, if you would like to contribute to rupees, please either call or send an email. We will call you back to give you the required information
For more information, call Prakasarao Velagapudi at; Email: ghhfusaorg@gmail.com