Baba Hardev Singh

Baba Hardev Singh Ji (23 February 1954 – 13 May 2016), was the fourth Satguru (Spiritual Head) of the Sant Nirankari Mission. He is respected all over the world for preaching the message of human unity and equality through the realization of God. Admiring his contribution in welfare of humanity, many social organizations have honoured Him with various rewards and recognitions.  [1]

Baba

Hardev Singh Ji
Born(1954-02-23)23 February 1954
Delhi, India
Died13 May 2016(2016-05-13) (aged 62)
Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada
Cause of deathRoad accident
NationalityIndian
Other namesNirankari Babaji
OccupationHead of the Sant Nirankari Mission
(1980–2016)
Spouse(s)
Savinder Hardev Ji
​
(
m. 1975⁠–⁠2016)

Early life and education

Baba Hardev Singh ji was born on 23 February 1954 in the family of Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji and Rajmata Kulwant Kaur Ji. As a child, he was very fortunate to have worldly as well as spiritual blessings of his parents and also the then Satguru Baba Avtar Singh Ji and Jagatmata Budhwanti Ji as his grandparents.[1][2] He completed his elementary education from Yadvindra public school, Patiala, Punjab and later schooling from Rosary public school, Sant Nirankari Colony, Delhi. He graduated from Delhi University.[3]

He had keen interest in photography, horse riding and mountaineering during his school days. In 1975, he married Savinder Ji during the annual Nirankari Sant Samagam in Delhi.[3]

Spiritual career

Baba Hardev Singh Ji became a member of the Nirankari Sewa Dal in 1971. He organized "Youth Forum" in 1975, which focused on promoting truthful and simple living, service with devotion and love and practicing prohibition of intoxicants. He succeeded as the head of the mission on 27th April, 1980 as the fourth Satguru after the death of his father Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji.[4]

The Mission found tremendous expansion in all directions during the era of Baba Hardev Singh Ji. He addressed the Inter-faith Conference on Peaceful Co-existence, a Seminar on Universalism and Peaceful Co-existence, and the South-East Asia Harmony Conclave in New Delhi. He inaugurated a conference on Relevance of Spirituality in Enterprise Management in Delhi and the Global Convention on Climate Change in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. He utilized each forum to proclaim his message of demolishing the walls of division and building bridges to unite the mankind despite the disparities of religion, caste, creed and culture.[2]

He established the Nirankari Museum in Sant Nirankari Sarovar complex in New Delhi in 2005. [2]Later, a meaningful attraction, “Fountain of Oneness’ was built in the Sarovar Complex which the Delhi government also added on the tourism map in 2015.[5] Under Baba Hardev Singh Ji’s guidance, Sant Nirankari Mission became one of the largest blood donation organization in India. The Mission spread to North eastern and southern states of India and found considerable expansions overseas. The mission had more than 3000 branches in India and about 200 abroad in year 2016. Baba Hardev Singh Ji undertook hundreds of spiritual tours across the world, spreading the message of Truth, Love, Peace and Oneness, with an unflinching and untiring spirit of welfare.[6][7][8]

Final Journey

Baba Hardev Singh Ji left his mortal form on 13 May 2016 in a car accident near Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home minister Rajnath Singh, and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi among others expressed their grief over his sudden demise. [8][7]He was cremated on 18 May 2016 at Nigambodh Ghat crematorium after a procession that saw lakhs of Nirankari Devotees assemble to pay last homage to their Master. [9] 

On 17 May 2016, Baba Hardev Singh Ji's wife Mata Savinder Hardev Ji became the fifth Satguru of the Mission.[10]

Bibliography
  • J. R. D. Satyarthi (1988). Gurudev Hardev (Biography). Sant Nirankari Mandal.
  • Shiri Ram Bakshi; Sangh Mittra (2002). Saints of India: Sant Nirankari Baba. Criterion.
  • Hardev Singh; Jaganath Sharma (2011). Stream of Thoughts. Sant Nirankari Mandal.

References
  1. Nivedita Dash. "Nirankari mission head Baba Hardev Singh dies in Canada car crash". India Today. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  2. "Baba Hardev Singh dead: Who was he". The Indian Express. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  3. "Chief Priest of Nirankari sect, Baba Hardev Singh, killed in a car accident in Canada". Jagran. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  4. J. Gordon Melton; Martin Baumann (2010). Religions of the World, Second Edition: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices. ABC-CLIO. pp. 2528–. ISBN 978-1-59884-204-3. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  5. "Fountain of Oneness in Nirankari Sarovar Complex put on Delhi Tourism map". NewZNew. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  6. "Nirankari sect head Baba Hardev Singh killed in Canada accident". The Indian Express. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  7. "Nirankari spiritual head Baba Hardev Singh dies in road accident - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  8. "Nirankari spiritual leader Baba Hardev Singh dies in road accident in Canada | The Asian Age". The Asian Age. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  9. Abhishek Singh. "Nirankari Mission head Baba Hardev Singh cremated". merinews. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  10. "Baba Hardev Singh's wife Sawinder to head Nirankari sect". 18 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.