Event Overview
On September 26, 2026, Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (SRMD) marked the 60th birthday of its founder, Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, with a two‑day celebration titled Aho Gurudev at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. The event, attended by thousands of devotees from 214 cities across 24 countries, featured the launch of 60 landmark projects—30 dedicated to seva (service) and 30 to spiritual growth.
Seva Initiatives
The 30 seva projects are pledged to impact 60 million lives, roughly one in every 26 Indians, during Gurudevshri’s 60th year. SRMD operates 60 medical camps each day in partnership with over 100 collaborators. Its hospital network has expanded from 40 beds to 2,000 beds. A new Shrimad Rajchandra Sarvamangal Cancer Hospital will serve more than 11 lakh tribal patients, delivering 10,000 chemotherapies and 1,000 surgeries annually. Six multi‑speciality mega medical camps—located in Dharampur, Vaamanjoor, Gadchiroli, Purulia, Leh, and Darbhanga—screen over 5 lakh patients each.
The anaemia mitigation project has completed over 10 million screenings across 19 states, while the vision‑care initiative has screened 10.4 million individuals, provided 1.2 million spectacles and treated 350,000 cataract patients. Additional seva efforts include animal welfare through Shrimad Rajchandra Jivamaitridham, which houses India’s first private‑sector animal blood bank; the establishment of ten new satellite centres of the Centre of Excellence for Women; a de‑addiction programme reaching 900,000 students in 2,000 schools; an AI‑powered career‑guidance platform; and extensive education and relief work in the United States, Peru, Venezuela, the Philippines and across Africa, where the mission runs 200 schools and serves 70,000 meals daily.
Spiritual Growth Initiatives
The 30 spiritual projects comprise the inauguration of ten new ashrams and centres worldwide, a 35,000 sq ft spiritual centre at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, and the expansion of the Dharampur ashram. Under the “Wisdom Without Borders” programme, SRMD released 60 new books, translating six of Gurudevshri’s titles into ten global languages and publishing a 60‑language edition of the Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra. Six new satsang centres have also opened across South America.
Leadership and Attendees
Prominent spiritual leaders such as Swami Swaroopananda, Global Head of Chinmaya Mission, and Brahma Kumari Sister Shivani attended, alongside figures from industry, cinema and public life. Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy addressed the gathering, emphasizing the link between spiritual teachings and compassionate action.
The second day featured the Atmarpit Diksha ceremony, during which young seekers from around the world took lifelong vows of celibacy and dedication to service, and the launch of a coffee‑table book chronicling Gurudevshri’s life.
Mission Background
Born in Mumbai on September 26, 1966, Gurudevshri Rakeshji earned an M.A. in Philosophy with a gold medal and a doctorate from the University of Mumbai for research on the Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra, the work of Shrimad Rajchandraji, Mahatma Gandhi’s spiritual guide. He founded SRMD in 1994 and established its international headquarters at Dharampur, South Gujarat, in 2001.
Through its humanitarian arm, Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care, the mission operates across healthcare, education, child and women’s care, tribal and community development, animal care, environmental initiatives and emergency relief, having touched over 42 million lives across five continents.
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