New Delhi, November 1: The All World Gayatri Pariwar headquarters, Gayatri Teerth Shantikunj, Haridwar, has set a new record for the largest simultaneous performance of Samuhik Pragya Yog during its Shatabdi Samaroh 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

The massive spiritual gathering marked a triple centenary milestone: the Akhand Deepak Shatabdi, the birth centenary of Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma, and the sadhana centenary of Param Pujya Gurudev Shriram Sharma Acharya.

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The record-setting feat, officially confirmed on November 1, 2026, brought together thousands of trained practitioners who executed the 16-position Pragya Yog protocol in complete unison while chanting the Gayatri Mantra.

On Saturday, the three-day Birth Centenary Festival of All World Gayatri Pariwar began today at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi with flag hoisting and Vedic rituals.

More than 20,000 people attended the first day of the festival, held to mark the birth centenary of Param Vandaniya Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma.

The festival was inaugurated with a joint flag hoisting by Delhi Government Minister Kapil Mishra and the festival’s Dalnayak, Dr Chinmay Pandya. Learned acharyas from Shantikunj, Haridwar, led the Vedic chanting.

A key highlight of the day was the release of a commemorative postage stamp issued by the Government of India in memory of Param Vandaniya Mataji. The stamp, prepared by India Post, was released by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, as the stadium broke into applause and many in the audience were moved to tears.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said discussions were held on the theme of women's empowerment. Swaraj said, “The discussions held here today in which I had the opportunity to participate focused on the theme of women's empowerment. I would like to express my gratitude to our esteemed Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, whose tireless efforts have ensured that in India, we no longer speak merely of 'women's empowerment,' but rather of 'women-led development'—that is, the empowerment of the nation under the leadership of women.”

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia addressed the gathering.

Speaking on the occasion, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that All World Gayatri Pariwar is spreading the message of individual building, family building and nation building. He said the organisation has awakened social consciousness through character building and value-based education.

Referring to the hundred years of the Akhand Deep, he said, “This eternal flame will keep burning until its light reaches the last person in society.”

Birla noted that at a time when unrest prevails in many parts of the world, Gayatri Pariwar has worked towards establishing peace through spirituality.

“I wish that the resolve of nation building through family building and individual building is fulfilled in every village,” he said.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the commemorative stamp is not merely a tribute to a great personality. “It is a tribute to her ideology, her resolve and, most importantly, her spirit of motherhood,” he said, adding that the occasion carries a message of fresh energy for lakhs of Gayatri Pariwar members.

He said the core mantra of Gayatri Pariwar is not spirituality alone, but a vision of building the individual, the family, society and the nation alongside it. “Pujya Gurudev’s vision”, he said, was to make social consciousness the core mechanism of social change and, through it, bring about India’s global transformation.

Scindia called upon the gathering to take three pledges: first, to spread the values of motherhood, love and brotherhood; second, to honour women and help them advance in every sphere of society; and third, to continuously preserve and enrich Indian culture, pass it on to future generations, and nurture spiritual consciousness and a spirit of nation building among the youth.

Around 650 students of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, were handling a range of responsibilities at the festival, from event management to cultural performances.

Forty students of the university presented an impressive Pragya Yoga performance, while folk and tribal dances from states including Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh showcased India’s cultural diversity and its message of unity in diversity.

The first phase of the festival was held earlier this year at Vairagi Dweep, an island between two streams of the Ganga in Haridwar. The second phase in Delhi is reviewing the pledges of individual building, family building and nation building taken at the start of the year, and deliberating on the plan of action ahead.

The first day of the festival was dedicated to Matrishakti and women’s empowerment. The second day features programmes on Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and universal brotherhood, with pledges for world peace and harmony taken through a mass Deep Yagya.

The festival will conclude on November 2 on the third day with the Maha Sankalp of Yug Nirman. (ANI)