Amit Shah at Gayatri Parivar Centenary: Light That Shaped a Nation
A centenary celebration of the All World Gayatri Pariwar drew Union Home Minister Amit Shah to New Delhi on Sunday, 1 November. Shah used the occasion to honour the lasting legacy of Gurudev and Vandniya Mata Bhagwati, whose life he described as a shining chapter in the nation's spiritual story.
In his address, Shah said that the 100 years of Param Vandniya Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma and the Akhand Deep form a complete year for Indian culture. He credited Mata Bhagwati Devi with spreading light through her own penance, and said the flame lit a century ago now shines as a symbol of welfare across more than 100 countries and in over 15 crore households.
He recalled attending a four-day conference in Haridwar from January 20 to 23, held as part of the centenary year. He said two significant events were taking place today, marking the next stage of the same journey.
Shah presented the Gayatri Mantra as a route to complete change, emphasising that it extends beyond religious and spiritual ritual. He said the 24 letters of the mantra are closely connected with 24 auspicious granthis within the human body and mind.
By building on these 24 letters, and by learning correct pronunciation from a guru, a person awakens 24 benevolent energies, he said. This process, he explained, suppresses negative forces and encourages positive ones. The energies are associated with qualities such as foresight, self-control, austerity, courage, discernment, intelligence, protection, productivity, service, vitality, love and valour.
According to Shah, individuals who develop these 24 virtues find the path to liberation becoming clear, and God guides them towards it.
He also shared an anecdote from his university visits. When he spoke about the Gayatri Mantra, many students admitted they did not understand its meaning and asked how it could be useful. He asked whether any of their parents had diabetes, and some students raised their hands. Asked whether those parents took medicine or insulin, they said yes. When he questioned whether they understood how the treatment worked, they said a doctor had prescribed it.
Shah said he then told them that Pandit Ram Sharma had described how chanting the Gayatri Mantra awakens 24 types of sadgranthis, whose secretions develop 24 good powers. He added that if people practise this sincerely and with faith, they do not need to know the science behind it.
Shah concluded that several students and young people later wrote to him by email, reporting that they and their parents had gained considerable benefit from the practice.