'Shah Satnam Ji Ashram', Barnawa, Bagpat, U.P.

Dera Sacha Sauda Ashram

This is the first Ashram established by most respected Param Pita Shah Satnam Singh Ji Maharaj in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) in 1980. This Dera is located on Baraut-Meerut road, on the bank of Krishna River [in between Binauli and Barnava villages], Dist Baghpat.

In 1948, Beparawah Mastana ji built an Ashram in Sirsa and started conducting satsangs [spiritual discourses] there. At that time, devotees from the rural area [Rajasthan] only would visit there. Gradually, faithful used to visit from far and distant places too. Beparwah ji conducted many satsangs in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and several villages of U.P. On seeing extreme love and zeal among the inhabitants of U.P. Beparwah ji would sermonize, "sadh sangat [spiritual community] from U.P. has to bear much travelling expenses for reaching in Sirsa Ashram. Moreover, it is very time consuming for them. WE will keep going there forsatsangs; this would result in saving of money for the poor devotees". Therefore, Guruji conducted many satsangs in several villages and towns of Meerut, Bulandshahar, and Mujaffarnagar for 5-6 years since 1974.

In 1976, Beparawh ji granted many satsangs but HE was not feeling well those days and suffering from fever of 105 degrees. Doctors advised to take proper bed rest but His Holiness Guruji conducted an impressive satsang in KishanPura, Baraal and divulged Gurumantra to more than 1500 seekers. A few miraculous facts were also being perceived there.

Representatives of the U.P. block had been requesting Guruji to build an Ashram since a long time back. Once Beparawah Ji asked to search for a place where there was a connecting road, a river in close proximity and wide space. But none could become successful in searching for such a place. Then revered Guruji asked the representatives to find the suitable place in Baraut-Meerut and gave them Prashad. Just on the bank of river, they found the same place which they were asked to search for. On 14th June, those volunteers had a great longing to see Pitaji, but it was asked to all the devotees, who were waiting for Divine vision, to recite for 5 minutes and their genuine desires and aspirations would be fulfilled. On the same day, Guruji granted the permission to build the Ashram there after some time. They followed the same. On the very next day, GuruJi made the selected place sacred with HIS Holy visit and conducted Majlis [a spiritual program] there.

On 1st October, GuruJi revisited there and laid the foundation with HIS holy hands. There was immense passion among thesewadar [volunteers] working there. Every single sewadar was working equivalent to ten persons. Everyone was astonished to see their caliber. On the same day, before starting the construction work, His Holiness GuruJi sermonized, "It seems, WE have been visited here earlier too". Revered Guruji conducted majlis there. All people assembled over there as well the whole ambience danced a lot with joy. Revered Guruji gave toffees as Prashad and bestowed immense happiness. Within a couple of days, that desolate and scary place got transmuted into a fantabulous royal Ashram.

Inhabitants of the neighboring villages were amazed to see this erection, and they were thinking that the Ashram had some kinds of evil spirits or magic powers. With their help, they got readymade building erected everywhere. To visualize this fact every listener used to visit over there and would address the sevadars as courageous and prosperous ones. Those days, a battalion unit of military was also there to practice in a camp. They affirmed, "We have to follow law and order and mutual love, discipline and cooperation. But our obedience is futile as compared to the obedience of Dera Sacha Sauda's volunteers."

The spiritual joy and merriment conferred by His Holiness to the sewadars was just beyond narration. Within a few hours, a vast superb pavilion was erected. Rooms and drinking water for the sangat were also arranged there. But, all these arrangements were not enough to accommodate sadh sangat's love. So, during 1982-83 once again Guruji asked to start the construction work to avail more facilities for the sangat than earlier. Presently, nine-ten lakhs faithful belong from U.P. as per the records. On every monthly satsang nearly 18-20 thousand seekers reach there to adopt Gurumantra.

A small portion of land is reserved for the agricultural purpose there. Some of the buildings in Ashram Complex are langar ghar[a massive kitchen], separate canteens and rooms for males and females, a vast traffic ground, fabulous satsang pavilion. Besides these, an elegant garden is also built up there, where pomegranate, banana, Papaya, peach, orange, mango, mulberry, plum, grapes, melon, watermelon and much more is grown. Moreover, a plant nursery, a lot of vegetables, crops, a dairy farm, and variety of trees are also found there. This Ashram has been proven a boon for the neighboring villagers and is instrumental in providing security because some of the sewadars are always there to take care of the Ashram for whole day and night. On the other side, innumerable aspirants reach over the Ashram to adopt Gurumantra. Indeed, this Ashram is a true spiritual blessing by His Holiness Guruji to the inquisitive ones.