"What started with 8 volunteers grown into lakhs of people": Amit Shah praises BAPS

Addressing the Karyakar Suvarna Mahotsav in Ahmedabad, Shah recalled Pramukh Swami Maharaj who worked to organise the BAPS.

"In 1972, Pramukh Swami Maharaj worked to organize it. What started with eight volunteers has today grown to the extent that lakhs of people gather in stadiums, demonstrating how a single moment can transform lives. I, too, have been a part of an organization. From serving as a small booth president to becoming the national president, I have worked through its ranks. I understand how challenging this work is," he said.

The Union Home Minister asserted that Pramukh Swami Maharaj's inspiration has been instrumental in channelizing 'Sanskriti, Dharm, samaj and seva' (culture, religion, society, and service).

"Today, I can confidently say that nowhere else in the world will you find an organization of over 1,00,000 volunteers dedicated to culture, religion, society, and service with such deep values. This is extraordinary and unimaginable, made possible by the inspiration of saints," Shah said.

"When India's centenary will be celebrated, the resolve to build a great India will have been taken by 1.4 billion Indians inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With the spirit of culture, religion, society, and service, let us all align our lives with the vision of a great India," he added.

The Karyakar Suvarna Mahotsav celebrates and pays tribute to 50 years of selfless and dedicated social and spiritual service by thousands of BAPS karyakars (volunteers), young and old, male and female.

A release said that though satsang activities for children, teenagers, youths and adults were begun in the early 1950s, a formal organizational structure was first implemented in 1972 under the guidance of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. (ANI)