More than 600 Indian Americans gathered in Edison, NJ, June 24, 2025, for a sabha led by Guruhari Prabodhjivan Swamiji Maharaj. The event, which was hosted by Yogi Divine Society, YDS, brought together people from all walks of life—families, professionals, youth, and elders, according to a press release.
Edison’s Mayor Samip Joshi was one of several high-profile attendees from the tri-state area, “reflecting the growing embrace of faith and cultural celebration in American civic spaces,” organizers said.
A welcome ceremony with joyful rituals greeted P. Guruhari Swamiji.
P. Guruprasad Swami addressed the crowd, highlighting the historical importance of Hariprasad Swamiji Maharaj and Guruhari Prabodhjivan Swamiji Maharaj, tracing their spiritual mission back to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the Gunatit Guru Parampara – “a lineage of realized saints whose presence has guided generations.”
“Through satsang, we receive good thoughts, good company, and the knowledge to please Bhagwan. And through bhakti, virtues like selfless love, tolerance, and compassion naturally blossom,” Guruprasad Swami is quoted saying in the press release.
The highlight of the evening was the discourse of Guruhari Prabodhjivan Swamiji Maharaj himself. He recounted the momentous year of 1985, when Hariprasad Swamiji Maharaj first set foot on American soil. “At that time, spirituality was nearly absent here. Our community was adjusting to a new land, a new way of life. Yet in that desert of unfamiliarity, Hariprasad Swamiji sowed the first seeds of satsang,” he said. Today, many who once knew nothing of satsang, now speak the language of Aksharbrahm, of becoming Das na Das—servants of the servants of Bhagwan.
“This,” he said, “is the transformation Hariprasad Swamiji inspired—not through force, but through love.”
Organizers said the Edison Sabha “was a reminder that spirituality is not a relic of the past, but a living force, of which the Edison Sabha is just one chapter in a larger mission. At the event, an invitation was extended to all those present and beyong, to participate in an upcoming spiritual celebration – the HariBhakti Mahotsav, a national event.
