60th Birth Anniversary of Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, celebrates not just one Life, but the many Lives Transformed
Our Bureau
Mumbai
The Jio World Convention Centre became a meeting point for the world on September 25th-26th 2026, as Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur hosted Aho Gurudev – 60 Years of an Enlightened Existence. The celebration honored the 60th birth anniversary of Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, a globally revered Spiritual Master, Humanitarian and Ardent Devotee of Shrimad Rajchandraji.
This two-day gathering brought together revered spiritual figures including: Pujya Morari Bapu, Pujya Anandmurti Gurumaa, Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Swami Swaroopanandji, BK Sister Shivani, Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati and Bhiku Sanghasenaji.
Other distinguished guests included Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Cabinet Minister, Government of Maharashtra; Padma Vibhushan N. R. Narayana Murthy, Founder & Chairman Emeritus of Infosys; Padma Bhushan N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons; Lt. Gen. D. S. Kushwah, PVSM, AVSM, SM, GOC, Maharashtra, Gujarat & Goa Area; Padma Shri Hema Malini, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha, Mathura); Padma Bhushan Deepak Parekh, Former Chairman, HDFC; Padma Shri Dilip Shanghvi, Founder & Managing Director, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries; Padma Shri Sanjeev Kapoor, Culinary Icon & Co-Founder, Wonderchef; Manoj Modi, Director, Reliance Retail & Reliance Jio; Vinod Adani, Promoter, Adani Group; Ashok Hinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Group; Ranbir Kapoor, Actor & Producer; Sudhir Mehta, Chairman Emeritus, Torrent Group; Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Actor & Fashion Entrepreneur; Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak Mahindra AMC; Motilal Oswal, Co-Founder, Motilal Oswal Financial Services; and Madhukar Parekh, Chairman, Pidilite Industries.
In addition, there were corporate leaders, philanthropists, young volunteers and thousands of spiritual seekers from 214 cities and 24 countries across the world present.
A striking highlight was the announcement of 60 new initiatives, split equally between Spiritual and Seva (service) projects. The scale of Seva was truly monumental, spanning across multiple projects, including: Shrimad Rajchandra Sarvamangal Cancer Hospital; Shrimad Rajchandra Sarvamangal Hospital and Medical college in Surendranagar; Shrimad Rajchandra Mental Health Initiative; 60 new Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care Centres; Multi-Specialty Mega Medical Camps as well as anemia and vision care camps across India reaching 60 Million lives; a mega campus for animal care including 4 institutions: Shrimad Rajchandra Animal Hospital, animal shelter, institute of veterinary science and Ahimsa Awareness centre in Dharampur as well an Animal hospital in Malad; Shrimad Rajchandra DISHA- a free, AI-powered career guidance platform; Shrimad Rajchandra School for Special Needs Children, Mumbai; Shrimad Rajchandra Sarvamangal University for the rural India; Shrimad Rajchandra Afforestation initiative and many other initiatives for women empowerment, community and environment.
For spiritual upliftment, several projects were unveiled, some of these being: spiritual centers in Mumbai; new spaces within Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram, such as: Shrimad Rajchandra Wellness Center, solitude groves (Ekant Kutirs), and the Shrimad Rajchandra Museum; six new satsang centers in South America; Pujya Gurudevshri’s discourses, books and meditations in 8 of the world’s most spoken languages-(six titles in 10 languages equaling 60 books); Pujya Gurudevshri’s commentary of Shrimad Rajchandraji’s Magnum Opus Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra in 60 languages; and BEYOND, a visual biography of Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji.
This event also brought the Sacred Atmarpit Diksha (renunciation) ceremony where eleven young seekers took vows of Celibacy, committing their lives to a higher purpose.
Across the program, Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji delivered three elevating discourses on ‘Choosing Consciously’, ‘Renouncing Courageously’ and ‘Serving Compassionately’.
The celebration culminated with seekers immersing in ‘Aho Gurudev’, a spectacular musical tribute which illuminated Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji’s Life Journey.
With the first event held in Mumbai, “Aho Gurudev” is slated to move across India and then overseas, from Dubai and London to Toronto and cities across the US.
Padma Vibhushan Shri Narayana Murthy, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Infosys, said “Respected Gurudev dear Rakeshji, my deepest salutations to this extraordinary individual, who represents for us all the godly attributes. The true measure of any spiritual tradition lies not just in its teachings, but in the compassion it inspires through action. And that is what we saw today, the demonstration of these wonderful 60 initiatives. India’s future cannot be determined by technology and infrastructure alone. It’s destiny will ultimately be shaped by the quality of its people.
Padma Bhushan N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, said “Gurudev Rakeshji, Pranam. Good evening to all of you. It is my great privilege and honor to be here on this historic occasion to celebrate the 60th year of Gurudev. I have now spent 40 years in the Tata Group. Our group, as many of you know, is more than 150 years old. We are built on strong values. These values—trust, character, discipline, perseverance, and hard work—are what build great individuals and great institutions. And that is why the work of Gurudev is so meaningful. Through His teachings and His work with young people, these values and this sense of purpose are being shared with tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and millions of people. That is the impact Gurudev is having on this world.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor, said “I’m speechless experiencing this collective energy of joy and happiness. It is an absolute honor to be here for Your 60th birthday celebrations, Gurudev. For all the selfless work You have done over the years, for the countless lives You have touched and healed. You are often called the ‘Youth Magnet.’And it is truly incredible to see young minds coming together and walking the path of spirituality under Your guidance. Seeing specialized doctors and healthcare professionals travel to the remotest parts of our country to heal people and serve communities, that, I believe, is what true spirituality is. After knowing You, I feel that I will come closer to my spiritual goals. I cannot wait to visit Your ashram in Dharampur. Happy birthday, Gurudev. Thank You so much. It is truly an honor to be in Your presence.”