# Bharat Sevashram Sangha

Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a Hindu religious and spiritual organisation focused on humanitarian work. It was founded in 1917 by the illustrious patriot saint Acharya Srimat Swami Pranavananda Maharaj. It is purely a philanthropic and charitable organization with non-sectarian, non-communal and non-political character and outlook. The headquarter of the Sangha is situated in Kolkata, West Bengal with more than three hundreds of branches in India and also in other countries including the United Kingdom, United States, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Fiji and Bangladesh. It has initiated several missions to African countries, Malaysia, and Indonesia; monks from the Sangha have accompanied United Nations delegations to Syria and Lebanon.

## Activities

The Sangha is recognized for their community work, helping the poor, and providing healthcare to those in need.
The Sangha has responded to natural calamities in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states, the Bengal famine of 1943, the Bhopal disaster, the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. At times of political unrest such as the Partition of India, the Sangha has set up refugee camps and war evacuee camps in the border areas.
It has organised several projects to help impoverished Indian tribal people. One such project involved providing schooling for children of the Sabar tribe and providing them with housing and healthcare. It also hosts courses to train youths in information technology to enable them to find jobs which require IT skills.
Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the Sangha's monks proposed to set up a school for orphans at a cost of Rs. 4250,000s, an orphanage at Rs.6020,000, and 200 houses at Rs.30 million on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
To spread message against violence and hatred in India and Bangladesh, the organization has also produced biopics based on Swami Pranavananda
The Sangha actively provides shelter, food, medical treatment and public safety services to pilgrims at various places of worship and religious fairs in India, such as the Kumbha Mela. It operates free hospitals at Barajuri and Kolkata, mobile dispensary and medical units in sixty-four locations, a free residence for patients and their families in Navi Mumbai, and four hospitals and homes for leprosy patients. A 500-bed hospital at Joka, Kolkata was inaugurated in 2010 by the Indian Finance Minister as an example of private-public partnerships in healthcare.
In May 2020, the Sangha was one of the few organizations who extended help to the people after the destruction caused by Cyclone Amphan. They also provided relief work including food at different parts of the country due to COVID-19 lockdown in India.

## Image gallery

* Bharat Sevashram Sangha centre in New Delhi
* Bharat Sevashram Sangha Temple, Gaya, Bihar, India
* The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee addressing after the inauguration of the old-age home and school building of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, in Gurgaon, Haryana on December 07, 2014.
* The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee unveiling the plaque to inaugurate the old-age home and school building of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, in Gurgaon, Haryana on December 07, 2014. The Governor of Haryana, Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki is also seen.
* The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing the Centenary Celebrations of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, via video conference, in New Delhi on May 07, 2017.
* The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing the Centenary Celebrations of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, via video conference, in New Delhi on May 07, 2017.
* A temple at Bharat Sevashram Sangha centre in Ranaghat
* A photograph showing Swami Abhayananda of Bharat Sevashram Sangha distributing relief items from in Dalalbazar under Lakshmipur police station in Noakhali district. Dalalbazar falls under Lakshmipur district in present day Bangladesh.
* The chief priest performing a traditional public ritual in honour of the saint and founder Swami Pranavananda of Bharat Sevashram Sangha on the occasion of Guru Purnima at its ashram in Gurugram, India.