Sadhu Vaswani Ashram

Sadhu T.L Vaswani founded what is now known as the Sadhu Vaswani Mission in Hyderabad in 1929. (Sindh). Sadhu T.L Vaswani has a dedicated follower named Kumari Shanti Maghanmal. Her father donated a place where Sadhu Vaswani could have his satsang at her request (fellowship meetings). It was known as the Sakhi Satsang back then. The Sakhi Satsang was mostly made up of women in the beginning. Sadhu Vaswani was a visionary who felt that women had a tremendous potential - a great shakti – that could be used for the development of society and the nation, at a time when women's role was primarily restricted to the kitchen. Sadhu Vaswani thought that the most important components of spiritual life were service and sacrifice. Under his leadership, the satsang grew into a vibrant institution that served the people of Hyderabad, Sindh. SadhuVaswani wrote exquisite essays on the lives and teachings of Saints for the satsang's monthly journal, Sant Mala. Sakhi Satsang's welfare department quickly launched a shop named Sakhi Stores, which was entirely for women and operated by women – a really innovative notion for its time and for Hyderabad-traditional Sindh's culture! The business, which offered stationery, everyday items, and swadeshi fabric, was extremely popular among women. Wholesalers and distributors donated low-cost goods and fabrics to the shop since they thought they were helping a good cause. Sakhi Stores' revenues were spent entirely on helping the poor and needy. People enthusiastically embraced the new idea since the business was stamped with Sadhu Vaswani's hallowed name. Sadhu Vaswani took up “duty” at the store every day between 5 and 6 p.m. His presence conjured up images of Guru Nanak, and the traffic was quite thick at this hour. “Chant Satnam when you wear this cloth,” he advised women as he sold swadeshi cloth. Paper, pencils, cookies, and chocolates were among the items purchased by the children at the shop. They sang satnam as Sadhu Vaswani handed them the articles. One of the saint's first disciples, Parpati Malkani, kept meticulous records. “Honesty is its own reward,” Sadhu Vaswani would remind his volunteers as he looked at the finances.