Maharaj's Legacy and the Mission of Spiritual Harmony: The World Peoples Assembly participated in the Conference on Interreligious Dialogue in New Delhi

The World Peoples Assembly took part in a conference dedicated to the development of interreligious cooperation and strengthening spiritual harmony, held on October 30, 2026 at the Gobind Sadan International Interreligious Community in New Delhi (India).

The event was organized by the Gobind Sadan Institute for Advanced Study of Comparative Religious Studies and the World Peoples Assembly represented by the Council for Spiritual Culture. The meeting was initiated by Mary Pat Fisher, a member of the Council of Elders of the World Peoples Assembly.

The conference brought together representatives of various religious traditions: Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Shaivism, Catholicism, as well as public and scientific circles of India and other countries. The participants focused on an issue that is particularly significant for the modern world: how to preserve the spiritual foundations of human unity.

The very space of Gobind Sadan, an international interfaith community founded by Baba Virsa Singh Ji Maharaj, attaches great importance to the theme. His spiritual mission was addressed to people of all religions and cultures and affirmed a simple but profound truth: faith must manifest itself not only in prayer, but also in everyday life - in kindness, compassion, service to people and overcoming barriers separating them.

The new book "Beacon of Light", which was presented at the conference by Larisa Trunina, Adviser to the Chairperson of the General Council of the World Peoples Assembly, tells about this mission. The publication includes memoirs and testimonies of people whose lives were connected with the spiritual legacy of Baba Virsa Singh Ji Maharaj, as well as photographs depicting the history of the community and its founder. Larisa Trunina emphasized that the English edition of the book was the result of the joint work of the compilers, translators and Sterling Publishers with the support of the World Peoples Assembly.

On behalf of the World Peoples Assembly, Svetlana Smirnova, Chairperson of the General Council of the Assembly, welcomed the participants. In her speech, she addressed the legacy of Maharaj, emphasizing the importance of ideas of unity that can transcend national and cultural boundaries.

The topic of practical implementation of spiritual values was continued by Hardeep Singh, President of the Gobind Sadan Institute, sharing his personal experience of life and many years of service at Gobind Sadan.

- Gobind Sadan’s interfaith spirit is not simply an idea to be discussed. It is a way of life, where people from different traditions can come together in prayer, respect and service, - the speaker concluded.

Kapil Kanna, Vice President of the Baba Virsa Singh Sri Maharaja Memorial Foundation, and Surjit Kaur Jolly, Secretary of the Gobind Sadan Institute and member of the Indian Council of Historical Research, spoke about the importance of preserving and continuing Maharaja's mission. The director of Sterling Publishers, which published the English version of the book, Sri S. K. Ghai, in turn, emphasized the importance of the publication as a means of conveying spiritual experience, an experience that can find a lively response from readers in different countries.

Concluding the conference, Mary Pat Fisher reminded the participants of the main thing: humanity is one family, and the path to true peace lies through respect, compassion and service.

- Maharaj Ji’s message is of global importance. It speaks to people of every faith, culture and background. It reminds us that, beneath our differences, we are one human family, and that we can build a more peaceful world by learning to respect one another, serving others and recognising the goodness in every person, – summed up the speaker.

The discussion was attended by Indian partners of the World Peoples Assembly, representatives of Jawaharlal Nehru University, the non-profit humanitarian organization Respect India. More than ten members of the Council for Spiritual Culture of the World Peoples Assembly from India, Russia, Bhutan and Israel joined the event in person or conveyed their greetings.

The meeting in New Delhi proved that interreligious peace is born out of respect for the spiritual path of another, from the search for common moral values and willingness to work together for the future. It is in such a dialogue - attentive, sincere and focused on real human relations - that the space opens up for creative cooperation and confidence-building between peoples.

Additional information is available on the official website of the World Peoples Assembly, on its VKontakte and Telegram accounts, and at media@world-assembly.org.