Community Seva
Twenty-Five Years of Devotion.
Twenty-Five Years of Compassion.
Twenty-Five Years of Community.
Twenty-Five Years of Selfless Service.
Inspired by the core teachings of Swaminarayan Bhagwan, the countless examples of compassion and selflessness from Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj, and the guiding vision of unity from Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj, we celebrate our Rajat Mahotsav (25th Anniversary) by doing what Swaminarayan Bhagwan held near and dear; seva, selfless service.
Our Progress Towards Our Rajat Mahotsav Goals
Volunteer Hours
Meals Served
Community Events
Funds Raised
Why We Serve
In the Swaminarayan faith, seva is central to spiritual development and the path to liberation (moksha). Seva is more than a simple act of charity, as it is performed without any expectation of personal gain, reward, or recognition, with the sole intention of pleasing Swaminarayan Bhagwan and our Guru.
Swaminarayan Bhagwan teaches that when service is performed with this pure intent, it purifies the soul and helps to transcend ego, anger, and other negative emotions. This makes seva an essential form of devotion (bhakti) and is considered a powerful spiritual practice (sadhana). By serving humanity, and particularly the devotees of Swaminarayan Bhagwan, one is serving Swaminarayan Bhagwan directly, bringing one closer to the divine.
Our 25-Year Mission
On the occasion of our 25th anniversary, we reflect with deep gratitude on a quarter-century of selfless service in and outside our Mandir, a journey defined by the hands and hearts of dedicated volunteers committed to embodying their faith through action. The past years have established a rich legacy of community engagement, providing hope and assistance to numerous individuals, families, and communities, and demonstrating how spiritual principles can be translated into tangible, positive change.
Looking ahead, we are committed to building upon this solid foundation, aspiring to expand our reach by serving more people, addressing more diverse community needs, and championing more impactful causes. In doing so, we aim to create new avenues for volunteers to deepen their own spiritual journeys.
Support Our Mission
The SEVA25 Challenge
All devotees of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan are invited to participate in The SEVA25 Challenge - a collective global mission of compassion, community service, and spiritual growth. All Mandals & All Ages are challenged to participate!
Each devotee is challenged to complete a minimum of 25 hours of service in your local community! Mandals are encouraged to come together and organize service projects in their surrounding communities.
All Community Service activities completed starting August 1, 2025 can be submitted and will be counted towards your individual and mandal total hour count.
All devotees and mandals who complete the SEVA25 challenge will be recognized during the Rajat Mahotsav, but special recognition will go to the devotee and mandal with the highest number of community service hours completed.
Some Examples of Service Projects:
- Fundraise for a charity
- Plant trees
- Participate in a local 5K/walk
- Organize community clean-ups
- Clothing, toy, or food drives
- Volunteer at food banks/shelters
- Organize a blood drive
- Support health fairs
Your Gift, Doubled
A few generous donors have stepped forward to match every dollar donated, up to $10,000. That means your $50 becomes $100. Your $250 becomes $500. Every contribution you make will have twice the impact in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and caring for our community.
Together, we can turn $10,000 into $20,000—and reach our full goal of $25,000 to fund a year of transformative service.
Your financial support helps us purchase supplies, organize events, and reach more people in need. Every dollar goes directly toward feeding, sheltering, and caring for our community.
This is your chance to double your impact. Will you help us unlock this match?
Where Your Support Goes
- Homeless shelter care kits with essential hygiene items
- Hot meals for families facing food insecurity
- Health camps and wellness programs
- Environmental restoration projects
- Educational support for underserved youth
All donations are tax-deductible. The matching gift is available on a first-come, first-served basis until we reach the $10,000 match limit. We're grateful for any amount you can share.
Our Mission in Action
Highlights from some recent community seva events
Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Secaucus Temple celebrates 25 years while supporting the local Secaucus PD fundraiser for Special Olympics NJ with a 5k run.
Shree Swaminarayan Temple - Secaucus, New Jersey partnered with Beat to Breathe to host a CPR workshop. Fifty volunteers gathered in Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Community Hall to learn life saving medical skills.
Shree Swaminarayan Temple - Secaucus, New Jersey participates in the New York Giants 5k Charitable Walk at Metlife Stadium.
How Swaminarayan Bhagwan's Example and Sacred Texts Guide Our Community Service
How Swaminarayan Bhagwan's Example and Sacred Texts Guide Our Community Service
1The Path of Service
For millions of followers, the life and teachings of Swaminarayan Bhagwan provide a profound blueprint for integrating spirituality and social service. His personal example of selfless service and specific injunctions recorded in sacred texts form the theological bedrock for humanitarian work within the Swaminarayan faith.
2A Life Dedicated to the Suffering
From a young age, Swaminarayan Bhagwan demonstrated a deep sense of compassion for the needy. During His seven-year pilgrimage as the young ascetic Nilkanth Varni, He encountered a sick sadhu named Sevakram in a remote forest. Despite His own intense austerities, which often left Him fasting, Nilkanth nursed the sadhu back to health for two months, carrying his belongings when he was too weak to walk. This incident, recorded in the Vachanamrut, exemplifies Swaminarayan Bhagwan's attitude of detached compassion—a worldly engagement in the service of others while remaining spiritually disengaged from personal comforts.
3Compassion in Action
Later, as the leader of the Swaminarayan faith, He continued to prioritize helping those in distress. During the devastating famine of 1812–1813, Swaminarayan Bhagwan organized free food distribution centers across many villages. He personally participated in the relief efforts, and inspired His followers to donate their own grains to the hungry. A hymn written by Premanand Swami shortly after Swaminarayan Bhagwan withdrew His human form captures His compassionate nature:
"The master's nature is extremely compassionate, He is deeply moved by the suffering of others"
4A Scriptural Mandate for Community Service
Swaminarayan Bhagwan established a tradition of service through teachings and written commands found in scriptures (shastras) from His lifetime. The Shikshapatri, a code of conduct written by Swaminarayan Bhagwan in 1826, includes directives for community service such as being charitable to the poor (verse 83), serving the ailing (verse 139), establishing educational institutions (verse 132), and providing disaster relief (verse 119). The Vachanamrut, a compilation of Swaminarayan Bhagwan's discourses from 1819 to 1829, explains that service for God and His devotees is a spiritual action that constitutes devotion and earns God's grace. The Bhaktachintamani by Nishkulanand Swami also highlights Swaminarayan Bhagwan's compassionate actions and humanitarian efforts.
5Service as a Spiritual Partnership
The Swaminarayan faith teaches that following these scriptural commands transforms good deeds into acts of devotion. Swaminarayan Bhagwan taught that meeting basic human needs is necessary for spiritual progress, making community service an essential part of spiritual life. Swaminarayan Bhagwan's legacy has been carried forward by his spiritual successors—Shree Gopalanand Swami, Shree Nirgundasji Swami, Shree Ishwarcharandasji Swami, Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa, Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swami and Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swami. Today, Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swami, the Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sanstan, and its Mandirs across the globe, including Shree Swaminarayan Temple Secaucus, undertake numerous humanitarian projects. In the process, not only are we serving humanity but we are also helping our volunteers progress on their own spiritual journey.