By Rajesh Thunuguntla
National General Secretary, GHHF  – Bharat
Member, Board of Directors, GHHF – USA

As the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation completes twenty years of its journey, I have been reflecting not only on the two decades behind us, but also on what I personally witnessed during the past year. For me, this was not simply another year of programs and activities. It was a year in which the work of GHHF became more deeply rooted in villages, families, temples, children, and communities.

Over the past year, I traveled extensively across different parts of the country, meeting our Karyakartas, visiting Bal Samskar Kendras, interacting with children and parents, meeting teachers and local leaders, visiting temples, and listening to communities. Wherever I went, I found the same spirit of commitment, but also different local realities and needs. These experiences strengthened my belief that meaningful work at the grassroots cannot be built through occasional programs alone. It requires continuous presence, dedicated Karyakartas, local leadership, and a genuine relationship with the community.

One of the most important changes during this year was the strengthening of our grassroots structure. In several regions, we began developing village-level committees so that local Karyakartas could continue the work throughout the month rather than depending entirely on periodic visits from outside. New full-time Karyakartas were appointed in approximately eight districts, and our work expanded into two new states. Today, approximately 40 full-time Karyakartas are working at the grassroots, supported by local Karyakartas and volunteers. During the year, more than 500 meetings were conducted across different regions.

For me, however, the real significance of these numbers is what they represent. A meeting creates an opportunity to listen. A Karyakarta creates continuity. A village committee creates local responsibility. And local leadership creates the possibility of an institution that can sustain itself for years to come.

This became particularly visible through our Bal Samskar Kendras. More than 200 centers are now functioning, reaching over 4,000 children. During my visits, I made it a point not only to meet the children but also to speak with their parents. Many parents shared the changes they had observed in their children—their discipline, behavior, respect for elders, values, and spiritual awareness. These conversations stayed with me because they showed that Samskara does not remain inside a classroom. When it reaches a child, it gradually enters the home.

That is why I consider the Bal Samskar Kendra work one of the most important investments we are making for the future. We are not merely conducting classes; we are helping families nurture the next generation with a connection to Dharma, culture, and values.

Our work during the year also strengthened Hindu temples and the community life surrounding them. More than 50 temples received microphone sets, while GHHF also supported deity installations, temple renovation and repair, Bhajan Mandaps, and musical instruments for Bhajan groups. In many places, I saw how such practical support encouraged temple activities and brought people together. A temple is not simply a building. It is a place where worship, tradition, culture, and community relationships come together. Supporting a temple therefore means strengthening an important part of community life.

At the same time, our work expanded into very different parts of the country. We traveled to fishing villages around Puri and Konark in Odisha, worked with communities in Karnataka, conducted cultural and devotional programs in Assam, visited Hindu refugee families from Pakistan in and around Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, and reached remote tribal villages in the forest regions of Andhra Pradesh. In Assam, programs included Pada Puja, Bhajan Sammelans, Matru Murti Sammelans, cultural activities, and community meetings. In Rajasthan, we inspected water tanks supported by GHHF and supervised a Bal Samskar Kendra. In tribal areas, we distributed clothing, blankets, and essential items, supported tribal temples with microphone sets, and identified villages where there were no temples and where future work may be required.

These journeys reminded me that the needs of one community cannot simply be assumed to be the needs of another. Grassroots work requires us to listen first. It requires us to understand local circumstances, work with people already serving there, and develop solutions that can continue locally.

Our Dharma-related and community efforts also continued alongside this field expansion. The Chintada Anand matter involved significant legal and administrative developments, including proceedings at the Supreme Court stage and the subsequent cancellation of his SC certificate through the relevant process. At Kothapalem village in Bapatla district, GHHF organized the installation of an idol of Lord Anjaneya at a location where an attempt had been made to construct a church. For us, these experiences demonstrated the importance of legal awareness, community organization, and constructive religious activity working together.

The year also saw a strong emphasis on Seva. GHHF continued activities such as Chalivendras, water troughs for animals, Gau Gras, Annadanam, medical camps, distribution of clothing and essential items, temple service, Gramadevata programs, and support for families in need. In the field, I have increasingly felt that Seva is not something separate from Dharma. It is one of the ways Dharma becomes visible in our daily lives.

We also continued to focus on economic self-reliance. Two free tailoring training centers were established for Hindu women, while support was provided through push carts, sewing machines, and financial assistance for small businesses. The purpose is not simply to provide temporary help, but to give people the ability to build sustainable livelihoods. Helping someone stand on their own feet is, in my view, one of the most meaningful forms of Seva.

Another initiative that has reached more than 500 villages is our effort to place sacred names of Bhagavan on Hindu homes. On the surface, it may appear to be a simple activity, but its purpose is deeper—to bring spiritual consciousness into everyday family life and encourage people to reconnect with their religious identity.

Our Ghar Wapsi initiatives also continued during the year, with more than 300 families returning to the Hindu fold. Behind every family is a personal story and a journey of reconnecting with spiritual and cultural roots. For the people involved, these are not numbers. They are families and individual lives.

As our field activities expanded, we also recognized the need to invest in the people carrying this work forward. A five-day intensive training program was conducted at the GHHF National Office in Guntur for our full-time Karyakartas. The training focused on grassroots methodology, community interaction, organization, communication, village-level structures, and the larger purpose behind our work.

I have had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Velagapudi Prakash Rao Garu throughout this journey. One of the things I have learned from him is that an organization becomes strong not merely because it conducts successful programs, but because it develops people who can carry its mission forward. His vision, discipline, patience, and commitment to grassroots institution-building have influenced the way I understand my own responsibility. The establishment and development of the GHHF National Office in Guntur under his guidance was another important step in strengthening our ability to coordinate and support the growing field network.

When I look back at this past year, what gives me the greatest satisfaction is not simply that the number of programs has increased. I see a deeper transformation taking place. More Karyakartas are becoming active. Village committees are being formed. Programs are becoming more continuous. Bal Samskar Kendras are expanding. Parents are seeing changes in their children. Temples are receiving support. New regions are developing local leadership. Seva is reaching more communities.

This, to me, is what grassroots institution-building means.

It is not only about how many programs we conduct. It is about how many people become connected, how many Karyakartas take responsibility, how many local leaders emerge, and how deeply the work becomes rooted in the community.

As I think about the twentieth anniversary, I am reminded that an anniversary is not merely a celebration of the past. It is also a moment of responsibility. Twenty years have given GHHF experience, relationships, Karyakartas, lessons, and a strong foundation. The next twenty years must build upon that foundation.

We must continue working toward Dharma consciousness in every village, Samskara in every child and home, strong spiritual and cultural life around our temples, dedicated Karyakartas, greater economic self-reliance, stronger local leadership, and meaningful Seva wherever communities need us.

I express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Velagapudi Prakash Rao Garu for his vision, leadership, and guidance. I am equally grateful to every full-time Karyakarta, local Karyakarta, volunteer, Bal Samskar Kendra teacher, family, supporter, and well-wisher who has contributed to this journey.

When I remember this past year, I do not first remember the numbers. I remember the villages. I remember the children. I remember the parents who spoke about their children’s transformation. I remember Karyakartas traveling from place to place, teachers continuing their work, temples being strengthened, families receiving Seva, and communities welcoming us.

That is what makes this journey meaningful.

The first twenty years have given us a foundation. The next twenty years call us to take that foundation deeper into the grassroots and farther across the country.

For me, the journey is not complete. It continues—with greater responsibility, greater commitment, and an even deeper spirit of Dharma, Samskara, and Seva.

Twenty years behind us.
A new chapter before us.
And the journey continues.