Sadhu Vaswani Mission’s Youth Wing, Bridge Builders, organized a global walkathon ‘Movement of Calm’ in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Bangalore and New York on Saturday, 26th July 2025.
The walkathon was organised to mark the upcoming celebrations of Global Forgiveness Day which is observed every year on August 2, the birth anniversary of spiritual guru Dada J.P. Vaswani.
In Pune, it was held at 6.30AM through the green lanes of Koregaon Park. The walk, spanning over 3 km, began and concluded at the Sadhu Vaswani Institute of Management Studies (SVIMS). All the proceeds from the registrations will go towards free pediatric heart surgeries for underprivileged children — an initiative aligned with the Mission’s humanitarian work.
Heavy rains in the dawn did not dampen the spirit of Punekars, as over 800 participants showed up with unwavering spirit to participate in the walk. In what felt nothing short of a miracle, the rain eased almost entirely during the duration of the walk.
Participant, Dilip Gopwani, “It was remarkable how the rains paused just in time. Sometimes, when you’re doing something meaningful, everything aligns. When you are on the right path, the universe conspires to help you.”
Families, students, senior citizens, fitness enthusiasts, and corporates from organizations such as Sagitec Corp., JetSynthesis, Symbiosis College, Inner Wheel, RSS, and Rotary Club — were all united by a shared message of ‘letting go.’
Didi Krishna Kumari, Head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, formally inaugurated the walk by sharing her wisdom with all present. To help participants experience the walk as an inner journey, she conducted a brief activity demonstrating the impact of holding onto grudges. This was followed by a short forgiveness meditation, allowing everyone to begin the walk with calm and open hearts. “Suppression, expression, and holding on create havoc within us,” she shared. “Identifying what must be released—and letting it go—is the key to inner peace.” With these words, Didi Krishna Kumari lit the torch and flagged off the walkathon. She then led the participants by walking the entire route herself, setting a powerful example of presence and purpose.
The highlight of the event was the “Let-it-go” experience — a reflective activity where participants were invited to write down emotional burdens they wished to release and place them into a dedicated ‘Let-it-go’ box. Placed at the endpoint of the Walkathon, the box was the ‘finish line’. The first note in the ‘Let-it-Go’ box was dropped in by Didi Krishna herself, motivating all to let go of their negative emotions.
“The idea of putting my thoughts into the ‘Let-it-go’ box actually made me forgive. Forgiveness, I once believed, was impossible, but I know better now,” said a foreign attendee.
The 3 km route had 8 themed experiential zones — Drop Zone, Let Go Lane, The Chill Stop, Vibe Checkpoint, No Baggage Bend, Reset Route, The Shift Stop, and Unload Station.
Each walker was given a sheet of 12 emotion stickers (anger, anxiety, guilt, fear, etc.) At every stop, they were invited to let go of an emotion they were carrying, place the corresponding sticker on a designated board, and blow soap bubbles as a symbolic release.
Ashish, a young participant, noted the uniqueness of the initiative. “It’s the first walk I’ve seen where emotional wellness was at the core — the interactivity, the stickers, the symbolism — it all worked wonders.”
Participants received Walkathon T-shirts, raincoats and were served a wholesome breakfast at the end of the walk.
Dada Vaswani emphasised that “Hearts at peace will create world peace”. August 2nd, his birthday, is celebrated as Global Forgiveness Day, with 2 PM observed as the Moment of Calm where people worldwide pause for 2 minutes — to forgive, be forgiven, and send out vibrations of peace.
Post-walk, the muddy grounds were swiftly cleaned thanks to Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative (APCCI).
Sadhu Vaswani Mission is a non-profit organization with over 60 centers worldwide, dedicated to serving local communities. Its key areas of work include education, healthcare, skill development, limbs to the limbless, disaster reliefs and women’s welfare, among others.
