16th, October 2025: The One World One Family World Cultural Festival 2025 at Sathya Sai Grama continues to unfold spectacularly, bringing countries from the Middle East, South-East Asia and Europe together in a perfect showcase of global unity.
The Festival gained momentum spiritually with the 11-day enchanting Navaratri and Athi Rudra Maha Yajna celebrations, reliving the timeless essence of Indian cultural traditions, rituals and expressions. Sathya Sai Grama reverberated with the chanting of the Sri Rudram from the Yajur Veda 14,641 times over the 11 days by 121 priests from the Shringeri Sharada Peetham, for universal peace and harmony. Reflecting on the event, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai said, “Navratri is a time to invoke the divine consciousness within us and through devotion, service and unity, we aspire to build a world bound by love, peace and harmony.”
The inauguration of Nada Gurukulam, an abode for performing arts, visual arts, folk traditions, and theatre and the consecration and inauguration of Sri Umamaheshwara Temple on Vijayadashami, a holy shrine designed to be an abiding source of divine grace and spiritual solace for pilgrims across the globe, were the two key highlights during these celebrations.
From Egypt to Vietnam, Thailand, China and Hong Kong to Sweden and Norway, Spiritual leaders and scholars from around the globe shared their experiences in an endeavour to bring humanity together as One World One Family. Some of the notable thoughts were “Every act of kindness, no matter how small, plants seeds that may outlive us,” “The world becomes brighter when even one heart chooses love over fear,” “The highest virtue is not brilliance or strength, but the quiet courage to care,” and “Hikmet – wisdom – is the knowledge achieved through three loves: love of god, love of humanity and love of the world, united in one heart and one being.”
The One World One Family World Cultural Festival 2025 also celebrated humanitarians from Egypt, Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, France, Sweden, Hong Kong and more for their extraordinary courage and conviction to serve humanity. The Festival also recognised the unwavering commitment and collaborative camaraderie of corporate organisations, who stood with the One World One Family Mission, exemplifying service, selfless love and solidarity above all.
The Festivalattracted dignitaries, such as Mr Bimsingh Narendran, the Honourary Consul of the Philippines in Chennai, India, Mr Ronn Bautista, the Third Secretary and Vice-Consul at the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in India, and Mr N S Srinivasa Murthy, Honourable Consulate of Vietnam, Karnataka, Bangalore.
The Festival also honoured global leaders for their vision, innovation, and dedication to addressing complex challenges and creating a better world for all. Notable personalities included Dr Anand Ranganathan, a distinguished scientist, author, and public intellectual and Sri Injeti Srinivas, Chairperson of the National Stock Exchange and Founding Chairperson of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
Dr Anand Ranganathan remarked, “After visiting Sathya Sai Grama, touring the campus, and interacting with people, I wonder if perfection can be achieved in this place; why can’t India be like this?”
Sri Injeti Srinivas expressed, “It’s humanly impossible for anybody to create this institution and have an impact of this sort and scale throughout the world in just about 10 years. It’s self-evident that without divine will and the supreme sanction, all this sort of work can never be done.”
At the Festival, while the mornings were about spiritual wisdom, contemplation and implementation, evenings were lit by the versatile and soulful expressions from the countries, representing their cultural heritage through music, dance and art.
From a mesmerising enactment of Ramakein from Thailand to the captivating retelling of the Ramayana, focusing on Sabari’s devotion and Hanuman’s divine friendship from Indonesia, and the contemporary adaptation of the Ramayana, told through Sita’s perspective, these performance offered a stirring exploration of courage, conviction, and compassion. It also reaffirmed the uniqueness yet versatility of Ramayana, one of the key mythological and spiritual concepts of Sanathana Dharma. In a heartfelt expression, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai quoted that “Sanathana Dharma, though it has the roots in Bharat, is not limited to Bharat; it is for the world.”
The northern folk melodies to joyful highland dances from Vietnam, an exquisite performance by the Montaigne Modern Orchestra from France, vibrant sounds of Tito Gutierrez Five, a Chilean ensemble known for its fusion of modern and traditional music and enchanting blend of the Nyckelharpa’s ancient charm and the soulful flute from Norway and Sweden left the global audience mesmerised.
The Lion Dance – one of the most vibrant and auspicious traditions in Chinese culture, presented by the students from the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, followed by the musical performances by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, reminded the global audience of the inherent beauty in each form of cultural expression and at the heart, how humanity is all but one.
Amidst all these cross-cultural, humanitarian and spiritual wisdom exchanges, One World One Family Mission continued its service initiatives, creating and exceeding milestones. A Sai Swasthya Urgent Care Centre in Chelur village in Chikkaballapur district, the 47th Sai Swasthya Wellness Centre was inaugurated by the One World One Family Mission, which will be pivotal in preventing diseases by early detection and timely interventions. In another landmark moment, an MoU was exchanged between Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR) and General Insurance Council (GIC), another step toward accessible, equitable and compassionate healthcare for every citizen.
Witness the One World One Family World Cultural Festival 2025 at Sathya Sai Grama, truly emerging as a beacon for cultural diversity, shared humanity and global unity.