On the auspicious occasion of Ekadashi, a 54-member group set out from Gaur City, Greater Noida West, on Saturday, December 23rd, for a pilgrimage to Garh Ganga and the Balaji Temple, under the aegis of the Pahal Welfare Foundation. During the journey, after visiting and bathing in the holy Ganges, the devotees visited the magnificent Balaji Temple in Makdi, Syana, where they participated in the recitation of the *Sundarkand* and enjoyed devotional songs (*bhajans*).
Mr. Sachin Sharma, owner of Om Saraswati Developer Pvt. Ltd., made an invaluable contribution to organizing this free pilgrimage and *Sundarkand* recitation, significantly enhancing the joy of the experience. Amidst the sound of applause, the devotees blessed the organizers with wishes for a bright future. The melodious *bhajans* enjoyed during the pilgrimage were presented primarily through the efforts of Mr. Praveen Joshi.
D.K. Singh, President of the Pahal Welfare Foundation, announced that the organization would soon declare the next free pilgrimage. The objective of these pilgrimages is to allow devotees to take time out of their busy family lives to visit religious sites in a group, while also expanding the foundation's reach and connecting with new devotees.
Continuing its annual tradition, the foundation is organizing a blanket distribution drive on December 31st for the underprivileged living on the streets; interested devotees can join the foundation via the website: pahalwelfarefoundation.org/membership/. For several years, the foundation has consistently organized various welfare programs, including free pilgrimages to religious sites, basic education for underprivileged children, provision of clothing and food for the needy, tree plantation drives for environmental protection, blanket distribution for street vendors, support for old-age homes and orphanages, and the provision of food supplies for flood-affected families. D.K. Singh, President of the Pahal Welfare Foundation, along with devotees of Shri Banke Bihari Ji—Sachin Sharma, Krishna Kant Singh, Samir Khosa, Pankaj Agarwal, Sachin Kumar, Jitendra Yadav, Praveen Joshi, Arun Kumar Pandey, Ram Narayan Tripathi, Ravindra, and others—were present during this free pilgrimage tour.
