Basava Samiti Asia Pacific hosts – Basava Jayanti Celebrations 2026 Uniting Communities Across Australia and beyond
Basava Samiti Asia Pacific Ltd (BSAPAC) proudly celebrated Basava Jayanti 2026 across its chapters in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, bringing together hundreds of community members to honour the timeless teachings of Guru Basava.
The celebrations reflected the organisation’s commitment to promoting equality, dignity of labour (Kayaka), selfless service (Dasoha), ethical leadership and community harmony. Each chapter showcased a vibrant program of Vachana recitals, devotional music, dance, drama, children’s performances, Learn2Grow presentations, awards and inspiring keynote addresses.The events were attended by Mayors, Councillors, government representatives, multicultural leaders, sponsors, volunteers and families, highlighting the growing recognition of BSAPAC’s contribution to strengthening multicultural communities across Australia.
This year’s celebrations also recognised the outstanding achievements of volunteers, youth and community leaders whose dedication continues to advance the charity’s mission to Engage, Educate, Empower and Enlighten. Through Basava Jayanthi and other events that the charity holds across the year, they aim to create a more supportive environment within families and the wider community where everyone can experience a profound sense of growth while contributing positively to society through their actions and values, values that Basava Samiti wishes to promote.
In addition to fostering good values and actions, the charity also focuses on creating opportunities for intergenerational learning. This encourages the sharing of experiences and perspectives of all people, no matter their age, creating a stronger sense of community and ensuring that important values are passed on in meaningful ways.
Hon Mr. Ramjan Darga, Chief Advisor of BSAPAC provided an overview of the Charity’s advancement and future positioning of Guru Basava’s values and adoption. It also echoed the fabulous achievement of Mrs. Ammara Shaheer, Finalist Australian Not for Profit Technology Volunteer of the Year Award 2026 held on the 8 May 2026, at Telstra Customer Insight Centre, Melbourne. We also congratulated her recent appointment at on the large consulting firms as the Data Analyst – Associate due to the rich experience she gained via the Learn2Grow Program of BSAPAC.
Driven entirely by volunteers and supported by generous sponsors and community partners, Basava Jayanti 2026 demonstrated the growing impact of BSAPAC in preserving cultural heritage while building an inclusive, future-focused society. The celebrations once again affirmed that Guru Basava’s universal message of compassion, equality and service continues to inspire communities across generations and cultures.
Mrs. Girija Karekal founder and Executive Director is grateful to the contribution of Mrs. Nivedita H E (Brisbane Chapter), Mr. and Mrs. Tejaswi Karekal (Adelaide Chapter), Mr and Mrs. Ashok Patil (Perth Chapter), Mr. Jayaveer Prasad (Sydney Chapter), Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Boya (Event Manager) and their supportive teams across the continent. The celebration witnessed an overwhelming response from the community, with families, elders, youth, and children coming together.
Brisbane – 13 June 2026, Moorooka Community Centre
The Basava Jayanthi event, held on 13th June 2026 at in Brisbane, was an interactive & engaging community event that brought together community members and distinguished guests, including Cr Sarah Hutton, Cr Steve Griffiths, Mr Ramjan Darga, Mr Umesh Chandra & Mrs Usha Chandra, Dr April Chrzanowski who was the guest speaker during the Ask Me Series of the Learn2Grow Program, and Federation of Indian Communities Queensland, President Dr. Preeti Suraj, for an evening of learning, reflection, and celebration of the birth anniversary of Guru Basava.
Mr. Siddesh Karekal, and Mr. Saketh Manda, students from University of Queensland and Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology anchored the program. The senior most suburban citizen Ms. Ann who turns 90 years later in the year distributed the certificates along with Cr Hutton.
The highlight of the event was featured, where attendees were asked to listen to different scenarios, reflect on their own experiences, and answer the question, “What would Guru Basava do?”. The session highlighted the teachings and philosophies associated with Guru Basava, focusing on values such as equality, compassion, and ethical living within real life scenarios that could be faced. This session encouraged meaningful dialogue and provided a deeper cultural and spiritual understanding from young and old across the community. We are grateful to the multicultural participation from different ethnicities.
Sydney Chapter – 13 June 2026, Ermington Community Centre
Cr Charles Chen, Deputy Lord Mayor | Epping Ward, and the office of Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter delegate Cr Sreeni Pillamarri. Company Secretary Ms Alice Shore represented the board of directors. A wide variety of vachanas were sung by the group, several forms of Vachana Abhinaya and dances. Mrs. Nandini Chandrashekaran from the Natwar School of Arts and Dance, Ms. Sinchana Bharadwaj and several other emerging dancers performed and brightened the atmosphere. Mr. Dhayanand Modalee and Mr. Yogesh Khattar, from the Indo Australian Sanathan Society were recognised for their support to BSAPAC.
Perth Chapter – 9
May 2026, Morley
Sports and Recreation Centre
The event was further honoured by the presence of distinguished dignitaries including Consul Sri Naresh Kumar, Dr. Jags, MLA Riverton, Dr. K.B. Nagur, and Sri V.S. Teli, whose participation added great significance to the celebration. The auspicious occasion was blessed by the gracious presence of Poojya Dr. Shraddanand Swamiji, whose enlightening words on the timeless philosophy and values of Jagajyoti Basavanna inspired the gathering deeply.
It was also a privilege to have the Presidents and representatives of ISWA, WAKS and VTCS join the event, showcasing the unity, harmony, and collaborative spirit within the broader community. The event featured devotional programs, cultural performances, inspiring speeches, and community interactions that beautifully reflected Guru Basava’s teachings of equality, compassion, Kayaka, and Dasoha.
Adelaide Chapter – 16 May 2026, Eliza Hall, Prospect
These Chapters, namely the Adelade, Melbourne & Perth Chapters, celebrated Basava Jayanthi with a wide variety of participation from all over their communities in different areas; singing vachanas, dance performances, instrumental performances, and even a recitation from Shri Dr. Shradhanand Swamiji from Karnataka, India in Adelade’s Basava Jayanthi! Mr. Rajendra Pandey, Mr. Raghavendra Kulkarni, Mr. Narayana Rai, Mr. and Mrs. Ashok Patil (Perth Chapter President), Mr. and Mrs. V. S. Teli graced the occasion. The highlight of the program was the children’s drama on the integrity of tax and utilisation of Govt funds.
Every part of the Basava Jayanthi event in the different Chapters of Basava Samiti throughout Australia reflect the truly incredible interconnectedness that they have, no matter how far apart these chapters might be. As an ACNC registered Charity (2020) BSAPAC has connected and united communities following the values of Guru Basava across Australia and beyond. We look forward to bringing the communities of all Chapters of Basava Samiti within Australia more exciting events such as Basava Jayanthi in the near future!
Jai Guru Basava.
