Raseshwari Devi Ji Receives Seva Samman Award at Odisha Spiritual Conclave 2026
Raseshwari Devi Ji Receives Seva Samman Award
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Distinguished spiritual teacher and Upanishadic scholar Raseshwari Devi Ji received the Seva Samman Award on 23rd Feb at the 2026 Spiritual Conclave Odisha in recognition of her many years of service towards providing spiritual education and bringing about increased social awareness. The award was presented to her by Surama Padhy, Hon’ble Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly in the company of many other distinguished individuals from the spiritual, public, and cultural sectors.
The Seva Samman Award recognizes Raseshwari Devi Ji's ongoing commitment to promoting the Upanishadic message to all people in various sectors through public talks, meditation programs, and other value-based programmes to help them experience their everyday lives with spirituality at the forefront. The conclave's organisers noted that she had increased awareness related to moral behaviour, self-discipline, and inner development for each of the participants through this outreach.
Hosting the event were MBC TV and BS TV with many eminent guests from politics and culture in Odisha. Pabitra Sounta, Mangu Khilla, and Golaka Mohapatra were just a few of them. Senior leaders such as Arabinda Dhali and Priyadarshi Mishra were also in attendance. Two Padma awardees, Sudarshan Sahoo and Adwaita Gadanayak, represent cultural harmony by their presence at the conclave.
As a devoted disciple of Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj, Raseshwari Devi Ji began her spiritual path after finishing her higher studies in the subjects of mathematics and English. At the age of 22, on October 15, 1988, she took sannyas (a vow of renouncing material possessions) and dedicated her life to spreading Shri Krishna Bhakti (the practice of love for God through devotion) and the philosophy of the Upanishads (ancient Indian scriptures that explore the ultimate nature of reality). Rasedhwari Devi Ji has conducted over 300 spiritual programs in 140 cities and 11 states throughout the years; but has taken a more active role in Odisha, where she has set up 21 meditation centres and spiritual development centres under her guidance.
In recent years, she has extended her spiritual outreach through various digital media channels and has provided spiritual learning opportunities to a broader audience throughout the coastal and semi-urban areas of Odisha. Her new outreach programs for children and youth, such as Bal Sanskar Shivir (children's moral education camps) and Yuva Utthan Shivir (youth development camps), continue to engage children and youth through programs aimed at moral education, cultural awareness, and personal development. In December, she also had the honor of meeting with Droupadi Murmu, the Honourable President of India, to celebrate her Sanyas Diwas (the anniversary of someone taking the vow of sannyas).
Receiving the Seva Samman Award at Spiritual Conclave Odisha 2026 marks a breakthrough for Rasedhwari Devi Ji’s contribution to public and spiritual causes. Observers of this award view it as proof of her contribution to the advancement of spiritual education and community-based initiatives in the changing landscape of India's social development.
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8 cheetahs from Africa to arrive at MP's Kuno National Park on Saturday
Sheopur (MP) (PTI): Eight more cheetahs will be airlifted from Africa and brought to Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday morning, an official said on Friday.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav will release the big cats into enclosures readied at the park under the ongoing cheetah revival programme in India via intercontinental translocations, he added.
The batch from Botswana, comprising six females and two males, will fly to Gwalior between 9 pm and 10 pm on an Indian Air Force aircraft, Cheetah Project Director Uttam Sharma told PTI.
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From Gwalior, two IAF helicopters will transport the cheetahs to Kuno National Park, where they are expected to arrive between 9 am and 10 am on Saturday. The flight duration from Botswana to Gwalior will be around nine to 10 hours, he said.
This will be the third batch of cheetahs arriving from Africa, following earlier introductions from Namibia and South Africa, he added.
With this, the number of cheetahs in India will rise to 46.
Sharma said enclosures have been prepared at the park, where the cheetahs will remain in quarantine for about a month.
The park has five helipads to facilitate their safe landing, he added.
Like the last time, the IAF will assist the cheetah revival programme by bringing them from Africa, just as it did when transporting the cursorial animal from SA in February 2023, Sharma said.
Earlier, eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia to Gwalior on a private jet in September 2022, after which IAF helicopters transported them to the park, he said.
"The arrival of more cheetahs will strengthen India's cheetah revival programme. With the support of the central government, we aim to increase the population to 50 as soon as possible," Sharma said.
Three big cats were later relocated to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, while 35 remain at Kuno National Park, he said.
According to officials, endangered animals are not kept in a single habitat due to the risk of disease outbreaks that can wipe out their entire population at one go.
The cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, became extinct in India nearly seven decades ago.
Last year, India saw the birth of 12 cubs, though six, including three cubs, did not survive. This year, between February 7 and February 18, eight cubs were born in two litters.
In all, 39 cubs have been born at KNP since 2023, of which 27 have survived.
Namibia-born Jwala and Aasha, South Africa-born Gamini, Veera and Nirva, and India-born Mukhi have all produced litters at KNP, officials said.
Three cheetahs have been moved to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur district, while 35 remain at KNP, they added.
