Sewa Day is an international volunteer day and annual event celebrated primarily by Hindu and Sikh-affiliated groups. It is celebrated a Sunday of October.
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Background
Sewa, also Seva, is short for the word Kar Seva, which is derived from the Sanskrit words kar, meaning hands or work, and seva, meaning service. In Punjabi, the word seva also means "to worship, to adore, to pay homage through the act of love." In the writings of Sikh gurus, these two meanings of seva (service and worship) have been merged. Seva is expected to be a labour of love performed without desire and intention, and with humility. Kar seva is often translated as "voluntary labour." In the Punjabi language the person performing such service is called a Sevadar.
Sewa Day was launched in 2010 by a nonprofit of the same name, a charity registered in England & Wales (No. 4446848).
Activities
The first six Sewa Days were held on the first Sunday of October. This will change in 2016:
Participating groups have organised Sewa Day volunteering projects in old peoples’ homes, homeless shelters, schools in disadvantaged areas, hospitals and hospices, parks, conservation areas and farms.
In 2013, over 75,000 volunteers took part in over 25 countries resulting in more than 561,000 volunteering hours. Sewa Day has taken place in the following countries: