Years of tireless effort and extensive touring of India, Nepal and Bhutan led to a series of padyatras (a long march with a spiritual and/or social purpose).

The first Padyatra, the 'Bharat Jago (India Awake!) Padyatra', began on 24th September, 1983, from Badrinath , 10,000 ft up in the Himalayas. The 600-km route, covered entirely on foot, included historical places such as Pandukeshwar, Joshimath, Devprayag, Rishikesh and Hardwar. At each of the 24 stops along the way, evening programs were held to acquaint the local people with the aims and ideals of the padyatra and to inspire them to realize their inner potential. The padyatra ended on 28th October, 1983 with the spectacle of 60,000 people marching peacefully through the streets of Delhi, calling for a spiritual and social renaissance.

Shri Maharaj Ji leads the padyatra into Delhi in October 1983

Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj addressing a big crowd at Boat Club, New Delhi at the conclusion of Bharat Jago Padyatra

The second Padyatra, 'Jan Jagran Padyatra', in March, 1985, started from Siliguri (West Bengal). It passed through the mountainous areas of Darjeeling and ended at Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. This 250-km Padyatra has led to a wave of renewed spiritual and social awareness among the backward but pious local population.

The third Padyatra, 'Janata Jage Padayatra', started from Bodh Gaya, Bihar in February 1986. At every stop along the way, Shri Maharaj Ji called upon the local people to resuscitate the spiritual and humanitarian ideals embodied by Lord Buddha and Lord Mahavir.

To rekindle interest in the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Maharaj Ji led a large 'Gandhi-Yatra' from Maghar to Lucknow in October 1993. The aim of this Yatra was to establish harmony among the different religious and social communities.

Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj with a large mass gathering in Lucknow at the conclusion of Gandhi Yatra

The most recent march, in 1995, named 'Shradhanjali Padyatra' started in Gopeshwar in the Garhwal Himalayas and ended at Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. This yatra aimed to pay homage to the martyrs who laid down their life for a noble cause.

An en route scene of Shardhanjali Padyatra

During his extensive travels in the northwestern Himalayan region of Garhwal, Maharaj Ji came to know about the endemic problems of the area and has been actively advocating various social welfare programs to promote literacy, employment and a fair deal for women. His task, as he sees it, is to "restore respect for the past, find solutions in the present and devise a proper course of action for the future". He is trying hard to unite all sections of society under the banner 'One Nation, One Flag, One Spirit'. He urges people not to rely on the State to solve their problems, but to break through their mental barriers and caste prejudices to uproot communal hatred in order to work together for the sake of society as a whole.

Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj is known not only as a social reformer but also as a spiritual scientist. He is well known for his ability to blend the best aspects of science and spirituality, which, erroneously, are generally considered to be mutually exclusive. He presents the timeless wisdom of India in a thoroughly contemporary framework. He has the unique capacity, indicative of a true master, of being able to explain the most profound spiritual mysteries simply and clearly. He teaches no creed, sets up no sect and does not bind a person to outer rituals and dogmas.

Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj leading a padyatra

Maharaj Ji takes his message to the four corners of India and abroad as well. He has a vast network of ashrams and centers where sincere aspirants can receive initiation into the Knowledge of the highest Truth.