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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline OCTOBER 06, 2023 | The Indian Eye 18

BAPS Festival of Inspirations to Culminate in the Grand

Inauguration of the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham

OUR BUREAU

Robbinsville, NJ
obbinsville, New Jersey,recent-
ly has become the epicenter of
Rprofound spiritual fervor as the
BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham
hosted the three-month-long “Festi-
val of Inspirations.” Uniting various
events under its umbrella, the festival
was a clarion call for unity, spiritual-
ity, and community service, echoing
Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s life mot-
to, “In the joy of others lies our own.”
In the last week, on September
23, 2023, the Indian Community day Mr. Shrikanth Datta expressed, “Witness the
celebration brought dozens of or-
ganizations to celebrate the spirit of glory of our sanatan dharma and Pramukh
selfless service. Pujya Gnanvatsaldas Swami Maharaj’s vision in Akshardham: a
Swami initiated the evening, empha- The soon-to-be inaugurated BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey temple built by volunteers.”
sizing the profound meaning behind
the motto, “In the Joy of Others,”
showcased by Pramukh Swami Ma-
haraj and carried forward by His Ho-
liness Mahant Swami Maharaj. High-
lights included powerful addresses
from Mr. Anurag Kumar, President
of the Bihar Jharkhand Association
of North America, Mr. Syam Kosigi,
Vice President of Seva International
USA, and other notable figures who
echoed the ideals of unity, spirituality,
and the essence of community service.
Mr. Shrikanth Datta, a member of the
Shri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Gita
Foundation, summed up the evening’s
sentiments quite eloquently when Wilson, a Korean contractor, recalls his bond
he said “Bhagwan Shri Krishna says with Pramukh Swami Maharaj and how his gen-
whatever you see which is powerful uine love embodies “The World is One Family.”
and magnificent, understand that to be
a splendor of mine. We are witnessing
the glory of our sanatan dharma, the Pujya Gnanvatsaldas Swami initiated the evening, emphasizing the profound meaning behind Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth
glory of the Bhagwan, and the power- the motto, “In the Joy of Others,” showcased by Pramukh Swami Maharaj and carried forward spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swam-
ful vision of Pramukh Swami Maharaj by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj. inarayan, envisioned a majestic Hin-
in the form of Akshardham. Take this du mandir and campus in the United
as a valuable treasure for generations; States that would integrate and con-
this is a temple built by volunteers.” cased Akshardham’s mission in up- the world is one family. We’re all God’s solidate thousands of years of inspir-
Another pivotal event took place holding timeless values. children.’ This is an unalterable truth. ing Hindu culture and architecture.
on September 16, 2023, focused on One of the most touching mo- As long as our actions reflect moral- BAPS Swaminarayan Akshard-
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: The ments was a recount of an incident ity and our character remains pure, ham, a campus spread over 185 acres,
World Is One Family.” Through mes- involving His Holiness Mahant Swa- we are esteemed in the eyes of God.” has been built by 12,500 volunteers
merizing stage performances, guest mi Maharaj and Steven, a young man The Festival of Inspirations who devoted millions of hours of self-
addresses, and personal narratives, from Africa, underscoring the depth united attendees from varied back- less service. The breathtaking BAPS
the attendees were urged to look be- of selfless connection beyond cultural grounds under shared ideals, it illus- Swaminarayan Akshardham, carved
yond superficial differences, embrac- boundaries. trated the magnificent vision of Pra- from 1.9 million cubic feet of stone
ing the universal family’s essence. His Holiness Mahant Swami mukh Swami Maharaj, illuminating will be inaugurated by His Holiness
Esteemed guests like City of Edison Maharaj, in his addresses across the the path for present and future gener- Mahant Swami Maharaj.
Mayor Sam Joshi, Bawa Jain, Secre- events, consistently emphasized unity ations to tread upon. The inaugural festivities will be-
tary-General for the World Council of and universal brotherhood. He beau- The final phase of the festival is gin on September 30, culminating in
Religious Leaders, and others shared tifully summed up, “Our scriptures the inauguration of the BAPS Swam- a grand dedication ceremony on Oc-
insights and experiences that show- profess ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - inarayan Akshardham. His Holiness tober 8, 2023.

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