INDIA’s ANCIENT WISDOM VIVIDLY RECAPTURED -Atlanta Dunia -

INDIA’s ANCIENT WISDOM VIVIDLY RECAPTURED

The great scriptures which are the veritable storehouse of India’s ancient wisdom and the time-honored epics that extol the sublime virtues of self-suffering, sacrifice and courage were the theme of this year's BAPS 3-day youth conference held at the Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Georgia, from June 12-15, 2008.

Supported by workshops, presentations, and group discussions, the message and significance of ancient epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharat were vividly recaptured to the young audience comprising of 200 participants in their early teens to the early twenties drawn from around the southeast. Special sessions on the Vedas, and BAPS scriptures such as the Vachanamrut and Yogi Gita were the other highlights of the conference.

"This event was an excellent opportunity for all participants to learn the richness and variety of Hindu Indian scriptures," asserted Jignesh Patel, one of the conference organizers. "For many this was their first introduction to these timeless Satshastras (Indian Scriptures). It would have been difficult for me to learn about this on my own, so I really value this experience” he added

"I really enjoyed the content that was presented because it gave me the opportunity to learn the basics about revered Hindu scriptures and epics such as the Mahabharat, Vedas, and the Bhagwad Gita," said Nisha Dullabh, a sophomore at the University of Georgia.

The mega-event also included sessions on the Vachanamrut, the Holy Scripture of the Swaminarayan Sampraday. "It is a historical collection of 262 spiritual discourses delivered by Bhagwan Swaminarayan and provides practical guidance on enriching one's faith in God, establishing communion with a true Guru, battling depression, controlling anger and eradicating ego and jealousy", said Mihir Patel, one of the youth leaders from the BAPS Mandir.

The three-day event was meticulously planned and ably executed by the youth wing and Sadhus belonging to BAPS. The conception, pre-study and research for the project entailed long hours of work spread over several weeks and the organizers had stretched their imagination to the farthest before arriving at the right presentation methods to make it appealing to the young audience

This conference created a lasting impact on many including Sunny Patel from Jacksonville, Florida, who mirrored the views of all present, when he stated, "Coming into the session there was very little knowledge that I had regarding the Ramayan … The relations made to the real world had a lot of meaning."

For more information:
Jigar B. Patel MD
Media Relations Coordinator
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Lilburn, GA