Swarna Kalash blessed at
the BAPS 3rd Patotsav Festival
By Mahadev Desai
BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Mandir organized an elegant, spiritually
infused 3rd Patotsav, which was attended by hundreds of
haribhaktas and members of the public on Sunday, August 22,
2010. The festivities were graced by the presence of the
 President
of Gujarati Samaj,Atlanta Vipul Patel, who is spearheading the
‘Swarnim Jayanti of Gujarat Organizing committee consisting of
former President of Gujarati Samaj, Vinodbhai Patel, Ramesh
Pandya, Girish (Mukhi) ,Vasudev Patel ,Vinod Kaswala, Current
BOG chairman Dr. Mukesh Patel, Current Treasurer Ketan Shah; and
also the keynote speaker, Georgia Supreme Court Justice David
Nahmias.
Following a warm enthusiastic welcome by Jayantibhai Patel, the
Kishores and Yuvaks presented an uplifting dhoon, prarthana and
a bhajan. Pujya Shantmurti Swami gave a spiritual discourse on
Nishkama Dharma, peppering it with interesting episode from
Mahabharat and other anecdotes and exhorting the devotees to
develop atma vishwas. Yuvak Mandal sang a hindola related bhajan
composed by Premanand Swami, “jhulo jhulo”
Jayantibhai introduced and recognized Nitin Shah; Vipul Patel
and the members of the Gujarati Samaj delegation and then
invited Vipul Patel and Ramesh Pandya on the stage for ‘The
Swarn Kalash’ pooja ceremony. The Gujarati Samaj, Atlanta is
making massive preparations for a first of its kind, historic
Golden Jubilee (Swarnim Jayanti Gujarat) celebrations to mark
the 51st anniversary of the formation of Gujarat State, on
September 11 and 12, 2010, at the Sardar Patel Bhavan, in
Tucker, Georgia. Jayantibhai informed the devotees that the
commemorative Swarn Kalash has been sent by the Chief Minister
of Gujarat, Narendra Modi. It has been brought over from India
by Vasudev Patel and has been formally received at the Gujarati
Samaj on 15h August. The Kalash is filled with the soil and
waters of the holy rivers of Gujarat. Vipul Patel and Ramesh
Pandya participated in the pooja ceremony of the Kalash
conducted by Shantmurti Swami. The Kalash will be carried to the
Gujarati Samaj on September 11 at 9:30 AM.
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Vipul Patel and Ramesh Pandya in
Swarnkalash Pooja with Shantmurti Swami |
BAPS volunteer, Mitesh Patel introduced Justice David Nahmias,
who was named to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Governor Sonny
Perdue in August 2009, to fill a vacancy. His seat will be up
for election in November 2010. Justice Nahmias is a native
Georgian, with 20 years legal career. He graduated second in his
class at Duke University and magna cum laude from Harvard Law
School, where he served on the Law Review (along with US
President Barack Obama). Justice Nahmias has received numerous
local, state and national awards, including most recently by the
Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the 100 Most Influential
Atlantans”.
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| Shantmurti Swami warmly greets Justice Nahmias |
Yuvaks presenting a dhoon |
Justice Nahmias said,” I feel much honored to participate in the
festivities. This is my first visit to the Temple which is the
most beautiful place in whole of Georgia. (Applause) I am a
child of two immigrants-my father was born in Egypt and my
mother was born in Germany. My parents came to Atlanta in 1964.
The Georgia Supreme Court is very important in the lives of
Georgian families and businesses. All the seven judges on the
Supreme Court are elected. Please remember that all must respect
rule of law and no one is above law. It is incredibly important
to the American dream. As a federal prosecutor in Atlanta, my
office has investigated and tried violent crime, fraud, drugs,
and public corruption cases. I have always believed in upholding
the law and equal justice for all. I will be contesting for the
Georgia Supreme Court on November 2nd. I really appreciate all
you and your community do for our great State. I hope you all
enjoy the festivities.”(Applause)
Munitilak Swami said he could not believe three years have flown
by since the historic inauguration of the largest BAPS Shri
Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn. He said that there were many
obstacles but with the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj the
dream became a reality. He said that almost a thousand devoted
and dedicated volunteers worked ceaselessly for over three years
in getting the Temple ready on schedule. The congregation was
shown the riveting video of the construction, completion and
inauguration ceremony of the architectural masterpiece of a
Temple. Muniji cited some statistics about the impact of the
Temple. Over 700,000 visitors, including eminent dignitaries,
from 60 countries have come to the Temple and marveled at its
beauty. Hiteshbhai, Keyurbhai, and Mayurbhai informed the
audience about the over 700 tours by educational institutions,
and the power of prayers-how prayers have brought about positive
benefits to many.
Video was also shown of Pramukh Swami Maharaj conferring his
blessings and advising the devotees to live a life of love and
compassion and to respect other faiths and religions. (Applause)
Following the aarti, Mahaprasad was served to all.
About BAPS
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a worldwide
socio-spiritual organization in Consultative Status with the
Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, is dedicated
to community service, peace and harmony. Motivated by Hindu
principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for
societies, families and individuals. Through a number of social
and spiritual activities, BAPS endeavors to produce better
citizens of tomorrow who have a high esteem for their roots -
their rich Hindu culture. Its 3,300 international centers
support these activities of character-building. Under the
guidance and leadership of His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami
Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is morally,
ethically and spiritually pure, and free of addictions.
About Pramukh Swami Maharaj
His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual
successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, has inspired millions of
people across the world to lead an ethical Godly life. As the
present leader of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj travels
incessantly emphasizing the importance of family values,
community service and spiritual poise. His compassion for
humanity, unostentatious living and prodigious spiritual wisdom
has immensely inspired his followers worldwide.
For more details visit
www.baps.org
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