BAPS Women’s Conference In Atlanta, GA
Inspires Young Women Towards Their Goals

For Kalindi Patel, a senior nursing student at Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, the biggest merit of the BAPS Women’s Conference was connecting with other women. “It’s nice to know and learn from other women about their goals, the efforts they put to achieve them and the challenges faced along the way,” said Kalindi.

The conference, in its 13thyear, hosted 934 women at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia, centered on the topic of “Sādhanā: The Purpose and the Pursuit”. Sādhanā means the efforts towards our goals. Through drawing on our hopes and goals, our purpose and priorities, the conference presented an insightful look at our efforts, its challenges, and how to overcome them through actionable steps.

In highlighting the topics of the event, keynote speaker Sonia Tucker, CNN Chief of Protocol Affairs and Senior Manager for Affiliate Relations, noted the importance of maintaining constant efforts towards our Sādhanā in all aspects of life. “Having faith will lead you to your goal; This Sādhanā will lead to your goals in your personal, professional and spiritual life”.

The opening portion of the conference focused on identifying the hope behind our everyday efforts. Speaker Dr. Sneha Suthar, a Podiatrist, highlighted through her own ambitions and goals, how she strives to achieve them, and the challenges she struggles to overcome. She shared the role spiritual Sādhanā plays in maintaining the faith, strength, courage and stillness required to get past the frustration, apathy, bitterness, and hopelessness that life’s experiences and challenges bring.

The second portion of the conference focused on the “how” of practicing personal spiritual Sādhanā. Niral Patel, from Raleigh, North Carolina, shared how daily spiritual practices, objective introspection, service to others, and maintaining healthy familial relationships help towards our goal. She spoke of the importance of honest introspection in allowing us to see past ourselves, understand others, and maintaining perspective through life’s situations. She shared “Spirituality is a personal endeavor. While there are many approaches to it, you have to incorporate into your life what works for you, with consistent effort, so that you continue on the journey and are able to move forward continually." Through her talk, she simplified the seemingly difficult concept of spiritual Sādhanā into everyday achievable steps.

The various speakers provided a wake-up call for Rupa Patel of Jacksonville, Florida. She shared, “Having that realization that the stories that you hear are real, it’s kind of a jump-start to the heart and to the head to kind of remind myself of the importance of daily spiritual practices towards my own goal.”

“I am so proud, I am so happy to see the young women organize such a wonderful conference. I look forward to applying some of the principles discussed today in my day to day life," said Kamini Patel of Nashville, Tennessee, a participant at the conference.

The BAPS Women’s Conference was inspired by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj and encouraged by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. The conference highlights the influential role of women in today’s society and also empowers the younger generations by promoting a healthy dialogue around current topics. Before and after the conference, attendees had the opportunity to network with others from the greater community and share their perspective on the talks of the day. Many in attendance felt inspired by the conference and conveyed their motivation to share the word with their family and friends.

 
About BAPS

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a worldwide spiritual and humanitarian organization that 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 various spiritual and humanitarian activities, BAPS endeavors to develop better citizens of tomorrow with high esteem for their roots and culture. Its 3,300 international centers support these character-building activities. Under the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is free of addictions as well as morally, ethically and spiritually pure. For more details, please visit www.baps.org.

About Mahant Swami Maharaj

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth and current spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He was ordained a swami by Yogiji Maharaj in 1961 and named Sadhu Keshavjivandas. As he was appointed the head (Mahant) of the Mandir in Mumbai, he became known as Mahant Swami. His devout, humble and service-focused life earned him the innermost blessings of Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Mahant Swami Maharaj travels throughout the world inspiring people through his insightful spiritual discourses and disciplined conduct. His virtuous lifestyle and profound devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and gurus are ideals toward which devotees strive. Mahant Swami Maharaj became the guru and President of BAPS upon Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s passing in 2016.