18 November 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak sud 7) Thursday, Gadhada, Sarangpur
The murti-pratishtha rituals of deities for hari mandirs in the villages of Nana Rajkot and Ugamedi were carried out during Swamishri’s morning puja. Thereafter Swamishri performed pujan and arti of the deities.
18 to 21 November 2004
21 November 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak sud 10) Sunday,Sarangpur, Khambhda, Amdavad
At 10.15 am Swamishri departed for Khambhda village to perform the murti-pratishtha rituals of a BAPS hari mandir. Swamishri invoked the Divine into the murtis of Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj, Guru Parampara and deities. After speeches by Dr. Swami and Viveksagar Swami, Swamishri blessed the assembly of 8,000 devotees and villagers.
At 6.15 pm Swamishri departed from Sarangpur and arrived at the Amdavad mandir at 7.45 pm amid a tumultuous welcome. After having Thakorji’s darshan Swamishri briefly blessed the devotees during the Sunday satsang assembly.
22 November 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak sud 11) Monday, Amdavad; Prabodhini Ekadashi and Swamishri's 66th Diksha Anniversary
At 7.10 pm Swamishri performed the shakotsav arti of Thakorji. A variety of fresh vegetable had been displayed before the deities.
During the evening satsang assembly Swamishri underlined the meaning of true living.
23 November 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak sud 12) Tuesday, Amdavad
After concluding his morning puja, Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of pujan and arti of deities to be installed in BAPS hari mandirs in Memnagar (Amdavad), Odhav (Amdavad), Khoraj and Sector 22, Gandhinagar.
At about 10.00 am Swamishri performed the foundation-stone laying ceremony of ‘Jivan Sandhya Kutir’ (home for senior citizens) and also inaugurated the newly built student’s hostel called ‘Ishavasyam Chhatralay’ of Hiramani Vidyalay in Chharodi on the outskirts of Amdavad. Thereafter Swamishri addressed the assembly of dignitaries and blessed Shri Narharibhai Amin, the president and proprietor of the Hiramani Educational Trust.
24 November 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak sud 13) Wednesday, Amdavad
At 9.30 am Swamishri, and renowned pundits K.K. Shastri and Dr Devkinandan Dwivedi lit the divas to inaugurate the Golden Anniversary Convention of the Akhil Bharatiya Darshan Parishad arranged at the Pramukh Swami Auditorium in the mandir complex. More than 300 philosophers from all parts of India had congregated for the convention.
During the inaugural session of the conference, renowned pundits, namely, Siddheshwar Bhatt, S.R. Vyas, Ramjisinh, S.K. Sheth, D.R. Bhandari, Devkinandan Dwivedi, Jyotiswarup Dubey and others honoured Swamishri and received his blessings. Thereafter Dr. Siddheshwar Bhatt and S.R. Vyas and others addressed the convention.
Swamishri honoured K.K. Shastri, a centurion and renowned pundit on Vaishnavism in Gujarat, by presenting a golden kalash and shawl. Swamishri blessed K.K. Shastri saying, “No matter how much we honour you it is less. You have internalised the Vaishnav principles in your life.” Thereafter K.K. Shastri addressed the convention, “I am indeed blessed to have been honoured by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in my centennial year. My family was blessed by Shastriji Maharaj. Yogiji Maharaj, too, showered his grace upon me and Pramukh Swami Maharaj has blessed me personally.” Then Dr. Devkinandan Dwivedi presented his keynote address. Finally Swamishri blessed the assembly, “It brings me great joy to welcome all of you here today who have come to discuss and enlighten your selves about philosophy and dharma. The Shrimad Bhagvad Gita has proclaimed that whenever there is an ebb in dharma God descends on earth. The Gita also mentions the presence of good and evil elements. The evil elements cause pain, destruction and misery. Whereas peace is got through good elements…” Then Swamishri succinctly narrated the life and work of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
In the evening satsang assembly at 7.00 pm Swamishri honoured the renowned pundits, Shri S.K. Dubey and Ramjisinh. After their brief address Swamishri blessed the assembly in Hindi laced with Gujarati.
Kartiki Purnima
26 November 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak sud 15) Friday, Bochasan; Dev Diwali
For the celebration of Dev Diwali an annakut had been arranged before the murtis of Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj in the morning.
The festival assembly for Dev Diwali or Kartik Punam commenced immediately after Swamishri’s puja. Speeches by various sadhus followed. After Ishwarcharan Swami’s speech BAPS children and youths performed a traditional dance, “Anandno avasariyo re meheki rahyo…” Thereafter Dr. Swami and Mahant Swami addressed the assembly. This was followed by a garlanding ceremony by senior sadhus to honour and welcome Swamishri. A mantra-pushpanjali ritual was performed by 10,000 devotees to honour and offer respects to Swamishri. Finally, in his blessings, Swamishri said, “Shriji Maharaj has explained in the Vachanamrut the reason for celebrating festivals. Whosoever may remember a festival on his death bed will remember God. This will bless his soul with the attainment of the divine abode of God. So a little remembrance of God blesses a soul with redemption… Through festivals one’s morals are strengthened and many give up addictions… When Shriji Maharaj transformed the terrifying criminal called Joban Pagi peace prevailed in society. This is a great service to society…”
29 November 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak vad 3) Monday, Bochasan
From 11.20 am to 12.35 pm the Station Director of Akash Vani, Amdavad, Tusharbhai Shukla, and senior officer, Bhanubhai, and renowned writer, Raghuvir Chaudhari, arrived to take an interview of Swamishri. For the archival records of Akash Vani the officials desired to capture Swamishri’s voice and message. Like the messages of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhashchandra Bose, Swamishri’s message would be of great value to the country.
A radio talk was arranged wherein Swamishri, Viveksagar Swami, Aksharvatsal Swami, Raghuvirbhai Chaudhari, Tusharbhai Shukla and Bhanubhai participated. Questions posed to Swamishri were about how he renounced home to become a sadhu at the hands of Shastriji Maharaj and his appointment as the president of BAPS by Shastriji Maharaj. Viveksagar Swami described the unremitting efforts of Swamishri’s home-visits and vicharan for the growth of the Satsang fellowship. Aksharvatsal Swami described the socio-spiritual activities inspired by Swamishri. Swamishri also advised on how to create family harmony and solidarity.
The entire one-and-a-half hour recording was relayed in half hour slots on radio throughout Gujarat on 12, 19 and 26 December 2004.
2 December 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak vad 5) Thursday, Bochasan
Swamishri performed the murti-pujan rituals of murtis for BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (hari mandir) for Khanpur village.
Dharmaj
1 December 2004 (V.S. 2061; Kartak vad 4) Wednesday, Bochasan, Dharmaj, Bochasan
At 10.00 am Swamishri arrived at Dharmaj from Bochasan to bless the Silver Jubilee anniversary of the inauguration of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (hari mandir patotsav). After performing the pujan and arti rituals of the murtis, Swamishri blessed the assembly, "Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj has visited Dharmaj on many occasions. Today we find that science has enabled man to progress immensely but there has also been a rise in problems and unrest inour world. To dissolve this darkness of ignorance we have had the divine incarnations of God and great sadhus. Bhagwan Swaminarayan gave the wonderful Shikshapatri as a moral, social and spiritual manual for mankind ..."
In conclusion to the assembly, Shri Harikrishna Maharaj was honored by the devotees.