Rath Yatra
From 8.30 a.m. the Rath Yatra celebration assembly had commenced with dhun and prayer and thereafter with discourses and bhajans. Thousands of devotees were seated in a large makeshift assembly hall, Yogi Mandapam, by the main mandir, and the Narayan Mandapam behind the mandir. When Swamishri arrived on the assembly stage in Narayan Mandapam, the Rath Yatra celebration was heralded with the blowing of conch shells. Thereafter, youths waving BAPS flags marched by, drummers and 24 tribals of Sabarkantha played traditional drums, school children of BAPS Vidyamandir danced in traditional dresses, BAPS sadhus played the kartals, Shri Madhavsinh Diwan, head of Bilada State, Rajasthan, ritually swept the pathway of Thakorji who was installed in a decorated chariot. The chariot of Thakorji was brought before the main stage where Swamishri performed pujan, arti and offered thal. Viveksagar Swami honoured Swamishri with garlands and a decorated shawl.
Thereafter, Swamishri proceeded for Thakorji’s darshan in the main mandir and then to the Smruti Mandir. The devotees felt blessed by Swamishri’s darshan.
In the late evening, Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of the murtis for the newly built BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Himmatnagar. More than 2,800 devotees from the Sabarkantha region had assembled for the function. Swamishri touched the murtis with a special rod, performed the rituals of arti and mantra pushpanjali amidst chanting of Vedic mantras. The murtis sanctified by Swamishri were: Shri Dham, Dhami and Mukta, Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj, Shri Harikrishna Maharaj (panch dhatu), Shri Guru Parampara, Shri Radha-Krishna, Shri Sita-Ram, Shri Shiv-Parvati, Shri Hanumanji and Shri Ganapatiji. Swamishri also performed the pratishtha rituals of murtis for the hari mandir of Ranibari village in Poshina region.
Finally, Swamishri inaugurated a DVD of the 60th Celebration of BAPS Youth Activities, published by Swaminarayan Aksharpith.