The Jholi sabha was held in the morning at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad from 8 am onwards. Senior sadhus Pujya Doctor Swami, Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami and Pujya Viveksagar Swami addressed the large gathering of devotees and recounted how Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj have been celebrating this festival over the years. The cultural festival of flying kites was enhanced by Bhagwan Swaminarayan by setting a historical precedent of devotees making pledges on this auspicious day.
Swamishri came out for darshan just before noon, in a very jovial mood. He had insisted on wearing the paag (turban) instead of a warm woollen cap, befitting this auspicious occasion.
On his arrival for darshan, he was handed the string of a kite by Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami. He held the string and pulled at it, to the happiness of all present. He then continued to greet the gathered devotees in the area decorated with kites and streamers. Pujya Doctor Swami, Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami, Pujya Viveksagar Swami and Pujya Satsangijivan Swami garlanded him, after which he gave the ‘ahlekh’ of “Narayan Harey, Sachhidanand Prabhu,” which he recounted was given by them as young sadhus, when they used to visit villages and towns to ask devotees to donate grains for the mandir.
The sinhasan of Harikrishna Maharaj (Thakorji) had been decorated specially for the occasion with a kite in Harikrishna Maharaj’s hands. Swamishri devotedly did darshan of Thakorji and the murtis in the mandir and then returned to the mandir courtyard to greet devotees gathered there.
After his puja, sadhus honored him with shawls and garlands made by devotees.