2 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 1) Wednesday, Sarangpur
Swamishri performed pujan of bricks to be laid in the foundation of hari mandirs in the villages of Khambha, Godhavata and Muldhara.
3 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 2) Thursday, Sarangpur; Shri Hari Jayanti (English date)
Swamishri performed pujan of the foundation-bricks for a sanskardham in the suburb of Maninagar, Amdavad.
For the celebration of Shri Hari Jayanti, a grand annakut was arranged before Thakorji. After darshan, Swamishri performed arti of Thakorji.
223rd Shri Hari Jayanti Celebration
At 6.00 p.m. the celebration commenced with dhun and prayers. Pujya Brahmadarshan Swami discoursed on the motive of Shriji Maharaj's birth on earth. Thereafter Pujya Vivkesagar Swami addressed the assembly. Then sadhus sang "Premvati sut jayo anupam..." Swamishri finally blessed the occasion and spoke about the glory of devotion to Shriji Maharaj.
Swamishri performed the celebration arti of Thakorji on stage and then rocked Thakorji in a decorative cradle. As the festive bhajans were being sung, sadhus danced with joy and enthusiasm. Swamishri joined the devotional celebration by playing the kartal and traditionally danced and gestured to the joy of everyone. The celebration concluded on a devotional note.
4 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 3) Friday, Sarangpur
Thirty-six tribal people from the Dang district sang traditional bhajans during Swamishri's morning walk. A sadhu sang a bhajan in the Dangi language and explained the activities of BAPS and glory of Swamishri. Thereafter a couple of tribals narrated their transformation through their association with Satsang. Finally Swamishri blessed the tribals and initiated them into Satsang.
5 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 3) Saturday, Sarangpur, Dared, Kalatalav, Gadhada
Around 5.30 p.m. Swamishri departed from Sarangpur and visited Navagam (Lohiyana) and sprinkled flowers from the car and sanctified the land where a hari mandir is under construction.
At 6.35 p.m. Swamishri arrived at Dared village. Dared Bapu Shri Pruthvindrasinh Gohil warmly welcomed Swamishri in the darbar that had been sanctified by Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj. The entire courtyard was filled with devotees and wellwishers from Dared village. After the welcome rituals Swamishri blessed the gathering and performed arti at the BAPS hari mandir in the village. On seeing a vintage car in the mandir ground Swamishri explained that Dared darbar had driven Shastriji Maharaj in the car for pujan and arti of the murtis at the Gadhada mandir. Then Swamishri departed from Dared village.
At 7.30 p.m. Swamishri arrived at Kalatalav after 28 years. In 1975 Swamishri had performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of the hari mandir. Despite the electrical blackout Swamishri performed arti, prostrations and did darshan of Thakorji in the light of an oil lamp. Thereafter Swamishri went to the assembly arranged on a spacious plot of land for the new mandir on the village outskirt.
At 8.45 p.m. Swamishri arrived at Gadhada. After Thakorji's darshan, Swamishri discoursed to the assembly and then had his dinner, retiring for the night at 10.25 p.m.
7 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 5) Monday, Gadhada, Raliyana, Gadhada
After yesterday's yagna in which 93 couples participated around 29 yagna pits, the pratishtha ceremony was held this morning. Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha ceremony of Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj and Guru Parampara at the hari mandir in Raliyana village. Thereafter Swamishri blessed the murti-pratishtha assembly in which 5,000 devotees and wellwishers were present. Thereafter Swamishri returned to Gadhada.
In the evening assembly, corporators of Gadhada Municipality honored Swamishri with bouquets and received his blessings. In conclusion Swamishri addressed the assembly.
9 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 7) Wednesday, Sarangpur, Paliyad, Gadhada, Lathi, Amreli
In the morning Swamishri arrived at Paliyad for the 'Amra Bapu Murti-Pratishtha Mahotsav.' First Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of a canvas murti of Amra Bapu in a mandir and then went to the 'Sadhus' Get Together' program. The inauguration of the entrance to the festival ground was performed by Swamishri and Jagadguru Shri Ramnareshacharyaji. Then both dignitaries kindled the inaugural lamp of the festival. Finally, Swamishri blessed the assembly.
At 6.30 p.m. Swamishri arrived at Lathi village where a public assembly was arranged on the diamond grounds of the renowned diamond businessman Shri Manji Rudabhai Dholakiya.
At 7.45 p.m. Swamishri arrived at the public satsang assembly in Amreli. Corporators of the local Amreli Municipality presented a citation of honor to Swamishri. An official of Rotary Club presented a citation of honor to Swamishri. On behalf of the Red Cross Society, Amreli, a philanthropist presented a citation of honor to Swamishri. Many other organizations of Amreli also welcomed and honored Swamishri.
In his blessings Swamishri said, "Amreli is a blessed land. Formerly it was under the jurisdiction ofthe Gaekwad State and it introduced education on a compulsory basis. Many people have acquired good education and become scholars and citizens of character. Our importance lies in having character. Character is an asset. If character is lost then everything is lost..."
10 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 8) Thursday, Amreli
At 10.25 a.m. Swamishri arrived at the BAPS hari mandir to celebrate its 22nd inauguration anniversary (patotsav). After performing pujan and arti of Thakorji, Swamishri blessed the assembly, "Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj have blessed Amreli by visiting this town on several occasions. Through the blessings of Maharaj and Swamishri and the saintliness of Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj satsang has flourished in India and abroad..."
11 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 9) Friday, Amreli; 223rd Birthday Celebration of Bhagwan Swaminarayan
During Swamishri's puja, sadhus sang bhajans in praise and glory of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Thereafter in the morning assembly Pujya Shrutiprakash Swami, Pujya Vivkesagar Swami and Pujya Doctor Swami delivered discourses. Then Swamishri blessed the assembly. Shri Harikrishna Maharaj was honored by devotees.
At 7.30 p.m., the celebration assembly was arranged on the the mandir site. Pujya Brahmadarshan Swami spoke on the mission of Shriji Maharaj's birth on earth. The balaks and kishores of Savarkundla performed a beautiful dance on the bhajan 'Guru Roon Ada Kem Kariye..." Pujya Viveksagar Swami discoursed about the life, work and philosophy of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Then Swamishri was honored with the sanctified garlands prepared by the local devotees. The balaks and kishores of Savarkundla performed another dance in honor of Shriji Maharaj on the bhajan, "Chaitra Sud Navmi Avi..." Finally Swamishri blessed the festival assembly, "God has always kept on incarnating on earth to protect us and reestablish dharma. Similarly in Kaliyug Bhagwan Swaminarayan incarnated on earth. He had harboured no distinctions of high or low and nourished feelings to redeem all. He established mandirs for the propagation and consolidation of upasana and dharma. From this we learn about our culture and character. Without a place one cannot worship God. And that is why He built mandirs so that thousands of people could congregrate to worship and pray to God... Alongwith mandirs, He also propagated the glory of shastras like Veda, Upanishad, Gita, Mahabharat, Bhagwat, Ramayan and others. Bhagwan Swaminarayan gave the Satsangijivan, Vachanamrut and Shikshapatri for the good of all... Bhagwan Swaminarayan transformed the lives of evil people and made them into devotees..."
Thereafter Swamishri performed pujan and arti of Thakorji and rocked Thakorji in a decorated cradle while the sadhus sang devotional bhajans.
The festival assembly was attended by 9,000 devotees and wellwishers
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13 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 11) Sunday, Dhari
At 10.35 a.m. Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha of new murtis of Akshar Purushottam Maharaj and Guru Parampara in the BAPS hari mandir. Shri Harikrishna Maharaj was honored by the devotees in the morning assembly.
During the evening satsang assembly, the local Dhari Municipality officials presented a citation honoring Swamishri. Thereafter a member of 'Bharat Scout and Guide' of Amreli district honored Swamishri with a citation.
14 April 2003 (V.S.2059, Chaitra sud 12) Monday,Dhari, Khambha, Dedan, Rajula
During Swamishri's morning puja, about 75 Udiya devotees from Orissa sang the Swaminarayan mahamantra in their unique, devotional style. Then two Udiya dancers beautifully performed a dance on 10 avatars, through steps and gestures in synchronisation with music. They also played zalars (gongs) in a rhythmic fashion as Swamishri walked passed them.
In the evening, Swamishri visited the school where Jhina Bhagat (Yogiji Maharaj) studied. He pointed out at the neem tree where Jhina meditated during his school recess. Swamishri also went for darshan of the classroom in which Jhina Bhagat studied. Then Swamishri went to the Shetrunji river where Jhina Bhagat bathed and meditated on a stone. In 1992, during the Birth Centenary Celebration of Yogiji Maharaj, Swamishri had inspired the construction of a ghat and a shrine with a pair of marble footprints of Shriji Maharaj. Swamishri then descended to the river and applied the sacred waters on his head. From here Swamishri went to the old mandir where Jhina Bhagat performed Thakorji's worship and service when the aged pujari Shri Mohan Bhagat was sick. Swamishri did darshan of the canvas murti of Thakorji, performed pradakshina and prostrations. Then Swamishri said, "Yogiji Maharaj performed a lot of service and worship of Thakorji here, so let us chant the dhun so that we attain such devotion in our life." Swamishri then chanted the Swaminarayan mahamantra.
At 6.00 p.m. Swamishri arrived at Khambha and performed the murti-pratishtha rituals in the BAPS hari mandir. Thereafter Swamishri addressed the pratishtha assembly of 700 to 800 devotees.
Swamishri travelled to Dedan and performed pujan and arti of the newly consecrated murtis in the hari mandir. After a brief discourse Swamishri departed for Rajula.
15 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 13) Tuesday, Rajula
At 10.00 a.m. Swamishri attended the murti-pratishtha yagna. Amidst Vedic chantings Swamishri performed the initial yagna rituals. The yagna had 448 couples who performed the rituals around 56 yagna pits. Swamishri performed pujan of the murtis.
In the afternoon a grand procession of floats with the murtis was carried out on the main streets of Rajula.
At 6.45 p.m. members of the municipality of Rajula honored Swamishri in a public Satsang assembly. A citation was read out and a 'Key to the City' was also presented.
16 April 2003 (V.S. 2059, Chaitra sud 15) Wednesday, Rajula, Ambardi, bhadhada, Savarkundla
At 9.45 a.m. Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha of Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj, Shri Radha Krishna Dev, Guru Parampara, Shri Hanumanji and Shri Ganapatiji at the hari mandir in Rajula. After performing arti, Swamishri addressed an assembly of 7,000 devotees and wellwishers.