Rath Yatra Celebrations: Festival of Chariots by BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Adelaide

By Dipen Shroff

The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Adelaide celebrates its 4th Rath Yatra festival and for the first time in Adelaide CBD with great pomp and devotion on 14 July 2018.

Rath Yatra is a festival suffused with devotional sentiments for the Lord Jagannath. For thousands of years, Hindus have celebrated this spectacular festival. Gathering together, they earnestly pray to the Lord to steer the chariots of their lives on the path of devotion and faith.

Following a traditional Vedic ceremony, a beautifully decorated chariot one bearing the murti of Harikrishna Maharaj, Jagannathji, Baldevji & Subhadraji and the other bearing the murti of Bhagwan Swaminarayan & his disciple Gunatitanand Swami were ceremoniously pulled by hand to the singing

of devotional songs by the devotees. The procession was a 1.2km walk from Victoria Square drifting along King William Street and ended at Elders Park where the chariots were welcomed by drum beaters of Shivgarjana Adelaide Band. Present amongst the crowd of around 1000 devotees and well-wishers

were the invited delegates, Hon. David Pisoni -Minister for Industry & Skills; Dana Wortley – Member for Torrens; Hon Russell Wortley MLC; Jayne Stinson – Member for Badcoe; Gillian Aldridge – Mayor for Salisbury Council and various other community leaders.

Adelaide City Council and South Australia police provided their generous support to enable a hugely successful event.

The event concluded with Arti & prasad. The celebrations invoked cherished memories of the Rath Yatra celebrations.

ABOUT BAPS

Established in 1907, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a global non-governmental Hindu socio-spiritual organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. BAPS has representative centres (Mandirs) in some of the major Australian cities, including Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.

BAPS is dedicated to the collective spiritual and social progress of society by promoting harmony between individuals, within families and amongst diverse communities.

In Adelaide, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Green Fields, which was inaugurated in 2015 promotes harmony, inspires values of co-existence and selfless service to the community, nurtures spirituality, Hindu culture and heritage, and encourages integration and social cohesion.

ABOUT HIS HOLINESS MAHANT SWAMI MAHARAJ

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the present leader of BAPS.

As a child, he was blessed by Brahmaswarup Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS. Attracted by the spiritual charisma and selfless love of Brahmaswarup Yogiji Maharaj, he accepted monastic initiation in 1961 and was named Keshavjivandas Swami. Having served Yogiji Maharaj will all his heart, he was appointed as the head (‘mahant’) of the BAPS mandir in Mumbai. Over time, he became fondly known as Mahant Swami.

After Yogiji Maharaj’s passing in 1971, Mahant Swami Maharaj continued to serve devoutly under the guru ship of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, traveling relentlessly throughout the world to inspire countless individuals through his profound and thought-provoking spiritual discourses. He has also offered his

deep insight and guidance during BAPS’s mega-festivals, in children’s and youth activities, and many other BAPS mandirs and endeavours.

His steadfast virtues of austerity, self-control, devotion, humility and service earned him the blessings of both Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Mahant Swami Maharaj now presides as the guru and spiritual guide to countless devotees and helms the worldwide spiritual and humanitarian activities of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.