“In the joy of others, lies our own” – These are not just the words but the philosophy (credo) His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj lived by until his last breath. World-renowned spiritual leader and the fifth successor of Bhagawan Swaminarayan, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, inspired millions across the world, built over 1,100 Hindu temples worldwide and initiated over 1,000 sadhus to nurture and celebrate Hindu faith for the generations to come.
Year 2022 marks a momentous year in the history of humanity when Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s 100th birth year celebrations are taking place worldwide. Pramukh Swami Maharaj visited Australia for the first time in 1984, while the Indian community was tiny compared to what we see in Australia nowadays. His first visit to Australia was limited to a few selected cities to meet and nurture the Hindu faith community with the message of hope, preservation of Indian values in the family members and the importance of unity for growth & prosperity.
On the occasion of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s Centenary Celebrations, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha organised large-scale events and community activities all across Australia. To pass the message & blessings of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, current spiritual leader of BAPS, Sadguru Pujya Swayamprakash Swami (Pujya Doctor Swami) and Sant Mandal visited Australia between August 2022 to November 2022.
BAPS Swaminarayan Santha organised a large-scale Indian cultural evening at Marvel Stadium on 12th November 2022 to pay tribute to his life, legacy, and his gifts to the Australian-Indian community. The theme of this volunteer-run production was Family Love and Harmony.
Through multiple musical performances, Indian cultural dances, mesmerising speakers & engaging audio visuals the event highlighted the importance of retaining peace and harmony between family members. Pujya Priyachintan Swami mentioned in his address, “Pramukh Swami Maharaj was an ideal example of giving children the time”. He described how Pramukh Swami Maharaj travelled 1,800 kilometres in February 1990 in India to visit a child’s home when that child requested Pramukh Swami Maharaj to come and bless his family at home.
Pujya Paramchintan Swami addressed to over 7,500 attendees at the stadium on the importance of giving time to each other in the family. He added Pramukh Swami Maharaj has taught us to listen to our family members and forgive each other in the case of a mistake or conflict. Asking for forgiveness from a family member is also a unique remedy that can bring much more peace and unity. Efforts towards understanding each other, spending time with family and regularly doing Ghar Sabha have delivered benefits of peace and unity in families worldwide.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj visited over 250,000 homes during his lifetime, providing instrumental guidance on various aspects of life to individuals and families. Based on his vast experience with people, he believed that family harmony is the key for an individual to lead a happy life. As part of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s Centenary Celebrations, volunteers across Australia and New Zealand participated in the 100-day ‘Parivarik Shanti Abhiyan’ – a unique initiative to promote family values and unity based on Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s seven core messages for family harmony.
As part of this 100-day initiative, the volunteers went house to house to convey the messages of family harmony as revealed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The volunteers contacted a total of 56,437 homes across Australia and New Zealand and conveyed the seven practical messages of Pramukh Swami Maharaj for family harmony in English, Hindi and Gujarati. This entire initiative was conducted by more than 650 volunteers, who dedicated more than 25,782 man-hours of voluntary service.
The families contacted were of various religious and cultural backgrounds, and they all appreciated the volunteer work for the benefit of others.
The event at the Marvel Stadium also showcased how over 300 volunteers from the age of 3 years to 60 years dedicated their time to deliver dances, drama and skills-based contributions such as audio-visuals on giant screens.
Sadguru Pujya Doctor Swami blessed the gathering in his address by reminding everyone that the God should be at the centre of our life and activities. He recited his observations of Pramukh Swami Maharaj & his selfless service to the community. How his teachings and legacy still alive through BAPS Swamis, volunteers and their tireless efforts to please Bhagawan Swaminarayan and His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj.
The event was also attended by over 45 Members of Parliament from Victoria including Hon Tim Pallas, Treasurer of Victoria, Hon. Matthew Guy, Leader of the opposition and Dr Sushil Kumar, Consul General of India in Melbourne. There were also leaders from over 60 Indian community organisations active in Melbourne Metropolitan and regional Victoria.
The month-long ‘Pramukh Swami Maharaj Centenary Festival’ of Brahmaswarup Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who had lived his entire life by his words, “In the joy of others, lies our own”, will be celebrated on a gigantic 600-acre site called ‘Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar’ in Ahmedabad, India from December 15, 2022 to January 15, 2023.
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha celebrates Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s Birth Centenary at Marvel Stadium added by Indian newspaper Sydney on
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