The week-long celebrations to commemorate the 97th birthday of Brahmaswarup Pramukh Swami Maharaj concluded with a grand assembly of over 175,000 devotees and well-wishers from throughout of India and from countries across the globe, including USA, UK, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and the Middle East.
Based on the central theme of ‘Guruji, Nahi Bhulu Tamne’ (‘Guruji, I Will Never Forget You’), the three-hour program from 5.00 to 8.00 p.m. featured devotional songs, traditional dances, video presentations, and speeches by devotees, well-wishers and senior sadhus.
Among the most touching moments of the assembly were the personal recollections by devotees of varying backgrounds of how the love, guidance and support of Pramukh Swami Maharaj had enabled them to overcome difficulties and progress spiritually. Senior sadhus also narrated their personal experiences with Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Shri Nazem Al Kudsi, an eminent UAE businessman who has served as the CEO of Invest Abu Dhabi, and whose grandfather had served as the Prime Minister and President of Syria, also addressed the assembly. He narrated his transformational spiritual experience of meeting Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 2012 in Ahmedabad.
On this special occasion, in the presence of the vice chancellor and other leading officials of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), it was declared that IGNOU will be offering Swaminarayan Vedic Studies courses at various academic levels.
In his blessings, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj emphasized the need to make one’s life spiritually centric.
The celebration assembly concluded with the majestic sight of the entire gathering performing arti together with lighted lamps.
Throughout the week, special separate celebratory assemblies were held for women, children and youths.
On 26 November, as part of the week-long celebration of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s 97th birthday, HH Mahant Swami Maharaj initiated 37 youths into the sadhu order.
In addition, during the week, a blood donation camp was organized, in which a total of 361 units of blood were collected.