San Jose
Fuldol, the birth anniversary of Bhagataji Maharaj was celebrated with zealous participation from the bal mandal to the eldest satsangis, including the kishore mandal, yuvak mandal and vadil mandal.
The celebration began with an explanation of the importance of the day followed by a senior vadil singing a nice self-composed kirtan on the joys of Fuldol. The kishore mandal narrated various prasangs from Pujya Bhagataji Maharaj's life, which highlighted his divine and inspiring character. The celebrations also included a speech on the importance of Fuldol in the Swaminarayan Sampraday and how Bhagwan Swaminarayan purified up the age-old Holi traditions and re-transformed it into a true spiritual celebration. The samaiyo included enjoyable videos of Swamishri from a Bhaktachintamani parayan. There were kirtans sung by the balaks, kishores and yuvaks.
Our special guests included Hon. Kevin Sheller, Majority Leader, California State Assembly and Vinod Kumar, the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco. Mr. Kelley, while addressing the audience, noted the values that India and the United States share in terms of the importance of family and individuals in creating a peaceful society. Mr. Kumar shared with the audience his appreciation of the work that the H.D.H. Pramukh Swami Maharaj does through the BAPS Sanstha with the sacrifice of the devotees in ensuring the positive future of the society