Saturday, 26 April 2003
The Northeast I and II BAPS Mahila wing celebrated Shri Hari Jayanti at Edison, NJ in a unique manner. The efforts of women came together in an unparalleled manner, from across 10 centers in a 200 mile radius: Atlantic City, Boston, Cherry Hill, Clifton, Edison, Fall River, Jersey City, Maryland, New York, and Philadelphia. 1400 women participated in the festivities on the life and legacy of Bhagwan Swaminarayan by tracing the theme of "Leela Charitra Sambhari Rakhvanu."
The festivities were announced with a Vachnamrut Pothi Yatra in which nearly 300 girls and women sang bhajans with great devotion, led by Hari Krishna Maharaj who was carried in a regal palkhi. The samaiyo was then initiated with an enlightening Vachnamrut parayan in the theme of "Leela Charitra Sambhari Rakhvanu." The remainder of the samaiyo was the nirupan of the parayan, creatively illustrated through the display of an original musical production. Meaningful dialogue and anecdotes revealed the unadulterated love, devotion, and dedication women haribhaktos had for Maharaj. Their unique and endearing relationship with Maharaj was enlivened with truly emotional performances of bhajans and dances. The originality of the samaiyo created an atmosphere of keen interest, festivity, and feelings of devotion and love by both participants and audience. A visual glimpse of the recent Fuldol utsav in Sarangpur renewed the emotions of the mahila audience in their spiritual relationship with Pujya Swamishri today. The samaiyo culminated with arti followed by mahaprasad. The occasion was in all ways truly a success; it brought out the profound understanding and adoption of philosophy by mahila in Shriji Maharaj's time and inspired purity of devotion in the generations of today.