The Toronto BAPS Mandir celebrated the Diwali and Annakut Utsav with grandeur where people from the Greater Toronto Area joined in celebrating the dawn of the New Year, marked with the Haveli Pravesh along with the eagerly awaited arrival of guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
The morning commenced with the first Aarti of the New Year followed by blessings from Pujya Priyavrat Swami. The murtis of Shriji Maharaj and Gunatitanand Swami in enchanting turquoise vagha crowned the glorious medley of over 1150 food items. Several murtis of Swamishri placed at various points along with Thakorji provided a focal point for darshan. After Thaals and Aarti, Pujya Gnanpriya Swami blessed the assembly. Dignitaries such as Roy Cullen, MP; Harinder Takhar, Minister of Transportation for Province of Ontario; Shafiq Qadri, MPP; and City of Toronto Mayoral candidates � David Miller (now elected as Mayor!) and John Tory participated in the celebrations. �The Haveli is a breathtaking contribution of BAPS to Canada and is a tribute of your commitment. I would like the � people of Toronto and Ontario to visit this Haveli.� The Minister brought the greetings from the Premier and pledged his utmost support to realize the community�s vision for Toronto and Canada.
After the Annakut darshan, each individual was guided through the Haveli Exhibition and was provided an insight into the various social and environmental activities that are conducted under the auspices of BAPS. Going further, an opportunity to perform an �Abhishekh� for Nilkanth Varni was provided to everyone.