This year the BAPS youths of Sydney delivered a presentation on ‘Understanding Hinduism’ to Year 11 students from the Central Coast Adventist School. On this occasion however, the School organised a special excursion to actually visit the BAPS Mandir in Sydney. This was the second consecutive year the School had made the long bus journey to the Mandir from the Central Coast region, which is located north of Sydney.
Over 60 students and 5 teachers visited the Mandir and were informed about the origins of Hinduism and its major beliefs – such as Parabrahma, Moksha, Murti Puja and the Guru. The presentation was in three parts: Hinduism for the Individual, Hinduism for Society and Hinduism for the World. It revealed the values that Hinduism teaches as highlighted by iconic personalities such as Sita, Shravan and Nachiketa, and the contributions Hinduism has made in the fields of Language, Science, Mathematics and Medicine. The formal presentation was followed by a brief Question-Answer Session.
The group were intrigued by the details and adornments of the murtis of Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj and the deities of Santan Dharma.
The visit concluded with the School being presented with a booklet on Understanding Hinduism to continue their research at School, a Mystic India Soundtrack from the large-format film and refreshment.
The Student Administration appreciated the kind hospitality and commended the work done by BAPS and said their visit had been “a wonderful and informative experience”.