The birth anniversary of Brahmaswarup Bhagatji Maharaj were celebrated at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London on Saturday 14 March 2009. The programme of enlightening sketches, poignant video presentations, pravachans and bhajans illustrated the life and virtues of Bhagatji Maharaj, and the manner in which he touched and changed the lives of so many.
The first presentation of the evening – conducted by Manoharmurti Swami – was based on Einstein’s formula of relativity, e=mc2, with the characteristics that were embodied by Bhagatji Maharaj to complete his own equation: Emancipation=Mahima x Conviction2 . Incidents from Bhagatji Maharaj’s life that supported his faith in his guru’s words were narrated.
A wonderfully insightful debate followed where Bhagatji Maharaj’s virtues of tolerance, nirmanipanu, mahima, nishtha and agna were expertly discussed with examples of how these virtues changed the lives of those who experienced his personality. A video presentation then depicted Bhagatji Maharaj’s single-mindedness in seva and agna by ‘locking the mind’ to all other thoughts.
His qualities were further elaborated upon through the bhajan ‘Sada Shobhata’, performed by kishores and yuvaks. Yogvivek Swami detailed these qualities in further detail, describing the manner in which the life and words of Bhagatji Maharaj transformed the lives of so many.
The London Mahila Mandal celebrated the birth anniversary of Brahmaswarup Bhagatji Maharaj on Saturday 7 March 2009. The theme was a smruti yatra, starting with a pilgrimage bus to Mahuva. The Balika Mandal rekindled some memorable incidents from Pragji Bhakta’s childhood after which a Hindola dance was performed. Incidents from the Bhagatji Maharaj’s life were narrated by younger kishoris. The Yuvati Mandal spoke of Bhagatji Maharaj's endeavours to please Guru Gunatitanand Swami. The bhajan ‘Mago Mago Bhagatji Aaj’ was then performed by all mahilas before prayers were offered to be able to serve and perform seva in the same way as Bhagatji Maharaj.