Through the inspiration, blessings and guidance of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a special programme was organised on the afternoon of Friday 17 April 2009 where friends of kishores and kishoris heard answers to some of their questions of Hinduism from a panel of sadhus.
The event was organised from the feedback of kishores, kishoris and their friends following the first occasion of its kind held in April 2008. Many visitors to the Mandir had asked various questions on a variety of aspects of Hinduism, and thus the most popular questions were gathered and addressed eloquently by Amrutvihari Swami and Tyagprakash Swami, supported with practical examples and enlightening analysis.
Visitors were welcomed and provided with a short guided tour of the Mandir and exhibition before abhishek of Shri Nilkanth Varni.
Some light refreshments were offered shortly before the programme, which commenced at 5.30pm. Following a short video remembering the event held in 2008, Yogvivek Swami welcomed the friends and spoke of the importance of leading an ideal and righteous life. The manner in which BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha promotes and fosters this way of life was depicted through a video presentation with clips of the various social, cultural, educational and health activities of BAPS in the UK.
The clarity and depth of answers in the question-answer session impressed the audience who listened attentively. The questions provided the understanding and transparency that were sought. Following the thorough analysis of these six questions, a more general overview of the values, significance and diversity of Hinduism was illustrated with a video that provided a fitting conclusion to a hugely successful event.
Friends were then served a traditional dinner before collecting souvenirs of their visit and departing. The event proved to be hugely successful, with one friend commenting, “I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here and was fascinated by the programme. I would like to bring my friends here as well to the next programme.”