The country of Panama has a rich history and culture that is internationally renowned, most famously as the home of the Panama Canal which joins the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The country also has a notable population of Hindus. Therefore, from April 16th-20th, 2009, Pujya Shantmurti Swami and Pujya Priyaseva Swami, in accordance with the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, travelled to Panama to cater to the spiritual needs of the devotees.
Pujya Bhaktavatsal Swami and sant mandal first visited Panama in 1992. Thereafter the following year in 1993, Pujya Kothari Swami and sant mandal travelled to Panama for the devotees accordingly. Thereby, for only the 3rd time in 20 years, santo graced the Latin American soil and were accompanied by devotees Mahendrabhai Patel (Alabama), Dineshbhai Purohit and Sunilbhai Soni.
The primary focus for this most recent satsang-vicharan tour was undertaken with the aim of strengthening the faith of Hindus residing in Panama, which comprises mainly of Gujarati and Sindhi families. The first stop of the tour was at the ,in Panama City where an assembly had been arranged to welcome the santo.
During their four day satsang tour, the santo also visited 71 homes and completed 4 assemblies attended by nearly 400 well-wishers per assembly. Three assemblies took place in Panama City and the other in Colon- approximately 60 kilometers from Panama City traditionally referred to as Panama’s “second city”. The assemblies covered various topics such as the "Family Values taught by the Ramayana", “The need for a Guru”, and “The life and work of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.”
In conclusion, it became apparent that the message of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha and Pramukh Swami Maharaj had left an indelible impression on the hearts and minds of all