The entire village of Sarangpur vibrated with expectation and enthusiasm as over 100,000 devotees from throughout India and abroad gathered for the grand Pushpadolotsav Celebration in the divine presence of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
At 5.00 p.m. the evening assembly began with dhun and prarthana. Thereafter, the senior sadhus spoke on how to attain the blessings of God and guru and thus be colored by their divinity. Their speeches focused on how Pramukh Swami Maharaj's life exemplifies the way in which service and devotion should be offered to attain the blessings of God and guru.
On this occasion a number of publications published by Swaminarayan Aksharpith were also inaugurated, including, ‘Renunciation, Reform & Women in Swaminarayan Hinduism', 'Prasangam 2009', 'India's Glorious Culture' (all in English) and 'Upanishadno Sar' (in Gujarati).
In his blessings, Swamishri emphasized the need to understand the glory of God to help one progress on the spiritual path.
Then, after the arti, Swamishri performed pujan of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj and sprayed him with saffron-scented water as sadhus sung Vedic shlokas.
Finally, Swamishri pressed the switch to start the multiple sprays from which the sanctified saffron-scented water flowed to color all the devotees, as they joyfully filed past the stage, which was beautifully decorated with fountains of colorful designs.
The celebration marked the climax of several weeks of intense preparations by BAPS sadhus and several thousand volunteers. Their efforts ensured the efficient and orderly completion of this memorable celebration.