On Saturday, 11 July 2015 a grand celebration of Dr Kalam’s book ‘Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji’ was held at the Yogi Sabha Gruh, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Dadar (East), Mumbai, in the presence of dignitaries, well‐wishers and devotees.
The event was graced by Principal Scientific advisor to the Government of India - Padma Vibhushan Dr. Rajagopala Chidambaram, Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIT-Delhi - Padma Bhushan Shri Vijay Bhatkar and renowned cardiologist Dr. Ashwin Mehta, as well as many social, educational, industrial and professional luminaries of Mumbai.
The inaugural lamp for the event was lit by Pujya Keshavjivan Swami (Pujya Mahant Swami) amidst the chanting of Vedic verses. This was followed by a welcome speech by Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami.
Thereafter, the large 10ft by 40ft LED screen transported the audience back in time through a graphic presentation of the stories of two boys – the journeys of how a boatman’s boy became a scientist and later the 11th President of India and how a farmer’s boy became a world-renowned spiritual leader.
Brahmavihari Swami then gave glimpses of the numerous interactions between Dr. Kalam and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. This was followed by a video clip of Dr. Kalam presenting his book to Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Sarangpur, Gujarat, on 20th June.
Prof. Arun Tiwari, the co‐author of ‘Transcendence’, shared his experiences about writing the book. Then P.M. Sukumar, CEO of HarperCollins India, publishers of ‘Transcendence’, narrated the responses to the book. He also announced that the English version would be translated shortly into six other languages: Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
The celebration ceremony of the book took place with children holding divas and singing Vedic mantras while the stage guests unveiled and displayed the book to the audience.
The chief guests, Dr. Rajagopala Chidambaram, Shri Vijay Bhatkar and Dr. Ashwin Mehta, paid glowing tributes to the book and narrated their personal experiences with Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Finally, Pujya Mahant Swami blessed the event, saying, ‘Transcendence’ is a book that describes higher values as exemplified by the life of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The content is universal and transcends all human distinctions and barriers to make aperson humane.”
The event concluded with the national anthem.