Honorable Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales, was traditionally welcomed to the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Sydney by Mahamahopadhyay Bhadreshdas Swami.
Young boys and girls melodiously recited Sanskrit shlokas from the Satsang Diksha, filling the air with messages of world peace, prosperity, and unity. Deeply touched by the recitation, the NSW Premier remarked that younger generations learning Sanskrit will ensure that the ancient and melodic language thrives for generations to come, “To see young Australian kids recite Sanskrit is wonderful. It’s not an easy thing to do, but the BAPS community’s dedication to and understanding of these ancient rites, scripts, and languages means that 100 years from now, the great-grandchildren of the young kids here will be speaking the exact same tongue, preserving that culture and religion, and passing them on to the next generation.”
In his address, Mr. Minns fondly recalled his first meeting with Bhadreshdas Swami in 2022, prior to being elected as the 47th Premier of NSW, when Bhadreshdas Swami tied a sacred nadachhadi for friendship and goodwill. Premier Minns emphasized the importance of cultural exchanges and their profound impact on fostering mutual respect and understanding among diverse communities.
He added, “I take it upon myself as a personal commitment to take the scriptures from swami and the BAPS Community in Sydney, put them in the NSW Parliament, and make them available to the members of parliament and to people from other races and religions as a message of peace, tolerance, and togetherness. I can think of no finer message for a modern Australian community such as ours.”
Mr. Minns expressed admiration and excitement for the vision behind the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Cultural Precinct, phase one of which is expected to open in early 2025 and shared that he has already reserved time in his schedule to attend the opening, “This religious institution in Kemps Creek will become iconic, not just for the BAPS community, but for everybody that lives in NSW.”
The assembly concluded with a heartfelt speech by Bhadreshdas Swami, who expressed his gratitude to Mr. Minns for his continued support and encouragement. He highlighted the shared commitment to building a society grounded in mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.