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Kishore-Kishori India Trip 2024, USA

25 Jun 2024 to 31 Jul 2024

Delegates arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport and are greeted with an image of Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi

Delegates arrive at Swaminarayan Akshardham and settle in their rooms after nearly 48 hours of continuous travel

Delegates attend the evening arti

Delegates relax on the steps of the mandir after dinner

Night view of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, New Delhi

Delegates perform puja in front of the mandir

A delegate sits in meditation

Delegates and devotees engaged in darshan of the murti of Brahmaswarup Yogiji Maharaj, who had the initial wish of building a mandir on the banks of the Yamuna River

Delegates engaged in the morning arti

A delegate takes notes while listening to the morning discourse after arti

Delegates take notes while listening to the morning discourse after arti

Delegates meet with Swamis after the morning rituals are completed in the mandir

Kishore delegates pose for a group photo in front of Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi

Kishori delegates pose for a group photo in front of Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi

After completing a full-day tour of the Akshardham Complex, delegates depart from New Delhi and arrive at the Maharshi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya

Aerial view of the Swaminarayan Mandir in Chhapaiya, the birthplace of Bhagwan Swaminarayan

Delegates arrive and walk towards the mandir for darshan

Arti being performed in the mandir

Delegates engaged in darshan of the various shrines constructed at the birthplace of Bhagwan Swaminarayan

Delegates gather around a well from the childhood time of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in Chhapaiya

Swamis and kishore delegates take a group photo in front of the mandir

A delegate uses a hammer and chisel to carve a pillar in the mandir, recounting memories and seva done for the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey, the previous year

Delegates walk to various sanctified locations around the village of Chhapaiya, visited by Bhagwan Swaminarayan during his childhood days

Pujya Brahmasetu Swami, one of the swamis accompanying the delegates on the trip, explains the significance of the various sanctified locations

Delegates walk to various sanctified locations around Chhapaiya

Delegates visit the “Trikonyu Khetar,” where Ghanshyam Maharaj played with his friends

Local children lead the delegates in performing a quick prayer together

Delegates depart from Chhapaiya to return to Ayodhya

Delegates arrive at the Ram Ghat in Ayodhya

Kishori delegates take a group photo on the steps of the Ram Ghat. Behind them is the Saryu River, in which Bhagwan Swaminarayan used to bathe daily as a child

Swamis and kishore delegates take a group photo on the banks of the Ram Ghat

Delegates wait in line to do darshan at the Hanuman Gadhi in Ayodhya, one of the places frequently visited by Bhagwan Swaminarayan during his childhood days

Delegates admire the architecture of the mandir

Delegates wait in line to perform darshan of the murti of Shri Hanumanji

Delegates visit the childhood home of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in Ayodhya

Delegates listen intently to Kothari Akhileshwar Shastri as he narrates stories from Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s childhood during his time in Ayodhya

In the courtyard, a sanctified tree still stands where Bhagwan Swaminarayan had famously put monkeys in a divine trance during his childhood

Delegates stand outside the sanctified sweet shop where Bhagwan Swaminarayan, during his childhood, had performed a miracle of filling the entire shop with sweets

Delegates joyfully ride in rickshaws through the streets of Ayodhya

Delegates disembark from the bus as they arrive at Ayodhya Airport before their flight to Chennai

A delegate reflects on her experiences while waiting for the flight

Delegates ask questions and engage in discussion with swamis as they wait for their flight