4 March 2005 (V.S. 2061, Maha vad 8) Friday, Mahesana, Kalol, Vidyanagar
At 10.00 am Swamishri departed from Mahesana and arrived at 10.45 am in Kalol. Swamishri attended a public satsang assembly. In his blessings Swamishri said, “Bhagwan Swaminarayan had not preached about religious conversion but about transforming the evil nature of people. This is social service. What the law cannot do, religion can. The injunctions of our shastras are true. People who do not abide by them are being errant and wayward… By going to the mandir our mind becomes steady. The mind is restless like a monkey. To make it calm we have God, who is steady and calm. We have achieved external progress, but for the progress of atma we have dharma and our scriptures. To steady the wavering mind one should read the shastras and listen to discourses of sadhus”
After the assembly Swamishri arrived at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Kalol and performed pujan and arti of the murtis.
In the late afternoon Swamishri departed from Kalol and travelled to Vidyanagar for the 40th anniversary celebration of Akshar Purushottam Chhatralay (APC). The celebration marked forty successful years of the Chhatralay since its inauguration by Yogiji Maharaj on 20 June 1965. Swamishri was welcomed by ex-students of APC and senior sadhus. In his blessings Swamishri narrated the history of the making of the Chhatralay, “It was Yogiji Maharaj’s wish to build a Chhatralay. Ambalal Kalyan Yojna donated the land. Then the youths and sadhus dug the foundation pit… Yogiji Maharaj desired that youths should have character and academic excellence. This would help create a better society. One should not be tinged by the colours of materialism…”
Swamishri would be presiding during the 2½ day celebration.
5 March 2005 (V.S. 2061, Maha Vad 9) Saturday, Vidyanagar
The programme agenda of the 40th anniversary celebration of APC included speeches, dramas and reminiscences from sadhus, and ex-students.
During his blessings Swamishri said, “Yogiji Maharaj used to say that this is a college of Brahmavidya. The more one realises the glory of satsang the more one experiences happiness. Yogiji Maharaj wanted to redeem you from what you have been doing for endless births and that is why you have this college (APC). He was different. He would make all happy, give a pat and a fast. In this way he inspired moral disciplines in life. His was the law of love. Shriji Maharaj and Shastriji Maharaj also used the law of love. With love one’s worldly desires and ignorance get dissolved and one’s inner self gets purified…”
In the evening, the Charutar Vidya Mandal (governing body of all colleges in Vidyanagar) organised a felicitation programme for sadhus who had graduated from its colleges. Dr Swami, Mahant Swami and Shri C.L. Patel, chairman of Charutar Vidya Mandal, addressed the august gathering. Shri C.L. Patel said, “I am an ordinary person. When I was selected as head I was anxious as to whether I would be able to handle the responsibility. Many used to say that I would run away in six months, but I had the blessings of Swamishri. Swami told me that Shastriji Maharaj is with you. It is through Swamishri’s blessings that I am able to perform my duties well. Thereafter the executive members honoured Swamishri, senior sadhus and sadhus who formerly stayed in the Chhatralay.
After a question-answer session with sadhus, Swamishri blessed the assembly of 6,500 devotees and wellwishers, “Shastriji Maharaj had blessed this land. Though he was in poor health he sat in an oxen cart and showered flower petals and chanted the dhun. This land is a holy place. Those who come here are blessed with spirituality and knowledge. This town is a pilgrim place of knowledge. Many of our sadhus had formerly studied here and now they are offering their services to society. They travel to villages inspiring people to give up addictions. This is a great service to society.”
7 March 2006 (V.S. 2061, Maha vad 11) Monday; Vidyanagar, Anand, Gamdi, Vaghasi, Vidyanagar
In Anand, Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of pujan and arti of murtis for five BAPS hari mandirs for the villages of Thamna, Balasinor, Piplata, Khijalpur and Yoginagar. Thereafter Swamishri blessed the devotees.
8 March 2005 (V.S. 2061, Maha vad 13) Tuesday, Vidyanagar, Mahelav; Shivratri
At 6.30 pm Swamishri arrived in Mahelav. First he went for darshan at Shastriji Maharaj’s birthplace. After darshan, Swamishri chanted dhun for the successful completion and inauguration of Akshardham in New Delhi, centenary celebration of BAPS in 2007, etc. Thereafter Swamishri went for darshan of the shrine where Dungar Bhagat had narrated the Mahabharat. After reaching the mandir Swamishri blessed the devotees gathered for a satsang assembly.