1 August 2006 (V.S. 2062, Shravan sud 7) Tuesday, Atladra
With the heavy monsoon rains many villages in Kheda district were flooded and left people marooned. On Swamishri’s instruction BAPS sadhus and volunteers provided rescue and relief. Food packets and relief materials prepared in Bochasan and Atladra mandirs were supplied by volunteers to the flood-affected victims.
7 August 2006 (V.S. 2062, Shravan sud 13) Monday, Atladra
Sixty BAPS teenagers and 50 children and teenage girls of UK arrived in Atladra after completing their pilgrimage of holy places in Gujarat and Chhapaiya. They were to spend a week to avail of Swamishri’s blessings and spiritual company. Swamishri blessed them during a special assembly, “In your age you can attain a lot and you can also lose a lot. If you get into bad company you lose out, and if you come to satsang then you will be liberated. If you associate with good people, read good things, see good things then you will be liberated. But if you sit with wrong people then you will get drowned. When anyone gets involved with kusang then he will lose interest in satsang.” Swamishri blessed them for 50 minutes.
8 August 2006 (V.S. 2062, Shravan sud 14) Tuesday, Atladra
With the floods in Surat, Swamishri remained in contact with BAPS sadhus at the Surat Mandir, guiding them and praying for the waters to abate.
This morning, prior to his puja, while Swamishri was engaged in Thakorji’s darshan he instructed to start chanting the Swaminarayan dhun for the flood waters to recede and no further loss of lives and damage to property occurs. Sadhus and devotees chanted dhun before Thakorji till 12 noon. Then the chanting continued from 12.00 noon to 4.00 pm in the assembly hall. And finally the dhun was continued till 7.00 pm before Thakorji in the mandir.
At 10.45 am Swamishri got news that the water level in Surat Mandir was rising. Swamishri reassured the sadhus that everyone was praying for the waters to subside and for no further loss of lives in the city.
In the evening, on Swamishri’s instruction, 20 BAPS volunteers of Valsad, formerly fishermen, set off towards Surat with a large motorboat, food packets, drinking water and other relief materials for distribution. Swamishri had also instructed sadhus at Navsari mandir to prepare food packets.
At 7.00 pm Swamishri attended the satsang assembly during which the balaks-kishores of UK made several stage presentations.
9 August 2006 (V.S. 2062, Shravan sud 15) Wednesday, Atladra; Shravani Purnima (Raksha Bandhan)
In the evening assembly Viveksagar Swami discoursed on base instincts. Yogicharan Swami sang a bhajan with reference to Raksha Bandhan celebration, ‘Yogi Bapa hamari tame raksha karo.’ Finally, Swamishri blessed the satsang assembly, “Today we ask God to protect us, because God and his Sadhu are our true protectors. They protect us from maya, which is very potent, and once one becomes entangled in it, it is very difficult to come out. But God can extricate us. We pray to God to protect us, but one’s life should also be pure; then he will protects. One should do darshan of God with single-minded concentration, and always remember God in all actions.”
14 August 2006 (V.S. 2062, Shravan vad 6) Monday, Atladra
After the flood waters started subsiding, Swamishri instructed the senior sadhus of Surat mandir to take up a cleaning-up project in one of the suburbs as requested by the state government. He advised that more BAPS youth volunteers be called from our centres in Navsari, Valsad and Sankari. Swamishri further instructed that the cleaning-up work was to be done in collaboration with government officials, and the Sanstha’s medical vans be deployed in the city.
As part of flood relief services, Swamishri instructed the BAPS mandirs in Amdavad, Mumbai, Bochasan, Atladra, etc. to prepare kits of food provisions for distribution to the afflicted. The 50-75 kg kit included wheat floor, grains, spices, ghee, edible oil, etc.
16 August 2006 (V.S. 2062, Shravan vad 8) Wednesday, Atladra; Krishna Janmashtmi
At 8.00 pm the Krishna Janmashtmi celebration assembly commenced. Viveksagar Swami discoursed about the life and work of Bhagwan Shri Krishna. The BAPS children and youths performed the musical ‘Krishna Lila’. Tyagvallabh Swami addressed the assembly. Thereafter youths performed a cultural dance on the theme song, “Govind Ala re…” Prior to Swamishri’s blessings senior sadhus garlanded Swamishri. In conclusion Swamishri blessed the assembly, “God comes on earth to fulfil the wishes of devotees. To realize God and the incarnations of his sadhus one requires ‘intelligence’. One can become illusioned by the divine actions of God. But those who have recognized and realized God have been hailed and remembered as devotees. Similarly, one has to realize God, have pure feelings for him and offer bhakti to him to please him.
“Many have died and suffered in the floods in Surat, Vadodara, Kheda district, Amdavad, etc. Let us pray to God to redeem Surat from its present crises and revive its commerce once again. May there be no epidemic and no more suffering. Despite our devotees and youths being afflicted by the floods they have also joined in the relief work. They are supplying fresh water, milk pouches and food materials to the flood-afflicted victims.” Swamishri also remembered 800 BAPS volunteers of Bharuch, Tithal, Navsari and Surat who were serving in the flood relief programme in Surat.
At 10.10 pm Swamishri performed the birthday celebration arti and rocked Shri Harikrishna Maharaj in a decorated hindolo. The celebration concluded at 10.35 pm.