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Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Murti Pratishtha Ceremony, Bharuch, India

9 Dec 2001

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Murti Pratishtha Ceremony, Bharuch

Swamishri meets the devotees after Thakorji's darshan at the Hari mandir, Bharuch

Swamishri performs puja on his 81st birthday according to the English calendar

Swamishri after his puja

Senior sadhus offer a garland to Swamishri

Swamishri humbly accepts the garland

Swamishri on an observation tour of the completed shikharbaddh mandir

Midway, on the steps, Swamishri discusses about the mandir

Swamishri personally observes the pradakshina around the mandir

Murti of Nikanth Varni in memory of His visit to Bharuch in 1789 (Samvat 1855)

Swamishri performs murti pratishtha of Nilkanth Varni's murti in the Rang Mandap

Murti pratishtha rituals by Swamishri

Swamishri invokes Shriji Maharaj into the murti

Swamishri performs abhishek (ritual bathing) of Shri Nilkanth Varni and Shri Harikrishna Maharaj. From henceforth devotees will be able to offer abhishek with the waters of river Narmada

Swamishri performs the first panchamrut abhishek of Nilkanth Varni

... performs the pratishtha arti

Annakut before Nilkanth Varni and Swamishri's murti has been installed in the background

Swamishri's murti after being installed with vedic rites in the Rang Mandap

Swamishri observes the murtis to be installed in the mandir sanctum

Kishores perform a folk dance on Swamishri's birthday celebration

Folk dance by kishores

... kishores with Swamishri

Swamishri blesses the assembly

... blesses the assembly in his divine mood

Mandir at night -

Swamishri humbly bows and gestures to the assembly after his morning puja

Yagna Mandap: Around 250 yagna pits 2,500 couples were engaged in the yagna rituals

Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj during the yagna rituals

Swamishri performs the murti pratishtha yagna rituals

Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj

Brahmin pundits chant the vedic mantras during the yagna rituals

Shri Harikrishna Maharaj

Swamishri holds the auspicious pot and shrifal during the rituals

Shri Sita Ram Dev and Shri Radha Krishna Dev

Swamishri bathes Thakorji with panchamrut and water

... and performs the arti

Swamishri applies kumkum and rice grains as part of the pujan rituals to Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj ...

... Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj

... Shri Harikrishna Maharaj

... Shri Shiv Parvatiji

Shri Radha Krishna Dev

Swamishri blesses the yagna assembly

Swamishri happily blesses all by showering rice grains

'Akshar Band' of Nadiad leads the procession on the streets of Bharuch

Sadhus chant the Swaminarayan dhun

Youths perform the traditional raas

Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj in a decorated float

School boys from different schools

Shri Shiv Parvatiji and Shri Ganeshji in a decorated float

Tribal devotees perform a traditional dance

Shri Shastriji Maharaj and Shri Yogiji Maharaj in a decorated float

Another tribal group of devotees during the procession

Youths and devotees chant the Swaminarayan dhun

Donned in colorful saries ladies carry auspicious pots and sing bhajans

Shri Harikrishna Maharaj and Shri Radha Krishna Dev in a decorated float

Swamishri sings the evening arti and ashtaks

Swamishri asks the youths from abroad about the nagar yatra

After performing his morning puja, Swamishri blesses the balaks who had pilgrimaged on foot

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Swamishri ascends the mandir steps

Swamishri inaugurates the mandir main gate with vedic rites

Swamishri performs the pratishtha rituals, invoking Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj

... performs the pratishtha rituals

Swamishri holds the mirror before the deities

Performs pujan of Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj

Performs pujan of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj and Shri Radha Krishna Dev

.. performs pujan of Shastriji Maharaj

... performs pujan of Yogiji Maharaj

After performing the pratishtha of Shri Sita Ram Dev, Swamishri arrives towards another shrine ...

... and performs pratishtha of Shri Shiv Parvatiji and Shri Ganeshji

While Thakorji is being adorned, Swamishri and devotees chant the Swaminarayan dhun

... Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj

... Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj

... Shri Shastriji Maharaj

... Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj

... Shri Yogiji Maharaj

... Shri Shiv Parvatiji and Ganeshji

... Shri Sita Ram Dev and Hanumanji

Lighting the arti

Swamishri performs the first arti of the consecrated murtis

Swamishri performs the ritual bathing (abhishek) of Shri Nilkanth Varni in the Rang Mandap

... and engages in darshan at close quarters

The consecrated Shri Swaminarayan Mandir with lush green lawns and flowers

Swamishri proceeds towards the assembly after concluding the pratishtha rituals

Mandir -

The inspirer, Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Mandir -

The main pratishtha assembly

Thakorji on stage

Swamishri, senior sadhus and dignitaries on the main stage

The sadhus of Bharuch who had persevered in the mandir project garland Swamishri

Swamishri during the assembly

Senior sadhus garland Swamishri

The kishores of Bharuch perform an impressive 'Mandir' dance

Swamishri blesses the assembly emphasizing the need of mandirs for inner peace and character-building

Yogiji Maharaj in Bharuch

Yogiji Maharaj performs his morning puja

Yogiji Maharaj listens to the parayan delivered by Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Shri Ganeshbhai Amin, the sponsor of the parayan, performs arti

Yogiji Maharaj blesses the parayan

After concluding the parayan, a procession was carried out on the streets of Bharuch

Yogiji Maharaj on the occasion of the stone-laying ceremony for the Hari mandir

Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami (left) during the Hari mandir construction

The Hari mandir under-construction

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bharuch (Hari mandir)

Swamishri performs his morning puja in a decorated 12-facing hindolo

Devotees during the morning puja

Swamishri attends to his correspondence with devotees during the birthday celebration assembly

Shri Laljibhai, the main local coordinator of the festival, garlands Swamishri

Swamishri blesses Laljibhai with the holy garland

Swamishri personally blesses all the devotees who had come from far and wide places

Surya Rath - a spot on the celebration ground

A spot displays BAPS cattle camp services during the 1989 drought in Gujarat

A temporary mandir on the celebration ground

The day before the stone-laying ceremony, Swamishri observes the foundation pit

Swamishri and senior sadhus perform the shilanyas rituals

The other shilas(carved stones), symbolic of the gods of earth, are being worshiped

Swamishri sprinkles water, kumkum, etc as part of the shilanyas rituals

Swamishri and dignitaries with the nidhi kumbh

Placing the nidhi kumbh

Pouring cement over the nidhi kumbh

Arti of the main shila

Thakorji placed on the main shila

Swamishri performs the concluding rituals of the shilanyas ceremony

Devotees offer their services during the construction

Swamishri meets the devotees after Thakorji's darshan at the Hari mandir, Bharuch

Swamishri performs puja on his 81st birthday according to the English calendar

Swamishri after his puja

Senior sadhus offer a garland to Swamishri

Swamishri humbly accepts the garland

Swamishri on an observation tour of the completed shikharbaddh mandir

Midway, on the steps, Swamishri discusses about the mandir

Swamishri personally observes the pradakshina around the mandir

Murti of Nikanth Varni in memory of His visit to Bharuch in 1789 (Samvat 1855)

Swamishri performs murti pratishtha of Nilkanth Varni's murti in the Rang Mandap

Murti pratishtha rituals by Swamishri

Swamishri invokes Shriji Maharaj into the murti

Swamishri performs abhishek (ritual bathing) of Shri Nilkanth Varni and Shri Harikrishna Maharaj. From henceforth devotees will be able to offer abhishek with the waters of river Narmada

Swamishri performs the first panchamrut abhishek of Nilkanth Varni

... performs the pratishtha arti

Annakut before Nilkanth Varni and Swamishri's murti has been installed in the background

Swamishri's murti after being installed with vedic rites in the Rang Mandap

Swamishri observes the murtis to be installed in the mandir sanctum

Kishores perform a folk dance on Swamishri's birthday celebration

Folk dance by kishores

... kishores with Swamishri

Swamishri blesses the assembly

... blesses the assembly in his divine mood

Mandir at night -

Swamishri humbly bows and gestures to the assembly after his morning puja

Yagna Mandap: Around 250 yagna pits 2,500 couples were engaged in the yagna rituals

Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj during the yagna rituals

Swamishri performs the murti pratishtha yagna rituals

Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj

Brahmin pundits chant the vedic mantras during the yagna rituals

Shri Harikrishna Maharaj

Swamishri holds the auspicious pot and shrifal during the rituals

Shri Sita Ram Dev and Shri Radha Krishna Dev

Swamishri bathes Thakorji with panchamrut and water

... and performs the arti

Swamishri applies kumkum and rice grains as part of the pujan rituals to Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj ...

... Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj

... Shri Harikrishna Maharaj

... Shri Shiv Parvatiji

Shri Radha Krishna Dev

Swamishri blesses the yagna assembly

Swamishri happily blesses all by showering rice grains

'Akshar Band' of Nadiad leads the procession on the streets of Bharuch

Sadhus chant the Swaminarayan dhun

Youths perform the traditional raas

Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj in a decorated float

School boys from different schools

Shri Shiv Parvatiji and Shri Ganeshji in a decorated float

Tribal devotees perform a traditional dance

Shri Shastriji Maharaj and Shri Yogiji Maharaj in a decorated float

Another tribal group of devotees during the procession

Youths and devotees chant the Swaminarayan dhun

Donned in colorful saries ladies carry auspicious pots and sing bhajans

Shri Harikrishna Maharaj and Shri Radha Krishna Dev in a decorated float

Swamishri sings the evening arti and ashtaks

Swamishri asks the youths from abroad about the nagar yatra

After performing his morning puja, Swamishri blesses the balaks who had pilgrimaged on foot

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Swamishri ascends the mandir steps

Swamishri inaugurates the mandir main gate with vedic rites

Swamishri performs the pratishtha rituals, invoking Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj

... performs the pratishtha rituals

Swamishri holds the mirror before the deities

Performs pujan of Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj

Performs pujan of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj and Shri Radha Krishna Dev

.. performs pujan of Shastriji Maharaj

... performs pujan of Yogiji Maharaj

After performing the pratishtha of Shri Sita Ram Dev, Swamishri arrives towards another shrine ...

... and performs pratishtha of Shri Shiv Parvatiji and Shri Ganeshji

While Thakorji is being adorned, Swamishri and devotees chant the Swaminarayan dhun

... Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj

... Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj

... Shri Shastriji Maharaj

... Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj

... Shri Yogiji Maharaj

... Shri Shiv Parvatiji and Ganeshji

... Shri Sita Ram Dev and Hanumanji

Lighting the arti

Swamishri performs the first arti of the consecrated murtis

Swamishri performs the ritual bathing (abhishek) of Shri Nilkanth Varni in the Rang Mandap

... and engages in darshan at close quarters

The consecrated Shri Swaminarayan Mandir with lush green lawns and flowers

Swamishri proceeds towards the assembly after concluding the pratishtha rituals

Mandir -

The inspirer, Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Mandir -

The main pratishtha assembly

Thakorji on stage

Swamishri, senior sadhus and dignitaries on the main stage

The sadhus of Bharuch who had persevered in the mandir project garland Swamishri

Swamishri during the assembly

Senior sadhus garland Swamishri

The kishores of Bharuch perform an impressive 'Mandir' dance

Swamishri blesses the assembly emphasizing the need of mandirs for inner peace and character-building

Yogiji Maharaj in Bharuch

Yogiji Maharaj performs his morning puja

Yogiji Maharaj listens to the parayan delivered by Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Shri Ganeshbhai Amin, the sponsor of the parayan, performs arti

Yogiji Maharaj blesses the parayan

After concluding the parayan, a procession was carried out on the streets of Bharuch

Yogiji Maharaj on the occasion of the stone-laying ceremony for the Hari mandir

Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami (left) during the Hari mandir construction

The Hari mandir under-construction

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bharuch (Hari mandir)

Swamishri performs his morning puja in a decorated 12-facing hindolo

Devotees during the morning puja

Swamishri attends to his correspondence with devotees during the birthday celebration assembly

Shri Laljibhai, the main local coordinator of the festival, garlands Swamishri

Swamishri blesses Laljibhai with the holy garland

Swamishri personally blesses all the devotees who had come from far and wide places

Surya Rath - a spot on the celebration ground

A spot displays BAPS cattle camp services during the 1989 drought in Gujarat

A temporary mandir on the celebration ground

The day before the stone-laying ceremony, Swamishri observes the foundation pit

Swamishri and senior sadhus perform the shilanyas rituals

The other shilas(carved stones), symbolic of the gods of earth, are being worshiped

Swamishri sprinkles water, kumkum, etc as part of the shilanyas rituals

Swamishri and dignitaries with the nidhi kumbh

Placing the nidhi kumbh

Pouring cement over the nidhi kumbh

Arti of the main shila

Thakorji placed on the main shila

Swamishri performs the concluding rituals of the shilanyas ceremony

Devotees offer their services during the construction