May-June 2013 Annual Subscription `80/- - Baps.org

BAPS NewsPushpadolotsav Celebration withPramukh Swami Maharaj27 March 2013, Ahmedabad, IndiaOver 25,000 devotees from throughout India,USA, UK, Canada, East Africa and otherparts of the world enjoyed the colourful annualHindu festivals of Holi and Pushpadolotsav inthe presence of His Holiness Pramukh SwamiMaharaj in Ahmedabad.The morning celebration assembly on 27March 2013 featured speeches by senior sadhusin which they explained the spiritual significanceof these traditional Hindu festivals. Sadhusalso sang bhajans commemorating the festiveoccasions.Swamishri graced the assembly from thebalcony (jharukho), which was decorated asa royal hansa flying in the sky surrounded bydevas sprinkling colourful flowers. Swamishriwas welcomed by the stirring beats and lyricsof the bhajan ‘Vadtãl gãm fulvadie re, hindoloãmbãni dãl…’. Thereafter, he inaugurated anew publication by Swaminarayan Aksharpith:‘Akshar-Purushottam Mahatmyam’ – a5-volume text of 19,000 Sanskrit verseswith Gujarati translations written by SadhuShrutiprakashdas. The publication describesthe glory of Bhagwan Purushottam and Akshar,the traditions of the Swaminarayan Sampradayaand the glory of the BAPS guru parampara.Then, Swamishri sprayed saffron-scentedwater upon the small murti of Shri HarikrishnaMaharaj and, in turn, Swamishri was lightlysprinkled with saffron-scented water througha spray in the hands of Thakorji. Thereafter,Swamishri pressed a switch to shower everyonewith rose petals. Devotees danced with delightwhile they enjoyed Swamishri’s darshan in theAkshar Jharukho.uMay-June 2013 u Swaminarayan Bliss 63