A Spiritual Travelogue of Pramukh Swami Maharaj


	3 to 19 August 2003


Anand (3 August 2003)
Nadiad (3 to 12 August 2003)
Bharuch (12 to 19 August 2003)

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(Anand, Nadiad, Bharuch)

3 August 2003 ,Anand (Mp3 2,147 KB)

	12 August 2003 (V.S. 2059, Shravan sud 15) Tuesday, Nadiad, Bharuch; Rakshabandhan In the morning, over 4,000 devotees gathered for the Rakshabandhan festival. Swamishri blessed the assembly, "We have the shelter of Maharaj and have attained Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj. They will protect us physically and spiritually. Spiritually they protect from lust, anger and other base instincts and desires... By observing their commands and offering devotion one attains peace in this world and the next. By offering devotion to God protection is attained. This becomes our last birth. One becomes brahmarup, free of all desires and ekantik." At 5.20 p.m. Swamishri left for Bharuch, arriving there at 7.20 p.m. In the evening welcome assembly, the Rakshabandhan festival was celebrated. Swamishri said in his blessings, "Our true protection is provided by God. Protection by others removes bodily and financial difficulties but God and His holy Sadhu protect us by freeing us from the cycle of births and deaths."
	15 August 2003 (V.S. 2059, Shravan vad 3) Friday, Bharuch; Independence Day Today was India's Independence Day. Before his morning puja, Swamishri performed the traditional flag-raising ceremony. Then he blessed the devotees with a special Independence Day message.
	16 August 2003 (V.S. 2059, Shravan vad 4) Saturday, Bharuch A young trader approached Swamishri and asked, "At this (young) age should one perform meditation, puja and read scriptures?" Swamishri replied, "Spare 30 minutes daily." Again the young shopkeeper asked, "Is it necessary at this (young) age?" Swamishri reinforced, "It should specially be done at this age. Whatever you do at a young age will be of use to you in old age. Along with your business you should also do this."


	Materialistic Tendencies 17 August 2003 (V.S. 2059, Shravan vad 5) Sunday, Bharuch On meeting Swamishri, Mr. Mandal, Zonal Executive director of ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Company), Ankleshwar, asked, "Despite all facilities for and payment of proper wages to laborers and office staff, why do they still talk of taking more rather than giving for what they get? And for this they create agitation. Why is this?" Swamishri replied, "It is because of the rise in materialism we find such tendencies. Our culture teaches us to give. Our scriptures say that we should do something for others. They show the principles of charity, compassion, nonviolence, celibacy, etc. But we do not see this. People do not think as to what they should do for our society and country. But they entertain thoughts about doing things for themselves. And that is why we have conflicts. This is the reason for the lack of peace. What is required in education is not given (values). Firstly, it is the duty of parents, but they are not paying any attention. They have become busy. Along with education, spiritual education needs to be taught. Before we were taught poems like, 'O God, may we worship You ...' People talk about Ram's kingdom (Ram Rajya) today, but they do not think about how Ram ruled his kingdom. He did so much for his people. "Maharaja Bhagwatsinhji of Gondal provided the needs of his citizens. He helped them in times of famine and calamities. He made such milestones that people could rest and get shade beneath it. He took care of such small needs of his people. He had his children educated and then told them to work as employees, and to make do with the salary provided. He believed that people's money should not be wasted. He lived in simplicity - clothes, food and everything. We should have such rulers; only then can the citizens live happily."

To please Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj children, youths and senior devotees perform austerities, pilgrimages or other devotional means. The spiritual endeavors performed by the devotees during Swamishri's visit to the local centers are congratulatory and worthy of recognition. It also reflects Swamishri's divinity for inspiring such spiritual efforts in children, teenagers and devotees.

3 August 2003, Nadiad

12 students of the APC, Nadiad, observed an 83-hour silence.

5 August 2003, Nadiad

For 15 days during the month of Shravan students of the Akshar Purushottam Chhatralay observed: Dharna-parna - 19 students, Ek tana - 51 students. A furthur 5 students drank only liquids for 83 hours.
Also over a period of 14 days, 58 students performed 11,001 prostrations, 20,001 malas and 19,001 pradakshinas.

6 August 2003, Nadiad

55 students from Torna walked 40 km to Nadiad for darshan.

7 August 2003, Nadiad

15 balaks from Vaso walked to Nadiad for darshan.

10 August 2003, Nadiad

25 balaks walked 10 km from Vaso to Nadiad for darshan.

12 August 2003, Bharuch

From 27 July to 12 August, 316 kishores in Bharuch performed 88,201 pradakshinas and 81,806 malas.

14 August 2003, Bharuch

35 devotees from Vankal , Mangrol, Bhadkuva and Fali villages in Kim district walked 70 km to Bharuch.
15 devotees from Mandvi walked 60 km to Bharuch.

15 August 2003, Bharuch

60 devotees from Mangrol (Surat) walked 60 km to Bharuch for darshan.

17 August 2003, Bharuch

11 youths walked 52 km from Hariyal to Bharuch in 12 hours.
100 balaks, 42 balikas and 4 sanchalaks (total 146) walked from their suburbs in Bharuch to the mandir.