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- 7
June 2004 (V.S. 2060, Jeth vad 5) Monday, Edison, Atlanta
Swagat
Din
- At 12.40 pm Swamishri
arrived at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Clarkston, Atlanta.
- In the evening
welcome assembly senior devotees honored Swamishri. The
Mayor of Clarkston, Lee Swaney honored Swamishri with a
Key to the City. After the Mayor’s address, children
of Atlanta Satsang performed a traditional welcome dance.
Finally Swamishri blessed the assembly, emphasizing the
need to consolidate our cultural and religious values in
children.
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- 8 June
2004 (V.S. 2060, Jeth vad 6) Tuesday, Atlanta
Senior
Citizens’ Day
- Jeffrey H Brickman,
District Attorney of Dekalb County, honored Swamishri with
a proclamation for his outstanding contribution to nonviolence.
- The evening assembly
was celebrated as Senior Citizens’ Day. The youths
performed a drama ‘Dollar is my God and I am its Servant’
which illustrated the difficult and miserable situations
of senior citizens who labored for only money. In conclusion
Swamishri blessed the assembly, “If there is Satsang
then the family can be happy. The reason for building mandirs
here is to maintain your character and culture, to enhance
love with family members and to preserve a vegetarian diet
in your lives… So you must visit the mandir and read
our scriptures.
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- 9 June
2004 (V.S. 2060 Jeth vad 7) Wednesday, Atlanta; Cildren’s
Day
Bal
- Balika Din (morning)
Bal
- Balika Din (evening)
During Swamishri’s puja, children recited Shri Vasudevvimalamrut
verses and chapter 42 of Bhakta Chintamani. The balikas had
prepared various food items for annakut for Shri Harikrishna
Maharaj.
In the morning special assembly for children various programs
were presented before Swamishri. Finally in his blessings Swamishri
stressed the need to be an ideal child by studying well, doing
satsang and serving parents.
On behalf of Terry Coleman, Speaker of Georgia, Charles Topenses,
his chief assistant, presented Swamishri a proclamation for
his social services and declared 9 June 2004 as ‘Pramukh
Swami Maharaj Spirit of Humanity Day’.
Chuck Topenses, Chief of Staff for the speaker for the GA House
of Representatives, spoke to the assembly, “First of all,
I want to thank His Divine Holiness for spending the time here
in Atlanta. To come and be with you, to continue his work in
providing the kind of spiritual leadership that all too often
we don’t see in this world. So we thank him for coming
here. And the second thing I want to say is that I want to thank
you and this community. The Indian community brings to Atlanta
and the Atlanta area and to the United States for that matter
certain values that unfortunately we sometimes miss in the American
culture, a love of family and a respect that goes both ways
from the head of that family to the rest of the members of that
family. You also bring with you a shared work ethic of how important
it is to work hard to benefit your family and to benefit this
community. And third and lastly, I want to commend you on the
value that you bring on education. Too often our American culture
views education through that TV screen and while there is a
definite value to what we can learn in some instances, there
is greater value in study, in contemplation, and in understanding
what the word knowledge really means or education means when
it comes from within. So I want to commend all of you. We value
you; we value the presence of His Divine Holiness and bless
every one of you.”
The Children’s Day program included a speech, dance, drama
and finally Swamishri’s blessings. Swamishri said, “One
has to look after a garden. The fruit trees have to be nurtured
with care so that we may benefit of them. Similarly, children
are like a garden. If we look after them then they will be of
benefit to us… By instilling character in children they
will progress properly and be of benefit to the family, society
and country…”
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- 10
June 2004 (V.S. 2060 Jeth vad 8) Thursday, Atlanta; Kishore
Day
Kishore
- Kishori Din Assembly (morning)
Kishore
- Kishori Din Assembly (evening)
- The kishoris
had prepared 1000 food items for annakut offered to Shri
Harikrishna Maharaj. The kishores were singing thal while
Swamishri came for darshan. Swamishri too joined in the
singing of thals.
- The Kishore Day
program in the evening included a skit on Swamishri’s
work, a dance and drama showing the adverse effects of alcohol
drinking and dating. Finally, Swamishri addressed the kishores
on the same theme.
Therburt Baker, Attorney General of Georgia State, sent
a proclamation honoring Swamishri for his moral, cultural
and social contribution to society.
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- 11
June 2004 (V.S. 2060, Jeth vad 9) Friday, Atlanta; Youth Day
Yuvak
- Yuvati Din (morning)
Yuvak
- Yuvati Din (evening)
- In the morning
assembly BAPS youths presented a drama showing how through
western influences a satsangi youth’s satsang fades.
In conclusion the youths prayed to Swamishri to guide them
to remain unflinching in Satsang. Swamishri talked about
Hanumanji’s steadfast devotion and allegiance to Shri
Ram, Prahlad’s conviction in God and the transformation
of Sagram Vaghri.
- The Dpy Consul
General of Israel in Atlanta, Mr Aviv Ezra, presented a
proclamation to Swamishri.
- In the evening
assembly the Charlotte Yuvak Mandal presented three skits
about serving through mind, body and speech. Thereafter
Dr Swami explained how one should serve in that manner.
The youths then presented incidents and recitations regarding
the need for associating with the Satpurush for fostering
seva and bhakti. Thereafter Viveksagar Swami further elaborated
on the subject. Prior to Swamishri’s blessings an
inspiring interview of youths dedicated to Satsang was held.
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- 12
June 2004 (V.S. 2060, Jeth vad 10) Saturday, Atlanta; Guru Bhakti
Din
Cultural
Program "Avasar Anandno"
The evening Guru Bhakti Din assembly
included a drama, a dance, inspiring incidents of volunteers,
speeches by Viveksagar Swami and Dr Swami and finally capped
by Swamishri’s blessings.
The Governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, had sent a proclamation
to honor Swamishri.
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- 13
June 2004 (V.S. 2060, Jeth vad 11) Sunday, Lilbum (Atlanta);
Silanyas of BAPS Shikharbaddh Mandir
Shilanyas
Mahotsav
Despite a fever Swamishri presided
over the shilanyas rituals of a shikharbaddh BAPS Swaminarayan
Mandir in the suburb of Lilbum in Atlanta. The rituals were
also performed by 100 devotees in the foundation pit. Swamishri
performed pujan of the 27 main shilas by showering flower petals.
Soil from 42 countries and water from 72 rivers of the world
were used during the shilanyas rituals. At 10.36 am Swamishri
placed the nidhi-kumbh into the foundation pit and added cement.
The participating devotees also added cement into the foundation
pit. Dr K.C. Patel and Shankarbhai Patel split the auspicious
coconut during as part of the rituals. Thereafter Swamishri
addressed the devotees, “May the mandir that will be built
here stand for thousands of years. May countless take its advantage.
We pray that they be redeemed. The pujan we have done today
was not an ordinary pujan. We have worshipped the master of
Akshardham – Harikrishna Maharaj, His devotee Gunatitanand
Swami and Yogiji Maharaj. Their blessings are always upon us.
We pray that may our devotion remain robust, may we serve well
and our minds be happy…”
Thereafter Swamishri met and blessed about sixteen dignitaries
present. The Mayor of Lilburn, Jack Bolton, presented a Key
to the City to Swamishri.
Swamishri, despite his illness, also attended the shilanyas
assembly. Various dignitaries expressed their honor, gratitude
and assistance to Swamishri for the mandir project.
Jack Bolton, Mayor of Lilburn, said, “It is indeed an
honor to join with you today and this historic foundation stone-laying
ceremony for the new BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Temple in Lilburn.
As the mayor I welcome you to this community and as community
we look forward with anticipation and excitement to this new
spiritual and social center that will arise from the foundation
that we set today. We are delighted that you have selected Lilbum
as your new home… As community leaders we recognize the
BAPS for unity in the community and work with the community
for the welfare of the local and national government. We recognize
the many accomplishments of the leadership and we are excited
and thrilled to have and welcome His Divine Holiness. So join
us today. We are honored to welcome His Divine Holiness Pramukh
Swami Maharaj to our city. As a symbol of our respect and admiration,
we are pleased to present to His Divine Holiness a Key to the
City. The Key to the City is a symbol of our respect and recognition
for the many accomplishments of His Divine Holiness and we look
forward to you coming into our community. We extend to his Divine
Holiness our utmost hospitality and courtesy during his visit
to our city and wish him to return often.”
Wayne Hill, Chairman of Gwinnett Commission, expressed, “I
have a proclamation that I’d like to read. And I’ll
apologize… This is a proclamation from Gwinnet County
commending Pramukh Swami Maharaj… Whereas every religion
has it’s own tradition to build houses of worship it is
the mandir that builds faith in God, strengthens society and
teaches people to trust one another and to become trustworthy.
And whereas a mandir is a center for learning about man, nature
and God. It is where ethics and values are reinforced; it is
where people celebrate festivals and seek shelter in sad times.
It is for talent in various arts such as sculpture, music and
literature offered in the service of God. And whereas the BAPS
Swaminarayan Sanstha under the leadership of His Divine Holiness
Pramukh Swami Maharaj has built more than 500 mandirs. The BAPS
mandirs serve as an ideal example of spiritualism coupled with
art and architecture. For they inherit peace and purity, they
represent the spirit of love and harmony for the devotees.”
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