Over 100,000 volunteers (swayamsevak/karyakar) associated with the Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) sect of Swaminarayan Sampradaya gathered at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday to celebrate 50 years since the foundation of its organised volunteer cadre in the 1970s by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the immediate past spiritual head of the sect.
Mahant Swami Maharaj was welcomed in the stadium in an artistically crafted chariot that circumambulated the stadium. He gave darshan and offered his humble pranams to all the volunteers. As the chariot advanced along the periphery of the stadium, a symbolic performance by youths depicted scattered beads being unified into a garland and rose petals transformed into golden petals as an honour to Mahant Swami Maharaj for uniting them and blessing them with purity and goodness
Union home minister Amit Shah and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel participated in the event along with Mahant Swami, the spiritual head of the sect, and senior sadhus. The event also celebrated the 103rd birth anniversary of Pramukh Swami Maharaj as the devotees paid homage to him through prayers and a laser show.
Shah, in his speech, said that as a person who saw the journey from a grassroots worker to national president of a party, he knows how tough organising people is. He commended the event as ‘rare and incomparable’ where more than 100,000 volunteers were felicitated for their social and spiritual services.
“The volunteers have created families with values and have promoted ‘ghar sabha’ (a concept where all members of a family come together at least once a week) to resolve domestic issues, de-addiction and education,” he added.
Volunteers from across India and 30 other countries participated in the event, said the organisers.
The event saw the participation of children and youth who made different formations on the ground. A special tribute was paid to women volunteers for their commitment, as a video tribute mentioned acts of service across the world. The grand finale involved a laser and drone show along with wristband lighting effects and a fireworks show. In the end, a maha aarti was performed with Mahant Swami.
Brahmavihari Swami, a senior monk with the sect, highlighted instances of volunteerism and said that even a single volunteer at several places was an agent of change for de-addiction, eradication of superstitions, and harmonising broken families.
PM Modi lauds volunteers’ humanitarian efforts
PM Narendra Modi, in a recorded message, remembered Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the immediate past spiritual leader of the sect, on his 103rd birth anniversary. He reflected on Pramukh Swami’s guidance throughout his life journey.
Lauding the efforts of BAPS volunteers, PM Modi said that the BAPS workers are bringing about a change in the lives of millions of people through their tireless service across the world. “Karyakar Suvarna Mahotsav is a celebration of the humanitarian teachings of Bhagwan Swaminarayan… I had the opportunity to join them multiple times, like after the devastation caused by the earthquake in Bhuj, the reconstruction of Naranarayan Nagar village, the floods in Kerala, the pain of landslides in Uttarakhand, and even during the recent disaster of a global pandemic, coronavirus,” he said. He added that even at the start of the Ukraine war, BAPS workers helped govt and people who were reaching Poland.
