Prayers mark new BAPS temple construction

For more than ten years the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Temple) in Rosehill, Sydney has stood as a centre of community, culture and spirituality. After many years of planning and hard work, renovations for the new purpose-built Mandir have begun.

A Shilanyas Mahotsav, or foundation stone laying ceremony, for the new Mandir was held at the Sydney Baha’i Centre, Silverwater on Sunday 5 February 2012 in the presence of Pujya Tyagvallabh Swami and sadhus from India, and invited guests and dignitaries.

“The reconstruction of the Rosehill Temple represents the auspicious next step, both spiritually and practically, in BAPS development and growth in Sydney,” said State Minister Victor Dominello, who was representing the Premier of NSW will be built with not only physical material like bricks and mortar, but will be built with goodness and righteousness, built with dharma.”

Over 300 devotees participated in the Vedic Mahapuja Ceremony which was conducted by the

The ceremony was followed by an assembly attended by over 750 invited guests, community leaders and devotees, many of whom had

Australia to be present on this historic occasion. Alongside

Mr. Dominello was the Consul General of India to Sydney, Mr. Amit Dasgupta, and the Federal Member for Parramatta Mr. Geoff Lee.

Mr. Dominello and the other guests praised the efforts of the BAPS community and inspiration provided to them by His Holiness

Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the organisation’s spiritual leader. “Millions of people’s lives have been touched and enriched by BAPS since its founding in 1907,” said Mr Dominello. “And we are fortunate and blessed that this tradition continues here in New South Wales.”

The new Mandir is expected to be completed within 12 months.

The Kolaveri rage

What was obvious at the joy the Pitt St performance brought, was the one thing that can be said with clarity about the phenomenon that is Kolaveri Di – that the song continues, inexplicably, to transcend boundaries. Non-Tamil speakers were singing the song (in their bathrooms as well as on stage) much before they understood the lyrics. They don’t understand it even now, except that ‘Kolaveri’ means “murderous rage” but is intended light-heartedly. The nonsensical ‘Tanglish’ (TamilEnglish) song with street-speak words, is sung (or borderline sung!) by a slightly inebriated youth to a girl who has just dumped him.

‘She’s fair of face but dark of heart’: convert this sentiment to the most basic of words, in the simplest of phrases, and you have Kolaveri Di: White skin girl, heart black. And again: Eyes full of tears, empty life, life reverse gear.

Its composers (singer-actor Dhanush and his cousin Anirudh Ravichander) have admitted they composed the tune in 10 minutes and wrote the lyrics in 20.

A rough cut video version of the song which was released on YouTube became such a hit that it was put down as the final version. The simple lyrics, the broken English, the dumped-boy angst, all somehow contributed to its popularity. In no time, the entire nation was singing it, and applying versions of it to Sachin Tendulkar’s missed milestone century, politicians’ antics, and anything and everything else they could think of.

Use the search words Sydney Kolaveri in YouTube to check out the Pitt St flash mob

(Mandeep Raje and Aditya Apte used their car to help jump start!)

5th Feb, Sunday was the next big joint rehearsal.

Ankit offered his car park for practise. (We hired a generator for the practise - no more flat car batteries). 45 dancers now. Passers-by stopped and watched for ages. Sachin Saraf, gem of a guy, played ‘nanny’, as everyone dumped their kids on him. Everyone was helping, in their own silent way.

The last practise session summed up the rehearsals. Clocks were synchronized, timings were set in stone, logistics were sorted out, the formation, meeting place…. all was agreed on. The weather was the only unknown and unplanned aspect. It was agreed, rain or no rain, the show must go on!

9th Feb, Thursday, last day contacts were made to the Police and City of Sydney Council. All good to go! Over 50 in the mob now, including four Aussies, one Japanese, two Chinese, and several Sri Lankans.

10 downcast, but not our spirits, especially as the appointed time, 4.00pm, drew near. We had all been praying for the rain to stop. And, guess what, it did, just a few minutes before show time!

I had left the computer in hibernate mode. (The music was on it). As I opened it at 3.55pm - it had switched off! I had to restart. It seemed to take ages to respond, and I was stressed as crazy. Finally it worked, and I was relieved. The flash mob started exactly 10 seconds after 4:00pm.......right on cue as per our plan. (The people who spoke to me in those 4 minutes, must have

Amidst cheers of encouragement from the gathering crowd, a huge group of people were dancing - dancing not for fame, not to promote themselves or anyone, but simply to spread joy!

There were over 50 in the mob, including four Aussies, one Japanese, two Chinese, and several Sri Lankans.