BAPS temple inaugurated

BY KOMALUTSAV JAGAD

Ic was a historic week for the Flindu community in Sydney as 3,000 devotees gathered together for the inaug ural celebrations of the newly renovated temp le ar BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Ma ndir a t Elea nor Street in Rosehill.

The week-Jong festivities began on 6 February with a Swag"t Sabha (welcome assembly) and continued rill l2 February, packed full of holy celebrations including Vedic ptijas per formed by priests who travelled from fodia and the United States for this special event.

NS\XI Premier Barr y O'Farrell with Param Pujya Ishwa rch aran Swami officially inaugurated the temple at its JYbirti Pmna Pratishth" cerem o n y, in the midst of a number of dignitaries and communi ty leaders ,vbo attended tbe festivities. Amon~t these were Dr Geoff Lee MP, Jttlie Owens MP and CounciUo.rs Julia Finn and Jame s Shaw.

Pa ram Pujya Ishwarcharan

Swami consecrated the temple ido ls according co traditional rites. In this ceremony a de ity's statue is infused with its soul and power to awaken its holiness and br ing it to life within the temple.

The ho ly event continued on the second day, with Ki,tcm Amdhna (prayer), and a cul tural program prese n ted by the children and yo ungsters of the temple. For devotees, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of this landmark event. The Mabapl(ja (grand prayers) and the Min-ti Pmna Pmtishlha were of major reverence. Mahapzija is a Hindu worship ritual that allows many devotees to sinrnl t aneous ly participate in prayer s Du_ring the rimal, devotees offered t heir humble pra)'er s to seek ha rmony and world peace as they bowed to their ido l and offered flowers.

The BAPS Mandir (temple) has been a part of Sydney's muJticu.lturnJ landscape since 1996, a n d m oved to its cmrent location in 2000. The original temple de ities had humble beginnings, hav ing been i nstalled and inaugurated back in 2002 b y his H oliness Pramuk.h Swami Mahar aj. His leg ;icy continued as t he temple grew, marking an exceptional journey over the past 14 years As the influx of visitors grew each year, it was imperative for the BAPS communi ty to embark ou tbjs project and rebnild the temple. The construction of the temple began in mid -201 1 a nd it was recently completed in Novem ber 20 13, resulting in tl1e grand weeklong ce lebratio n s.

Not o nly i ts effe rvescin g spicimality, bur the Rosehill temp le's special amenities are also sin1ply extraordinary. Its aesthetic d esign is remarkabl y unique, witl1 dramatically large front gates made of very intricate designs. A large dome design ed in the centre of the main shrine seems to bring in the ambience of a shiny moon in the sky. Th e temple also boasts a state-of- the- art con1JI1tuiiry centre with facilities like a di ning area, activi ty rooms, prayer hal l and ample car spaces.

The Premier heartily congratulated BAPS and the hundreds of volunteers on t he comp letion of tl1e l\fandir.

" lt is a wonderful ac hievement reflecting the hard work and conm1itmenc of tl1e entir e c o nununiry,''

Mr O'Fa r rell said. "lt i s certain to continue to se rve this community as a p lace to come together iu support of ro u r culmral and spi r itual growth".

The Mandir in Roseh il.l is one of the tl1ree BJ\PS Mand irs in A u stralia, in addition to the ones in Melbourne and Perth. A new BAPS Mandir will open in

Brisbane on 15 Febrnary, while construction is underway for a Mandir in Adelaide

The i nauguration of tl1e temple was a surreal exp erience for all the arrendees as they basked in tl1c glory of tl1e sacred celebrations Yogi Savania., Public Affairs Coordinator of the Mandir said, " le is a landmark event for Sydney and the entire credit goes to Lord Swaminarayan and hi s Holiness Pramukh Swami Mahara j". He als o ac.knowleclged tl1e support of the 270 vol unteers

For all devo tees, this unbelievabl e spiritual journey through the corridors of the BAPS Mandie was ind eed a true experience to be kept in their beans for rest of their Lives, as everyone hailed the gl ory of Lord Swamioarayru.1

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