Among the one lakh plus devotees at the ‘Karyakar Suvarna Mahotsav’ of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) Sanstha at the Narendra Modi stadium on Saturday, a few devotees stood out with their inspiring stories about their faith and ideals.

In conversation with Gujarat Samachar Digital, a few of them shared about their time with the Swaminarayan temple complexes across the globe.

Shashi Brahmbhatt, who serves at the San Jose Swaminarayan temple in California, US, is involved in the temple’s children-based activities. He described the experience of attending the event as mesmerising.

Sharing his experience, Brahmbhatt said, “When I reached the stadium, there were signboards everywhere, the workers greeted us with folded hands, they were standing in the sun, they spoke lovingly, they showed us the way, so it didn’t feel like we had come from abroad, it felt like these workers had known us for years. We saw incredible love for us. Who wouldn't love to come to a place with such acceptance?”

Darshan Bhatt, who has been living in Dubai, UAE, for the past 32 years and serves at the Swaminarayan temple in Abu Dhabi, also attended the Suvarna Mahotsav.

Sharing insights from the Abu Dhabi temple, he said, “People from all states of India come in large numbers to our Swaminarayan temple, the only Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. So we have begun doing ‘katha’ in Hindi as well for them to  understand. And we have also started sessions in Marathi and English to erase any language barriers for the devotees.”

Chandrakant Brahmbhatt has been living in the US for the past 30 years, but is originally from Gujarat’s Khambhat. He currently serves at the Swaminarayan temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Speaking about the devotees, Brahmbhatt said, “Devotees appreciate each other’s work, which gives us a booster dose. We intend to contribute better in our field of work for our faith, and our enthusiasm also increases. This appreciation acts like a booster dose. The purpose of the ‘Karyakar Survarna Mahotsav’ was also the same. This programme has given a booster dose for the next ten years to lakhs of workers like us.”

Roshni Brahmbhatt, an Indian-origin born in the US, currently resides in San Jose, and serves at the Swaminarayan temple. Roshni shared an anecdote from her upbringing, which could be an insight for those willing to settle abroad.

Speaking about how she got involved with BAPS, Roshni said, “When I was young, my father heard Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s speeches, and he said that everyone comes to the US to accumulate progeny and wealth, but if we don’t build the foundation of culture and institution, then we will get neither. My father used to take me to the ‘Balika Sabha’ when I was young where the workers of the sabha taught me Gujarati, what it means to be a Hindu, and what are the values of the satsang, among other lessons.”

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BAPS Karyakar Suvarna Mahotsav at Narendra Modi Stadium a spectacle to behold