Cultivating the art of respect and devotion

It is believed in Hinduism that one attains the great fortune of becoming a sage after many lifetimes of good karma. A sage or swami in the Hindu order of faith does not limit himself to the silence of the enlightened mind rather s/he spreads the divine wisdom to the society.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was one such enlightened being. He was the Guru and President of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a major branch of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Hindu denomination. He received initiation as a Hindu Swami in 1940 from Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS, who later appointed him as President of BAPS in 1950. As president of BAPS, he oversaw the growth of BAPS from an organisation centered in Gujarat to one spread around the world, maintaining many Hindu temples and centers even outside of India. He built more than 1,100 Hindu temples including the Swaminarayan Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagars during his tenure as the President. He had also spearheaded the efforts of BAPS Charities across the nation. 

To commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Brahmaswarup Shri Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS organised the ‘Jeevan Utkarsh Mahotsav’. To facilitate students to understand the importance of being a karmayogi and contributing to the society, Apeejay School, Tanda Road took students from classes 5-8 to the Akshardham Temple, Jalandhar to be a part of the program, ‘Chalo Bane Adarsh’. Students learned about many key moral values, the importance of being respectful through a short film. 

Teacher in charge of the trip Ms. Poonam Kler said, “Students found the Akshardham Temple  the abode of eternal values, virtues and principles. The place displayed numerous traditional aspects of Indian culture, beautiful architecture and spirituality. It provided a unique opportunity for students to understand Hinduism and develop a greater appreciation for India’s rich culture, art and architecture.”

The students also had a tour of the temple and imbibed the spiritual aura of the temple compound. Students came back with a spirit of devotion, learning and harmony.