Mahant Swami Maharaj's 91st birth anniversary was celebrated in Mumbai, thousands of saints and devotees from across the country and abroad gathered there:

Mumbai: On 26 September 2024, the 91st birth anniversary of Param Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha and the world-renowned saint Vibhuti, was celebrated with great devotion and grandeur at NESCO, Goregaon, Mumbai. The spiritual program began in the evening, with the venue filled with devotees and well-wishers.

Devotees from across the world gathered to pay their tributes at the holy feet of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj. More than 400 Sadhus and Saints of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha from different parts of the world participated in this festival and thousands of devotees took advantage of this divine festival.

This spiritual program started with devotional chanting of the Lord's name and prayer. After this, discourses were held by senior saints of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha singing praises of the life journey and service work of Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj.

In his address Pujya Gyananayan Swami highlighted the extraordinary and wonderful deeds of Lord Swaminarayan and how His divine presence has been manifest on earth through His true and transcendent Sadhu since eternity. He said that the birth anniversary of Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj is a sacred occasion to experience the presence of God.

Pujya Narayanmuni Swami highlighted the unparalleled devotion of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, former spiritual guru of BAPS, while Pujya Bhagavatsethu Swami spoke about the consistent devotion and sadhana of Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj.

Pujya Viveksagar Swami spoke in detail about the divine love showered on the devotees by Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Pujya Adarshjivan Swami threw light on the infinite love and affection of Mahant Swami Maharaj towards all humanity.

On this occasion, Pujya Brahmavihari Swamiji and Pujya Atmatripta Swamiji gave details of the immense service work and spirit of service of Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj respectively. Also, Sadguruvarya Pujya Ishwarcharan Swamiji and Pujya Anandswaroop Swamiji gave their discourses on the humility of Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj.

At the ceremony, Pujya Bhaktipriya Swami said that Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj dedicated their entire lives for human welfare.

Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis, who was present as a special guest on this occasion, shared his personal experiences with Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj. He said, “Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj is a world-renowned saint and his organisation BAPS is doing unique work in the field of social welfare and spirituality. On this occasion, I consider myself extremely fortunate to be present here. The way our culture is being spread across the world in a positive and constructive manner, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha has an important contribution in it. Our temple in Abu Dhabi is a clear proof of this idea. I am confident that BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha will play an important role in spreading peace and happiness on the world stage.”

Among the dignitaries present on the dais were Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Tourism, Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Government of Maharashtra and Shri Krishna Patel, CMD, NESCO Ltd.

At the end of the ceremony, Param Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj blessed all the devotees with his blessings. He said, "It is our ultimate duty to understand the true glory of Lord Swaminarayan and worship him and follow his orders."

With the blessings of the most revered Mahant Swami Maharaj, the atmosphere was filled with divinity, the minds and hearts of the devotees were filled with joy which was greeted by the community present with thunderous applause.

After the senior saints of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha offered floral tributes at the feet of Param Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, a collective Aarti was performed with thousands of lamps, which created a very charming, devotional and divine atmosphere. The program concluded with a collective prayer while paying tribute. This event was a well-being source of devotion, service, inspirational blessings of the saints, which gave everyone a special spiritual experience.