09 May 2011

Bonus Features....


First and foremost my sincere apologies for the serious lack of blogging. I was volunteering in South America teaching the locals about the Royal Wedding, the conspiracy theories surrounding Osama Bin Laden’s death and the glories of Alternative Voting.  Honestly. I tried to think of ways to blog on these topics but it was an epic fail.

Videos and photos have been put to fantastic use over the past couple weeks.  Over 2 billion people around the world watched the Royal Wedding take place here in the mighty Great Britain.  I honestly cannot even begin to guess how many cameras were taking pictures and how many pictures were actually taken that day.  Video feeds and photos of the happy couple and the Royal family have been in mass circulation.  Last week, we heard the "news" that Osama Bin Laden had been shot.  This isn't a blog for discussing the ins and outs of terrorism and extremism, or to promote any conspiracy theories - but the chatter regarding this event has shot through the Atmosphere.  Again, pictures, videos and words have all been put to great use.  But...there's still one video that everyone wants to see..........

Last week we were very blessed to be graced by the divine presence of His Holiness Retired Acharya Shree Tejendraprasadji Maharaj.  His Holiness along with Her Holiness Mota Gadiwalaba, were here attending a katha held in Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Bolton, followed by a stopover in London.  It was during the visit in London, the official Shree Swaminarayan Museum Opening Ceremony DVD was launched.  It feels somewhat surreal that an event that was no longer than 2 months ago has been encapsulated into a DVD and almost ready for all followers worldwide to revel in.  His Holiness was extremely pleased with the dedication and hard work shown by the team behind the creation of the DVD.  A massive thank you and well done to them for producing a box set so quickly and professionally that will for me help reignite a truly glorious and memorable occasion and for many others a wonderful opportunity to catch up on what they were so unfortunate to miss out on.  Personally speaking – I don’t think I can get tired of listening to the track created by Devang Patel on the opening night.  David Guetta eat your heart out. The trailer for the DVD is available here

This was also an opportunity for Mota Baapji to reiterate His immense gratitude for the unwavering and unconditional support Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden has given Himself, the Dharmakul, this museum project and countless others over the past 30 years. It’s almost impossible to describe in words the deep affection haribhaktos all over the UK have for Mota Baapji.  I personally still feel goose bumps whenever he enters the Sabha hall and begins any of His speeches.  I put it down to the fact that it was Mota Baapji that helped bring Satsang to the UK and to the rest of the world.  It’s like your father purchasing your first bike or your mother walking you to school for the very first time – it can’t be forgotten.  But that’s just me.

During His speech, His Holiness re-emphasised the purpose for the museum and how all haribhaktos from all over the World should treat the darshan of Swaminarayan Museum as an absolute must.  Baapji also wanted to point out that His Holiness Acharya Maharajshree Koshalendraprasadji Maharaj, was instrumental in making the utsav a success.  Senior saints that were present in the sabha paid tribute to Mota Baapji for giving a new meaning to the word "Retirement" - for His Holiness is still very much active in this Sampraday.  Still passionate about it and still proud of the millions of followers all over the world and the work they do to keep it going.

The DVD will be available for sale from the 29th May 2011.  I’m told there are hours of documentaries and bonus features so you will definitely be getting your monies worth.  


DVD Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCtO4cffdt0

06 April 2011

One Month Later...

It's going to be a month since I attended the Swaminarayan Museum grand opening festivities.  After a couple of days of getting adjusted to the time difference, sorting through mail, and getting acclimated to the weather, life was back to normal.  Well not exactly, more just a little bit of the experience has been preserved.

The impression the Swaminarayan Museum left on me goes beyond the experiences of witnessing some fantastic historical artifacts.  It's transcends having been in the presence of our divine gurus, His Holiness Acharaya Maharajshri, His Holiness Lalji Maharajshri, and His Holiness Mota Maharajshri.  The time spent with my fellow American, UK, and Indian satsangis resulted in memories I will treasure as much as, if not more, than the experience of coming into close contact with prasadi items from Maharaj's time.

In no way am I belittling the enormous effect the actual museum had on my trip.  Rather, I am touching on the essence of what I've come to associate with the term "satsang".  It's about "true association".  The building that was constructed to house the prasadi items and allow Haribhaktas to have the privilege of their divine darshan was also the site where satsang was commenced.  During the opening ceremonies, I was seated by my American and UK brethren.  I remember looking over at them on numerous occasions exchanging a glance of amazement.  A moment of unspoken truth.  That we are right where we are supposed to be.  That we are associated with people who are true. 

I think of my friend Ravi from UK who we affectionately refer to as Pablo.  His matter of fact observations on topics ranging from politics, sports, the environment, and the economy continue to make me smile and more often laugh.  Ravi's carefree, but mind you not careless, commentary on life contributed to the soundtrack of my trip.  My time spent with Super "Smart" Steve (SSS), Mr. Svetan of Woolwich who is so humble that news of his name being mentioned in this blog entry will surely result in an extended "whoaaaaaa" combined with some red in the face.  He spent ample time caring for his dear friend Bhaven after he had contracted a stomach ailment, typical for NRI's visting Hindustan.  Triple-S as he's known across Europe and in the Americas, took care of his buddy.  Such a simple thing, but what an important aspect of satsang. My memories of James Dean's alter ego, Rajni; aka Rodney; aka Roders (long o) and how he effortlessly managed to get the greatest tan an Indian possibly could and never was there a sliver of perspiration on his brow.  Not only was Roders the essence of cool, but he taught me how to negotiate and bargain with riksha drivers.  A lesson that I can say I am a few rupees wealthier for having learned.  I'm probably safe from any altercations at the point of sale as well. 

There are so many other satsangis I can remember who helped paint the walls of my heart with their memories.  Satsang is a term that is thrown about and used routinely.  Without careful inspection though, the mahima, the meaning, the heart of the term can get lost in the mix of all other emotions and actions.  Satsang for me is the true association with those who have deep adoration for Bhagwan and his bhaktas.  Though the memories of the museum remain vivid in my mind, it's the time I spent with the satsangis from near and far that reside in my heart.  One month later, but it's as if I'm there right now with my fellow Americans, UK, and Indian satsangi brothers.  It's as if I'm at the museum, right now.  Satsang, aka true association, preserves the memories that are worth having.   

01 April 2011

The "I" in Team......


There is no "I" in Team....well except for Team India
First things First. Let's deal with the green, White and orange coloured elephant that's sitting in the room. Whilst it wasn't a great game in the technical sense it certainly was in every other sense. Hats off to both sets of players and fans. Played, watched and supported in the right spirit. Both countries ground to a halt to watch their heroes in action. Such is the importance of this wonderfully gripping sport. Political tensions, deep history, legendary rivalry. Congratulations to India and to Pakistan for providing excellent entertainment during the tournament.  A truly talented team. But all eyes now are firmly in Mumbai. The Bollywood capital that will stage what will probably be a Bollywood match. Action,  drama, romance, suspense, thrills, even singing and dancing. And I suspect 1.5 billion people will be glued to their TV sets come Saturday.

It's quite amazing what a group of individuals can achieve. The skill, intelligence, experience, mental strength, togetherness and hard work were all on show. But this is not limited to sport. There are groups of individuals all over the world that will dazzle and amaze the viewing public. There are groups that will do their all to achieve their goal. Their are groups that will give everything to make a difference.

Our Sampraday is not immune to this. I mentioned that the Museum utsav could not have been the spectacle it was if it wasn't for the divine team of volunteers. Team. A group of individuals pooling together to make a difference.

When preservation plus was first introduced to us, we realised it was more than just preserving prasadi items and the environment. Baapji explained it was about total preservation. A message that struck deep with everyone. Having seen some video clips of a project carried out by the youth members of Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Willesden - Baapji was immediately drawn into hard work and skill gone into them and  the message that can be conveyed in 5 short minutes. His Holiness requested the yuvak mandal to make videos promoting the Preservation Plus campaign. To promote the message of how importance to preserve our environment, our values, our ethics, our culture, our heritage and our humanity.  These videos would go onto be displayed in the exhibition hall of the Museum. Some may wonder why? Why so much effort into getting some youngsters to produce some videos? Fellow YouTubers will know how influential even a 1 min clip can be. For those few minutes you are drawn in and you get thinking. For some, that proverbial light bulb placed above our heads is triggered and glows brightly. Moving images can bring about a change in a person.


With a deadline of 2 weeks, added responsibilities of work, school, university, family, watching Eastenders and Saathiya - you could say it was a big ask for guys and girls aged from young as 8 to 35 to squeeze in the filming, editing and presenting of a video clip. But it was done. The teamwork that has prevailed for MS Dhoni's men and other world cup squads prevailed for these humble sevaks of the Sampraday. The work ethic that shone through for Yuvraj Singh when he was so woefully out of form was evident in abundance for these yuvaks. That skill that makes a cover drive look so elegant was multiplied by 1000 here.  Late nights, re-shoots, script re-writes - you'd be forgiven for thinking they were trying to make a Bollywood film of their own.

Preserving Nature. Preserving Humanity. Preserving Culture. Preserving Knowledge. Preserving Values. Preserving Wealth. Legacy, Eternity, Prosperity. The results were amazing. Peter Jackson would be impressed. But they weren't trying to impress him. This was His Holiness' wish. This was to impress Him, to impress Mota Baapji, impress santos and haribhaktos. It was to impress the Almighty Himself. To show how dedicated His followers are in helping protect the Earth and the Sampraday He has been so kind enough to provide. The youth of today strongly believe in Preservation Plus. Do you?



You can view all the videos, photos and transcripts here....


http://www.shreeswaminarayan.org.uk/youth-academy/preservation-plus


http://www.swaminarayan.info/

20 March 2011

So what now??.....


The once golden tan is beginning to fade now.  I may need to pay a visit to a certain part of the East of London to maintain the colour.  Given the journey from Bhuj to Ahmedabad, I may need my spine readjusting too.  

Now that I’ve had some time to readjust to the climate, conditions and clock I thought I’ll blog a bit on the actual place I went to see. The actual mahima of it aside, the building itself is actually quite magnificent in a very subtle way.  As mentioned previously there are no stand out features as you would expect to see from a religious building in India.  When standing in the central courtyard – facing the famous “Room 5” and the fountain and gardens before that – you look up and around and you simply forget you’re in India.  I couldn't compare it to anything I’d seen before.  Not a temple, not a museum not even a corporate building. I felt as if I was indeed in a very unique place.  An instrumental piece of music plays in the background – it’s almost hypnotic.  The greenery and vivid plant life bedded everywhere only adds to the serenity.  You can actually sit there and stare without even worrying about time passing you by.

It costs about 20 Rs to get in.  Photography is not allowed without the purchase of a supplemental ticket.  Depending on which camera you have (mobile phone, photo, video) the price will vary.  The ticket allows you take pictures of museum inside and out with the exception of “Room 5” – the hall housing the main attractions.  There is still some work to do however judging by what has already been completed – it looks as if it’s quite minimal. 

I won’t go into great detail about the items on display however I will say that the way everything has been laid out is quite special.  A story begins as you walk in the first door and that story gradually develops as you foray through the exhibitions.  Swaminarayan Bhagwan’s childhood, His years in Gadhada, His time building temples, His time conducting sabhas, the scriptures written by nand santos – all His leelas are all recreated through the prasadi items and the descriptions placed in Gujarati and English.  It’s an experience.  That’s pretty much all I can say.  Not because I’m hiding anything.  Simply because words, pictures etc does not do justice to the visit.

So what now for Preservation Plus? The Museum has been built, the green energy has been put to use – so job done right? Well Preservation Plus may have started with the Museum, but it won’t end with the Museum.  Preservation Plus will hopefully be a long campaign that attaches itself to various projects of the Sampraday all over the world.  Building new mandirs, new schools, new halls.  Teachings, lectures, shibhirs, camps.  Preservation Plus will have no boundaries.  

At this time of global tragedy, our prayers, thoughts and support should be with those victims of Japan. With those who suffering oppression in Libya.  With anyone hurting due to natural disasters all over the world.  Preservation of humanity may sound too grand a task.  But history has taught us that every little we do, can help a lot.      

10 March 2011

Day 5 - No more sankalps....

A short blog today as the utsav comes to an end. We had the last recital of Satsangi Jeevan then we went onto the summaries and conclusions. It was very emotional today. Some said to me that today alone was worth making the trip here. More so than the opening ceremony itself. That should tell you quite a lot.

In His concluding speech, Acharya Maharajshree spoke of the tremendous hard work shown by the volunteers and that He insisted they will all get a chance to meet Him. Baapji also mentioned that the museum would not be possible without the help of our Vakhta swamis. Countless hours of research went into each and every prasasi item to ensure that the mahima can be explained right down to the smallest detail. Then came what can only be described as 5 minutes that stirred the emotions of possibly every single person on site. Mota Baapji once again thanked, from the bottom of his heart every single person that has supported Him on this project. You could hear the minutest of cracks in His soothing voice and a lump in His throat as He declared - with much satisfaction - "I have no more sankalps.......all future Sankalps I'm leaving to these two" (directing His arm towards Maharajshree and Lalji Maharaj). His work had been done. His dream has become a reality. I'm pretty sure everyone had goosebumps. Then people were called to say thanks to Mota Baapji. Acharya Maharajshree and Lalji Maharajshree also got up from their seats to follow suit. This is when the tears im sure began to show on many faces when Baapji lifted His red paag and gave thanks to His father. For that moment He was no longer Koshalendraprasadji - Acharya. He was merely Kosahlendra - son wanting to thank His father. Congratulate Him. Honour Him. Humility personified. You'd have to be made of some form of diamond-adamantium infused element to not be moved by this sabha. 

That was a fitting finale to the utsav. I had seen pretty much everything. And I loved every minute of it. Now? Now we look to the future. We watch this new born gem grow into an iconic beacon of our Sampraday, of India.....of the World. Preservation Plus is in full motion now. 

08 March 2011

Day 4 - Unbelievable. Amazing. Stupendous. Wonderful. Majestic. Beautiful. Heavenly. Epic.......Speechless

 
Todays blog might as well just be filled with adjectives. That's probably the best way to describe what we have just seen here. You often see these grand descriptions plastered over film posters that have been huge successes. Today feels as if I've just seen possibly the greatest film of all time - only that this was real. 

Kick starting the day was the abhishek of Shree NarNarayan Dev. The first murti of any kind in any Swaminarayan temple worldwide - installed by Swaminarayan Bhagwan Himself. That fact alone is amazing. When you witness an abhishek take place of this very murti - your mind is simply blown away. The atmosphere, the ceremony, the people. Everything and everyone was filled with joy and excitement at merely being in the vicinity let alone being lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Shree Hari's 6th and 7th heirs perform this act of pure divinity. It's estimated 100,000 people crowded into Kalupur Mandir. It felt like a lot more as you were whisked away in the wave after wave of haribhaktos flooding into the main alter. You have no control over your own body as you float from Sinhasan to Sinhasan. All you can do is take try to take it all in. So many different people, different sizes, different characters - yet we were all unified in the appreciating the glory of Shree NarNarayan Dev. 

Gujarat Chief minister Narendrabhai Modi was in attendance too. Not only was it fitting to have him there because of his position in government, but also because he himself has been instrumental in making Gujarat not just an economic powerhouse but a green powerhouse too. He can now add the Museum and the Swaminarayan Sampraday to the growing list of institutions taking grand steps in helping preserve and promote our wonderful planet. 

Then came the bit the whole world was waiting for.  As thousands filled the museum vicinity you could feel the excitement bubbling away. The grand stage was set. The red carpet was laid out. The building itself - magnificent and simply awe inspiring. The structure may not have the intricate carvings of some of our great temples but it's sheer uniqueness is what makes it difficult to look away. I suspect knowing what's inside also may have something to do with it too. 

A deep, eloquent almost soothing voice appeared introducing himself as the  Museum - as if it's coming to life. He spoke of the journey here and how grateful he was to Shree Hari and His descendants for bringing him into the world. After some introductory videos and performances depicting the life of Swaminarayan Bhagwan - there was this incredible laser show that illustrated the journey of the project. You would be forgiven for thinking George Lucas had something to do with this - it was that good. 

When the aarti was performed, all you could see was a sea of divas waiving elegantly side to side against the hypnotic backdrop of the illuminated museum front entrance. I can't speak on behalf of everyone but I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I was that Mota Baapji had finally seen His dream come true. His hard work, sacrifices, and devotion to this cause have all come to fruition.  The unflinching support of the millions of followers worldwide. The tireless physical labour carried out. The promoting, the brand awareness - all had been handsomely rewarded.  As the thousands looked upon the giant screen, the grand doors were pushed open by Shree Hari's 3 heirs. Swaminarayan Museum was born. 

I repeat the words of the title. What I saw inside simply cannot be described. I can write all the superlatives available yet that still wouldn't be enough. The museum alone gives you goose bumps, the relics inside will blow you away. This is no small feat. This is genuinely a landmark beyond any imagination. Believe me when I say this - you MUST visit this place. 

Day 3 - Calm before the storm?

Hot. That's probably an understatement. But it is hot. Just so you know. 

There wasn't much happening today. The maha yagna and vastu poojan started. Also some saw the actual museum for the first time from the outside. Numbers continue to flock into site eager to listen to the fabulous recital of Satsangi Jeevan from what a friend described as the equivalent of Phd's of our Sampraday. Shastri Nirgun Swami and Shastri Purushottom Prakashdasji Swami. Roald Dahl and Charles Dickens knew how to tell a story - these saints practically recreate the entire scene down to the minutest detail. 

It was the turn of His Holiness Lalji Maharajshree to shower blessings today. In all honesty I was mesmerised immediately. His Holiness' voice, the delivery, the eloquence that was on display by someone in their teens was outstanding. He wanted to thank us for attending the utsav. Let me just rewrite that line for you. Shree Hari's 8th descendent was thanking us for attending this utsav. And you can see from His face and expression that this was genuine. Baapji elaborated by saying we have such busy lives that to take time out to attend this utsav deserves praise. When I looked over to Mota Baapji, I could see an expression of great delight and pride at watching His grandson deliver a speech at such a momentous occasion.

The museum represents the past, present and future of the Sampraday. All 3 periods are being represented right here in 3 forms of Shree Hari.