New Delhi: On 23 October 2024, a Parshadi Sant Diksha ceremony for the initiation of 29 educated youths in which 2 doctors, 4 postgraduates, 11 engineers, 7 science graduates and 4 other graduates & on 25 October, 37 educated youths from which 1 doctor, 1 PhD, 4 with master’s degrees, 12 engineers, 18 graduates, and 1 other took a Bhagwati Sant Diksha at BAPS Akshar Mandir in Gondal, led by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj.
The 37 youths initiated today among them, 19 are from overseas, including 11 from the USA, 2 from Canada, 2 from the UK, 3 from Africa, and 1 from Australia. Notably, Mahant Swami Maharaj has initiated a total of 322 swamis, and the BAPS organization presently has 1,220 active swamis in its monastic order.
A special mahapuja ceremony was held at 8 a.m. to inaugurate the initiation proceedings. The parents and families of these 37 youths receiving initiation were present, celebrating the occasion. Many devotees were also present to witness this ceremony. Following the rituals, senior BAPS swamis addressed the assembly. Then Mahant Swami Maharaj completed the initiation rituals and blessed each new swami with a new name.
In the main assembly of the initiation festival, the fathers of the new initiates were honoured by senior swamis, while the mothers were celebrated by senior women devotees.
In his blessings to the assembly, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj expressed, “I thank the parents of these renunciants; they educated them well and then offered them for service. The path of a sadhu is not easy; it involves penance, vows, service, devotion, and mastery over the mind. This is only possible with the guidance of a true guru. Through the Satpurush (enlightened guru), the path becomes clear.
Strengthening our saintly vows and cultivating endurance is the essence of saintliness.” Senior swamis then offered flower garlands to Mahant Swami Maharaj as a gesture of reverence.
Yesterday, on 24 Oct, 2024, the 29 highly educated and devoted youths received parshadi diksha and embarked on their lifelong path of worldly renunciation, self-realization and service to God and society. The educational curriculum at the ‘Sant Talim Kendra’, BAPS Sarangpur Mandir includes a deep study of Swaminarayan Hindu theology, history and literature as well as of the Ramayana, Mahabharat, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and other Hindu scriptures. It also includes a study of languages such as Sanskrit, Hindi, Gujarati and English, and world religions.
It is noteworthy that the BAPS organization, which serves in over 55 countries globally, is recognized by the United Nations. With Mahant Swami Maharaj’s divine inspiration, BAPS actively promotes the fundamental values of Sanatan Hindu Dharma, igniting national service and character-building while providing purposeful engagement in satsang activities for children, youth, and women.
The organization’s projects include ongoing initiatives like addiction prevention and environmental care. In times of crisis, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, COVID19 and crises like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, BAPS has extended support. With the aim of keeping the fame of Sanatan Vedic culture burning eternally on Western soil, Mahant Swami Maharaj has constructed the magnificent and divine Akshardham Mahamandir in Robbinsville, New Jersey, USA, and the first traditional BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The organization’s vast network of dedicated, well-trained swamis performs service without any personal leave or salary, committing their lives entirely to seva (selfless service) and devotion. Their unwavering contributions uphold the living values of Sanatan Dharma, exemplified through their understanding, dedication, and service to society
