The BAPS
Swaminarayan Sanstha organized its first international cultural festival in
1981 to mark the bicentenary celebrations of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The festival
site was spread across a lush, 200 acre campus in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The
festival was celebrated for 37 days with a variety of spiritual, humanitarian,
and cultural programs, including folk music and classical music performances by
some of India’s leading pandits and maestros, theatrical and folk dance
performances from all over India, and a special exhibit dedicated to world
peace and universal brotherhood. The festival featured majestic gates and
mandirs carved by Bengali artisans, highlighting the beauty of Indian art and
architecture.
Festival Highlights:
- More than 10,000 volunteers
donated thousands of hours in service to prepare and operate the festival.
- More than 8 million people
visited the festival grounds.
- Approximately 8,000 people
promised to live addiction-free lives through intervention programs and
de-addiction campaigns.
- A 3-day conference dedicated to
religious harmony attracted more than 1,500 religious leaders to discuss
religious tolerance and brotherhood.
- 207 educated youths dedicated
their life to the service of God and the community by being initiated as
sadhus.
- The festival restored an
atmosphere of peace and brotherhood amidst severe tensions and communal
riots in Ahmedabad.
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