Saturday 15th August marked precisely thirty days since Acharya Swamishree Maharaj willed to withdraw His human darshan from this mortal world. During this period, the global Shree Swaminarayan Gadi family have been evoking their own wonderful and personal memories of Our Bapa and remembering the invaluable teachings He gave us, which will forever remain His true legacy. 

To mark one month since Acharya Swamishree Maharaj performed this divine leela, Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Mandirs around the world held special congregations – many of which were online given the current global situation. 

Shree Swaminarayan Mandirs London and Bolton – the Shree Swaminarayan Gadi UK family – came together to hold such a remembrance assembly, Smarananjali Sabha, which was broadcast live on Saturday evening. Young disciples recalled their loving memories of Bapa, of what He had personally done for them, and what He continues to mean to them. Children from each of the congregations, London and Bolton, respectively, performed kirtan bhakti to please Lord Shree Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj and Acharya Swamiji Maharaj. 

The online sabha also included Acharya Swamishree Maharaj’s Ashirwad from 1982, in which He taught us the way in which to pray to Gurudev Jeevanpran Swamibapa, who had departed this mortal world only three years earlier, so that we could all evoke His memories, darshan and teachings, such that we could always experience His divine ever-presence. This key teaching of Acharya Swamishree Maharaj is precisely what is required of us today: in the wake of Our Bapa relinquishing His physical form, we must recall His teachings, remember the countless blissful memories He has given us, and understand that He is a divine entity who never comes nor goes, but is ever-present and omni-present amongst us. 

The online Smarananjali Sabha concluded with young disciples reciting the special prartha that Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj had recently gifted to us, committing us all to remain united under the divine shelter of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi.