Wednesday 27 September 2023 | Bhadarva Sud 13, Samvat 2079
Wed 27 Sep 2023
The female members of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury gathered on 14th May 2023 for their annual Ladies Day Event. The event saw ladies and girls showcase many talents in a cultural extravaganza and consisted of an afternoon of superbly choreographed dances, devotional songs and drama.
This annual event is held by the ladies of the Mandir to celebrate women, the talent that exists within the female community and the progression and advancement women have made in today’s society. The event is also a reminder of the important contributions made by female disciples throughout the history of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.
The afternoon began with a Mahila Sabha in Mandir during which the glory of Lord Shree Swaminarayan was explained. This was followed by an Oochav where Lord Shree Swaminarayan was lovingly carried on a palkhi, accompanied by the jubilant sounds of the manjira, tablas and dhol and was led to Purushottam Mahal where the performers enthusiastically welcomed Him.
The performances were then kicked off with a beautifully sung prarthna by the younger girls, a spectacular array of performances then followed. Various types of dances from Bharatnatyam, Bhangra, Contemporary and Traditional Dandiya Raas, a drama performance titled 'Oh Bapa, you made our dream come true!' coupled with a melody of kirtans were performed to please the Lord.
The event concluded with a ‘Samuh raas’ which saw girls as young as 2 and ladies over 80 performing Raas to please the Lord, united in their devotion to Him. A delicious Mahaprasad was then enjoyed by all.
Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj is the current spiritual leader of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan. He is the heir to Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj, and sixth in the lineage of ascetic Acharyas, which descends directly from Lord Shree Swaminarayan.