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On Monday 26th December 2005, His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree performed the auspicious patotsav ceremony of Lord Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa who gives darshan at Shree Swaminarayan Temple Nairobi.

This year marked the 53rd anniversary of when Jeevanpran Swamibapa inaugurated the first Swaminarayan Temple of our supreme Karan Satsang outside of India. The day also marked the fifth anniversary of when Acharya Swamishree performed the grand opening ceremony of the magnificent new Temple in Parklands.

The celebrations were held over a five day period from 22nd to 26th December. During the course of the celebrations, Acharya Swamishree and the sants performed a recital of the sublime scripture, the Vachanamrut, with its Rahasyarth Pradipika Commentary, on behalf of a loving disciple of Nairobi and his family.

The sants and disciples of Nairobi also held an evening of devotional music and dance. Shree Swamibapa Pipe Band gave a spectacular performance of playing the instruments and dancing at the same time.

On the anniversary day, Acharya Swamishree performed the auspicious shodshopchaar poojan of Lord Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa and bathed Shree Harikrishna Maharaj in the five nectars. The sants then offered a vast array of thaar in the form of an annkut to the Lord. Acharya Swamishree cut the anniversary cake and offered it to the Lord, before performing the aarti.

On this special day, Acharya Swamishree remembered all the disciples of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi who are living all around the world, and kept everyone together with Him; partaking in the auspicious blessings and divine darshan.

During His divine blessings, Acharya Swamishree said:

• By the command of Sadguru Shree Ishwar Bapa and Jeevanpran Swamibapa, the first disciples came to this country many years ago. This was the start of the spread of our Karan Satsang throughout the world. Those individuals had one motive, to please Sadgurubapa and Jeevanpran Swamibapa. Because of their command, the disciples left behind their families and homes in India and came here. You all must learn by their examples and do whatever pleases the Lord.

• A disciple, who has an intense yearning within his mind to please God immensely, should have an unfaltering faith in his own duties as prescribed by the regulations of the faith, remain completely apathetic towards everything except for God, and understand the magnitude of God’s greatness. He must remain totally devoted to God. These are the means through which God becomes extremely pleased.

• A disciple of God should think about God’s Murti whilst performing all activities, such as eating, drinking, bathing, washing, walking and sitting. When he is not experiencing any internal anxieties, he should concentrate and focus on the Murti of God; when any kind of anxiety, in the form of thoughts and volitions arise, he should recall his understanding that his own form is actually separate from his body, indriyas, antahkaran, deities and objects etc. Then, when his mind becomes tranquil, he should meditate on the Murti of God.

• In order that the understanding of the magnitude of God’s greatness increases day by day, one should remain in the perpetual association of Sants and the holy scriptures. It is for that reason that Jeevanpran Swamibapa has created such a magnificent Temple here: so that your appreciation of the almighty Lord, continues to flourish day by day; and you appreciate your great fortune for attaining Shree Swaminarayan Gadi, where the supreme Lord Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa gives darshan forever; and you remain constantly pleasing the Lord throughout your lifetime.