News & Events
In addition to the celebrations at London Mandir, Shri Swaminarayan Jayanti and Ram Navmi were celebrated at various mandirs and centres across the UK.
Shri Swaminarayan Jayanti and Ram Navmi were celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Soni Samaj Centre in Leicester on Saturday 4 April 2009. A short kirtan bhakti programme was performed before a youth delivered a speech illustrating the six objectives of Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s birth on earth. Vishwaprakash Swami discussed the manner in which Bhagwan Swaminarayan transformed the evil nature of countless souls and Shukmuni Swami emphasised the importance of building a chaitanya mandir within one’s heart.
The celebrations in Birmingham were held on the morning of Sunday 5 April 2009 with great pomp and fervour at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Birmingham. The theme of the programme was entitled ‘Janam Sudharyo re’, where dramas depicting a selection of Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s foremost sadhus and haribhaktos, and the manner in which their lives were transformed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan were enacted. Vishwaprakash Swami and Shukmuni Swami explained the glory of Shri Ram Bhagwan and Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
Southend-on-Sea celebrated Shri Swaminarayan Jayanti and Ram Navmi during the evening of Sunday 5 April 2009 at Sweyne Park School in Essex. Shukmuni Swami eloquently sang verses from the ‘Swaminarayan Charitmanas’, which were described in detail by Vishwaprakash Swami. Yogvivek Swami explained how some of the messages and characters from the Ramayan inspire an ideal way of living.
The celebrations in Lisbon were held on Sunday 5 April 2009.
The celebrations in West London and Paris were held on Tuesday 7 April 2009.
Coventry centre also celebrated the festival on Sunday 12 April 2009