Devotees across North America gathered at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandirs on April 6, 2025, to celebrate the birth anniversaries of Bhagwan Shri Swaminarayan and Lord Ram. The celebrations, observed on the Hindu calendrical day of Chaitra Sud 9, drew thousands who participated in devotional rituals and cultural programs.
This year’s celebration theme was “Unity Begins Within,” emphasizing introspection and fostering unity within one’s spiritual life, family, and community. Devotees observed the occasion by undertaking nirjala upvaas (a waterless fast) and chanting the name of God throughout the day.
The festivities featured a blend of devotional rituals and cultural performances, including aarti, abhishek, processions, devotional dances, musical presentations, and skits portraying the lives and messages of Lord Ram and Bhagwan Shri Swaminarayan, who established the Swaminarayan Hindu tradition in 1801.
Several dignitaries, including New Jersey State Senator Michael L. Testa Jr., Consul General of India in New York Mr. Binay Srikanta Pradhan, and Canada’s Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Mark Carney, attended the celebrations.
This text was edited with the assistance of an AI tool, and has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity by India Currents.
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