THE spiritual leader of BAPS, His Holiness Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, arrived in Bussy-SaintGeorges, France, last Saturday (29) ahead of the inauguration of a new temple on Sunday (6).
His arrival marks the start of the Paris Mandir Mahotsav, a 13- day cultural festival organised around the opening of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir, a statement said. HH Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj visited the newly completed mandir and the 10-acre festival site, known as Swaminarayan Village, set up for the celebrations.
Devotees and volunteers from Europe and around the world gathered to greet him.
He was formally welcomed by members of the BAPS Board of Trustees for the UK and Europe, the leadership of the BAPS Paris Mandir and others involved in the construction of the mandir and organisation of the festival.
The temple was crafted in India and assembled in France. BAPS said it will be not only a place of worship, but also a centre for learning, culture and service, welcoming people from different faiths and backgrounds.
More than 10,000 people are expected to visit during the festival, which will feature religious ceremonies, cultural programmes and activities for families.
A Nagar Yatra procession will be held on Saturday (5), beginning at the Eiffel Tower and travelling through central Paris with more than 5,000 participants and performers. Traditional music and dance and 14 decorated floats showcasing Indian culture and values will be part of the event.
Eleven decorated boats will travel along the River Seine on Thursday (3) as part of a ceremony highlighting Hindu traditions and India-France ties.
BAPS began its activities in France in 1970.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, its volunteers in Paris supported local communities by distributing food and essential items to elderly people, those in need and frontline workers.
Paris-based volunteers later joined BAPS teams from the UK, US and elsewhere in Europe in responding to the humanitarian crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ambaji DhajaMahesh Liloriya
