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Color Festival for the Volunteers
                                 2 March, Tuesday, Sarangpur
Clapping to the tune of a bhajan
Blessing the volunteers
Blessing the volunteers
Spraying colored water on the volunteers

In the afternoon, 5.00 pm - 7.00 pm., Swamishri specially attended an assembly to spray colored water on the 3,000 volunteers who had served in the kitchen department, parking department, security department and assembly arrangements during the morning festival of Fuldol.

After the initial speeches, Swamishri appreciated the volunteers for their services and spiritually inspired them, saying, "Today we celebrated the great festival of Pushpadolotsav and thousands of devotees celebrated and enjoyed it tremendously. You, the youth volunteers, looked after the arrangements extremely well.

"To serve others is also a great duty. The fruit of one’s seva (service) is to get blessed with the pleasure and blessings of God, Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj. And the way to please God is to serve according to His wish and instruction. But if we serve according to our own wish then we do not receive its fruits. Duty means doing our assigned service with responsibility. And while doing this seva one should nourish a feeling that I am doing this seva to please Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj. Then you will experience peace within. The fruit is the attainment of Akshardham.

"You have all done your duty with love and responsibility so the festival was celebrated without any hitches... There was no chaos, pushing or jostling during lunch in the kitchen department. The reason is because of your service... The assembly arrangements were done very well... The security department and the parking department did their services commendably and there were no jams...

"... We should pray that we get the opportunity of offering our services for such festivals. We should not get tired or fed up with it. We never get tired of our worldly works. Even though they come continuously one after another, yet we never get fed up with them. The reason is because we have vested interests or selfish motive in our mundane activities... Likewise we should do the service of Satsang with the motive of attaining moksha...

"We should believe ourselves to be honored, be it in the smallest or lowest of services; whether it be cleaning the toilets, serving food,... we should feel honored..."

The excitement and joy in this special assembly for volunteers was equally memorable and enjoyable. The volunteers danced and rejoiced as they approached Swamishri. Some even raised their banners and formed human pyramids to express their joy and appreciation. The festival of colors, Fuldol, concluded with excitement and warm memories of Swamishri’s abundant grace and compassion. The hearts of thousands of volunteers were elevated and enlightened with the colors of Swamishri’s divinity.


© 1999, Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, Swaminarayan Aksharpith