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Festivals of the “Diwali”, the last day of the year, and “Annakut”, the first day of the New Year in the Hindu calendar, were celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm at Washington D.C. BAPS Mandir.On Diwali day, a children’s Diwali Party was organized in the afternoon and included several joyous activities, including a professional magic show. In the evening, devotees including businessmen, gathered to participate in the traditional "Chopda Pujan" ceremony. On New Year’s day devotees from surrounding areas visited the temple throughout the day for Darshan of the Annakut, and to offer their prayers and seek blessing from Lord Swaminarayan and Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
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Visitors crossed through the doors of the St. Louis BAPS Mandir to celebrate Diwali and the Hindu New Year of the Vikram era. In adherence to one of the traditional manners of celebrating New Year’s Day, the members of the BAPS Mandir prepared an Annakut placed before the idols installed in the Mandir. The singing of Thaals opened the offering of Annakut. |
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Colorful traditional rangoli prepared by Kishori Mandal and vibrant lights in the foyer greeted haribhaktos who witnessed the grand Diwali celebrations at San Jose mandir. The New Year’s day started with Prabhatiyas sung in front of Thakorji. A surprise awaited everyone in the name of this year’s theme “Annakut in Kailash.”
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The Raleigh Satsang Mandal celebrated the Diwali festival with a program which included kirtans, speeches, a dance by the Bal Mandal and a skit highlighting the importance of Diwali and benefits of going to Mandir regularly. A Kishore did a speech on the “Importance of Diwali – made simple” for the youth and non-gujarati audience. There was also a kirtan which was written and composed by the Yuvak Mandal of Raleigh – “Diwali Ayee Bhakti Deep Jale.” The program concluded with Param Pujya Swamishri’s aashirwad.
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The Philadelphia BAPS Mandir celebrated the Diwali and Annakut festivals with great jubilation. The Annakut was decorated with rotating dining table with Maharaj, Gunatitanand Swami, and Guru Parampara murtis alongside. In the Diwali Celebration sabha, there was a Kirtan Aradhana by Kishores, cultural program/dance by Balaks, and Pujya Viveknidhi Swami’s speech about Diwali. On New Year’s Day there was another kirtan bhakti during the evening sabha and everyone enjoyed Swamibapa’s Diwali Ashirvad on the overhead projection screen.
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The Jersey City BAPS Mandir celebrated the festival of Diwali very successfully and understandingly.The actual days of Dhan Teras and Diwali were celebrated in proper tradition which also included a Chopda Pujan on Diwali performed with the traditional Vaidik Vidhi. |
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The Annkut Samaiyo was celebrated at Augusta Temple with a lot of excitement, joy and happiness.
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Diwali and New Year Annakut celebrations were celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Westchester BAPS Mandir by the devotees and visitors. On Diwali day people attended the Chopda Pujan which was performed with tradition rituals. |
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On the first day of the Hindu New Year (Vikram Samvat 2060), haribhaktos visited the Dallas BAPS Mandir for darshan of the Annakut where items of vegetarian food were devotionally prepared, decoratively displayed and lovingly offered to the deities. Thaals were sung followed by the Aarti to offer the food items to Maharaj.
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The Columbus BAPS Mandir celebrated its Diwali festivals including Sharda Puja, Bestu Varsh, and Annakut with great joy in the presence of Pujya Tyagratna Swami and Pujya Munitilak Swami. |
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The Clifton BAPS Mandir celebrated with great fervor this year’s Diwali and Hindu New Year celebration.
On Diwali day devotees, including local businessmen, participated in the Chopda Pujan, a ceremony sanctifying personal and business accounting books.
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Before the beginning of the Annakut Samaiyo all haribhaktos performed aarti in traditional dress. The Samaiyo included Diwali bhajans, a Power Point Presentation by the Kishore Mandal and a samvad titled “Aap Ke Charano Kaa Prataap” by the Bal Mandal. The samaiyo ended with the singing of Thaals to Maharaj.
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The Birmingham BAPS Satsang Mandal celebrated the first day of the New Year with a fabulous Annakut samaiyo.
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The Cleveland BAPS Mandir celebrated the Diwali Samaiyo with much devotion and jubilation. The Chopda-Pujan ceremony took place the day before in the presence of P. Tyagratna Swami and P. Munitilak Swami. The day of the Samaiyo consisted of Aartis starting with the grand Annakut Aarti. The Samaiyo included kirtans, speeches and presentations regarding the history and importance of Diwali. The program also focused on improving our lives as individuals in every aspect of life for the New Year. The program finally concluded with the Aashirvachan of Swamishri giving the strength on how to lead our lives in the start of this New Year.
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The Charlotte BAPS Mandir held celebrations to commemorate the auspicious occasion of Diwali and New Years.
Saturday evening, both children and adults alike were invited to take part in Aarti and Chopada pujan facilitated by Pujya Shantmurti Swami and Pujya Amrutnandan Swami.
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For all Hindus the world over, Diwali is a time of family gatherings and in various places throughout India, it marks the end of the year. In celebration of Diwali and the New Year, the BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Edison, NJ hosted a grand two day celebration.
On Saturday October 25, the festivities began early with the childrens’ Diwali Celebration Carnival. The carnival was as much fun as it was educational. The children learned the history and origin of this festival and were gifted various prizes and goodies. Later in the afternoon, a special session was held for the more senior members of BAPS. |
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Diwali, popularly known as the ‘Festival of Lights’, was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Clarkston BAPS Temple.
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The Annkut Samaiyo was celebrated at Augusta Temple with a lot of excitement, joy and happiness. |
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The Diwali and Annakut festivals were celebrated with great devotion at the Boston BAPS Mandir where many devotees had darshan of the annakut offerings.
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From dawn to dusk on Kartik Sud 1, Sunday in the year VS 2060 Shreeji Maharaj was seated on the ‘Otlo” facing East. He was dressed in brown and golden woven vastra with a rose in his right hand. The leaves in the tree in the back of Maharaj were changing color that matched his colorful vastras. |
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The Houston BAPS Temple organized a four-day Diwali-Annakut festival where the traditional rituals of Dhan Teras, Kali Chaudash, Diwali or Deep Utsav, and New Year’s Day were celebrated.
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The joyous festivals of Diwali and Annakut/New Year were celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Palm Beach BAPS Mandir.Diwali was celebrated with traditional Laxmi Pujan and Chopda Pujan. A special Diwali Celebration was also arranged for Bal/Balika and Kishore/Kishori Mandal. |
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Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights and the New Year, were celebrated with much fanfare at the New York B.A.P.S. Mandir.
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New Years Day was celebrated in a grand manner at the Orlando BAPS Temple. The day commenced with the aarti at 7.00 am and Sneh Milan. Decorations included a waterfall in front of the stage. Haribhaktos and community members offered many items to Maharaj and Swami. Thaad commenced at 11:30 am and the annakut aarti was performed at 12:05 pm. Pujya Shantmurti Swami and Pujya Amrutnandan Swami performed the 4:30 pm Aarti and immediately thereafter drove to Miami to perform the 7:00 pm Annakut aarti at the Miami Temple. Video presentations containing Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj's blessings were shown throughout the day, and the youth wing presented a program of Kirtan Bhakti. |
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The Toronto BAPS Mandir celebrated the Diwali and Annakut Utsav with
grandeur where people from the Greater Toronto Area joined in celebrating
the dawn of the New Year, marked with the Haveli Pravesh along with
the eagerly awaited arrival of guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
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