Photo Story
  Introduction - At The Roopchoki - With Raghu Bharvad - With Suresh of Botad
At Yagnapurush Smruti Mandir - After Swamishri's Puja
 

Finally, Swamishri arrived in his puja. And just when everyone thought the dancing was over, the grand finale began. The last bhajan sung by the sadhus in the puja suddenly had a postlude added to it: 'Aje Yagnapurushne dwar nobat vage re lol…'! No sooner had Swamishri finished reading the Shikshapatri, he raised his hands clapping. But after he was given pairs of kartals…
… Swamishri couldn't contain himself any longer. He got up and stepped into a dance of his own. No one could believe what they were witnessing. Rapturous clapping and cheering almost reached the skies. Hands clapped. Heads swayed. And hearts raced. Every man, woman and child present had become oblivious to everything around them - perhaps even themselves. Everyone was absolutely focused on this 81-year-old sadhu engrossed in sublime devotion - dancing like someone a quarter of his age. The air was unmistakably charged with divinity. Swamishri did later prompt others to join him, but he had stolen the show. Swamishri had danced so elegantly. So gracefully. Effortlessly.
It was a fitting conclusion to a morning of divine song and dance. A grand finale in every sense. Today, Swamishri had graced so many with so many memories in so many places in so short a time. It was as if a wave of divine bliss had swept across Sarangpur. It was all people would talk about for the rest of the day. For days to come, in fact. But more importantly, the day will live on as a sublime memory that people will cherish for the rest of their lives.

© 2002, Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, Swaminarayan Aksharpith