Celebrating 'Family Unity day' : Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar
<p>‘Family Unity day’ was celebrated on 29th of December, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj and several dignitaries paid homage to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s efforts to strengthen family unity in millions of homes around the world as tens of thousands gathered to commemorate ‘Family Unity Day: Celebrating Family Values’ at Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar on 29 December 2022. It is said that Pramukh Swami Himself visited around 25,000 homes in order to strengthen family unity and promoted the innovative concept of the family home assembly (ghar sabha) as an effective solution to familial strife.This campaign built on the 2003 ‘Ideal Family Campaign’ organized on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of BAPS Children’s Activities during which 17,500 boys and girls had visited 435,000 homes to promote Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s message of family values. The campaign had resulted in 250,000 people pledging to daily bow down to their parents, 193,000 people pledging to live an addiction-fre</p>
12:55 PM Dec 30, 2022 IST
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mediology
‘Family Unity day’ was celebrated on 29th of December, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj and several dignitaries paid homage to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s efforts to strengthen family unity in millions of homes around the world as tens of thousands gathered to commemorate ‘Family Unity Day: Celebrating Family Values’ at Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar on 29 December 2022.
It is said that Pramukh Swami Himself visited around 25,000 homes in order to strengthen family unity and promoted the innovative concept of the family home assembly (ghar sabha) as an effective solution to familial strife.
This campaign built on the 2003 ‘Ideal Family Campaign’ organized on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of BAPS Children’s Activities during which 17,500 boys and girls had visited 435,000 homes to promote Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s message of family values. The campaign had resulted in 250,000 people pledging to daily bow down to their parents, 193,000 people pledging to live an addiction-free life, and 240,000 people pledging to conduct daily family home assemblies (ghar sabha).
Senior BAPS swami, Narayanmunidas Swami, spoke on the unique gift and innovative formula of ghar sabha given by Pramukh Swami Maharaj to society. Ghar sabha has healed many fractured family relationships, and it continues to strengthen family unity. Narayanmunidas Swami said, “Mutual affection amongst devotees is upheld as a spiritual principle in the Swaminarayan tradition. Thus, Pramukh Swami Maharaj dedicated his life to promoting unity and resolving strife within families. Even in his hectic schedule, he would personally mediate and provide solutions to family disputes.
Senior BAPS swami, Swayamprakashdas Swami (Doctor Swami) reiterated Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s teachings for establishing harmony within countless families. He said, “Just as we need air to survive, we need unity to thrive. Pramukh Swami Maharaj used to stress, ‘The family that eats, prays and plays together, stays together.’ He provided a four-point formula for fostering unity in families: only if everyone in a family can tolerate others, sacrifice for others, let go for others and adjust for others can we secure harmony within a family. Indeed, family unity is the essence of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s centenary celebrations. If we can progress in our family unity, we will experience the joy of this Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar at home; every day will feel like a festival.”
A lot of dignitaries were present at the event to pay tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s life and work.
Also read: Day 3 : Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar.
Swami Nikhileshwarananda Ji Maharaj, President of Ramakrishna Ashram, Rajkot, added, “It is extraordinary that a festival site of 600 acres is open for a whole month. It is even more unbelievable to see how it is being run so efficiently and effortlessly by 80,000 volunteers. Students should come here and conduct a case study on how to manage a mega-event like this. I am confident that whoever comes here will be showered with God’s blessings and will be able to lead a successful life. It is has been the biggest blessing for me to be present here today.”
Amit Chavda, Member of Legislative Assembly Gujarat and Former State President of Indian National Congress, shared, “Upon learning from the varied thematic exhibitions on this massive 600-acre campus, I realized that it is imperative for our future to follow the footsteps of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. I express my gratitude to all the 80,000 volunteers who belong to different professions on being engaged here as volunteers to spread Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s message of better living.
“I used to visit the BAPS Swaminarayan temple at Bochasan during my childhood and was fortunate to be blessed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj on numerous occasions. His works have left a permanent imprint on my life.
“BAPS nurtures Hinduism not only through their temples worldwide, but also through the inculcation of values in the future generations. I am amazed to know there are more than 6,000 children volunteers on this campus. On seeing them, I feel that the motto of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s life ‘In the joy of others lies our own’ has come alive. I would like to thank all the swamis and volunteers who have taken care of the basic amenities as well as the education of those children volunteers.”
Popular Indian film and television actor Dilip Joshi shared, “Pramukh Swami Maharaj was truly ‘Narayanswarup’; God lived and worked through him, and hence he loved all of humanity equally. Everyone wholeheartedly believed that ‘Swami is mine!’ Pramukh Swami Maharaj selflessly met, visited and wrote to millions, with the sole aim to uplift them personally, socially and spiritually.“I firmly believe that my successful acting career – including 14 years and 370 episodes so far of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah – is solely due to the blessing of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Without him, I would not be here. I pray for his and Mahant Swami Maharaj’s continued blessings to elevate me spiritually.”
Finally His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj explained, “To maintain and increase family unity, Pramukh Swami initiated the family home assembly (ghar sabha), from which millions of families have benefited and attained peace. Pramukh Swami Maharaj said that the increased individualism of modern life causes people to go about their own affairs without interacting with family members. This lack of meaningful family interaction leads to misunderstandings and discord. Consequently, the home, which should be a haven of love and peace, becomes a place of strife and sorrow. But by doing ghar sabha, our mutual affection increases, and miscommunications, tensions and discord decrease. While people may doubt the effectiveness of a small thing like ghar sahba, the results are true. Ghar sabha fosters positivity and virtues and if continued with faith, the whole family benefits over time.”
Talking about the event planed on the next day, 30th December is going to be celebrated as Education Day: Celebrating Value-Based Education from 5.00pm to 7.30pm, Narayan Sabha Gruh
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