Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addresses the 'Pramukh Varni Amrit Mahotsav' organized by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the 'Pramukh Varni Amrit Mahotsav' organized by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in Ahmedabad, Gujarat today. On this occasion, several dignitaries were present, including the Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Patel and the Deputy Chief Minister Shri Harsh Sanghavi.

In his address, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that it is impossible to fully describe the entire life work, divine memories, and infinite virtues of the revered Pramukh Swami Maharaj. He said that today, the 'Pramukh Varni Amrit Mahotsav' organized by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is being held on the banks of the Sabarmati River in an extremely serene environment, which is a delightful experience. He said, by showcasing the life of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on the banks of the Sabarmati, BAPS has inspired people to live a truly righteous life. However, to truly understand Pramukh Swami Maharaj's entire life and contribution, one must see that he not only expanded spirituality and Vaishnav philosophy but also accomplished the unprecedented task of implementing it in practice. Shri Shah said that by linking devotion and service, he exemplified the eternal Vedic principle 'Nar mein Narayan' through his character, without uttering a word.

Shri Amit Shah said that the revered Pramukh Swami Maharaj revived our thousands-year-old tradition of compassion for every living being. He added that Maharaj not only contributed greatly to the Vaishnav sect but also, through his own conduct without any sermons, fostered a sense of harmony and coordination among saints and mahants of various sects, thereby achieving a significant contribution for the overall Sanatan Dharma. He said that the respect for the saintly community and the monastic order, which had gradually declined after independence, was revitalized and strengthened by the purity of conduct of the revered Pramukh Swami Maharaj and his thousands of saints.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that he wants to state with full confidence that Sanatan Dharma has faced many crises in its thousands-of-years-long journey, but in independent India, the greatest crisis was the declining reverence for saints and sannyasis. The credit for restoring that reverence goes to Pramukh Swami Maharaj and the BAPS organization. Shri Shah said that Pramukh Swami Maharaj, without ever engaging in any dispute with any sect, demonstrated through his conduct how pure, sacred, and exemplary the life of a sannyasi, saint, or ascetic should be. He proved how the eternal knowledge of Sanatan Dharma can be made the foundation of life and, using that knowledge, the nectar derived from it can be imparted to millions of people effortlessly and without any show. This remained his lifelong practice and mission.

Shri Amit Shah said that he has been a student of the long ups and downs of social life and Sanatan Dharma. In his understanding, the greatest challenge faced by Sanatan Dharma and the tradition of saints and sannyasis in independent India was the decline of faith in people's hearts. This crisis was resolved by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, not by uttering a single word of preaching, but solely through his own conduct and that of his thousands of saints. He paved a beautiful and universally acceptable path that has now become a guiding way for all sannyasis of Sanatan Dharma.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the sacred banks of the Sabarmati have a grand history of the dedication of saints. It was here that from Rishi Dadhichi's selfless donation of his bones to numerous welfare efforts for society, the banks of the Sabarmati have always been a land of the saints' dedication. From these very banks of the Sabarmati, Mahatma Gandhi used the weapons of non-violence and Satyagraha to defeat the world's greatest imperial power and secure freedom for the country. He said that it was here in Ahmedabad, at the temple in Ambliwali Pol, that Pramukh Swami Maharaj accepted the service of the leading position in BAPS in 1950. The work he carried out from 1950 to 2016 has today become an ideal and inspiration not only for the Swaminarayan sect but for all sects across the country. He mentioned that while listening to the saints, the Ambliwali Pol and Shahpur areas were repeatedly brought up. Shri Shah added that he is fully confident that after today's program, Ambliwali Pol will no longer remain limited to Gujarat or India, but will become an unforgettable pilgrimage site for the entire world.

Shri Amit Shah expressed his confidence that the place where Shastriji Maharaj chose a young saint-like Yogiji Maharaj, who had fully realized the life of renunciation-as his successor; where the guru tested the disciple and the disciple surrendered everything at the feet of the guru; where, without any ego and without regard for sectarian boundaries, Pramukh Swami Maharaj was entrusted with the leading position, entirely dedicated to Dharma and the welfare of the world-this very place will undoubtedly become a sacred pilgrimage site for all followers of Sanatan Dharma.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the programs of the Swaminarayan sect are organized to promote education and to eliminate the social evils prevalent in society. The structure of this program has also been designed with the same spirit-it will teach us what the life of a saint should be like and what we should learn from a saint.

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RK/PR/PS