Akshardham celebrations captivate devotees

GANDHINAGAR: The capital city seemed under a religious spell as a sea of devotees streamed into Gandhinagar to congregate within the sprawling Swaminarayan Akshardham campus to celebrate the silver jubilee of the establishment of the temple by late Pramukh Swami.
The mood was ecstatic as devotees entered the campus around 3pm and were guided to their seats by an efficient team of volunteers. Swaminarayan devotees from several countries including the UK, US, Australia and many African countries arrived here in strength.
The celebrations began with a short film on late Pramukh Swami his life, his message and his personality. Soon after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived accompanied by Mahant Swami Maharaj into the temple to offer flowers and prayers to the statue of Lord Swaminarayan. After this the Prime Minister was welcomed by children with a dance.
It was the captivating ‘virtual miracle’— the special video projection mapping on the Akshardham temple that left everyone awestruck. The three-dimensional temple surface turned into a digital art canvas, as a riot of images and colours breathed life into the structure.
“It was a mind boggling event. The bhajans were soothing. The visit of the Prime Minister was long awaited. He had been a neighbour for so many years in Gandhinagar,” said Dharmendra Parakhiya, a devotee and a government employee. Saroj Patel, a second-year student said, “I loved being part of the organizing committee. We worked in detail over the last month for this event.”