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BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham celebrates ‘community’ in NJ

Mahant Swami Maharaj was honoured with the “Key to the City” by Mayor David Fried of Robbinsville Township and Mayor John Higdon of Matthews, North Carolina

Dignitaries and government officials on the stage during the Mayor’s Day celebration at BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham / (Image: BAPS)

Ahead of the grand inauguration, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville New Jersey hosted the 'Celebrating Community' event in honour of unity and relationships fostered within various communities across America.

Prominent mayors, state officials and congregants from around the world attended the ‘Mayor’s Day’ event. The attendees included Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson of New Jersey’s 14th legislative district, Mayor Hemant Marathe of West Windsor, State Representative of Pennsylvania's 111th legislative district Jonathan Fritz, Mayor John Higdon of Matthews, North Carolina, Texas State Representative Dr Suleman Lalani, Mayor of New York City Eric Adams, and Former United States Representative from Pennsylvania Thomas Marino.

Robbinsville Mayor David Fried expressed his gratitude towards BAPS, recounting his decade-long association and the organization's commitment to community-building. Addressing the assembly, he said, “Every time I reached out to BAPS, they never failed to answer the call, and for that, I'm incredibly grateful.” He narrated stories of volunteers and expressed their dedication to a common vision.

“This community [BAPS] has become part of our community. We are grateful and honoured that you thought to choose our community and had the vision to turn this piece of land into something truly unbelievable. And for that, I want to thank you. And last but certainly not least, I want to congratulate you on the inauguration and be the first person to officially say Welcome to Robbinsville,” the Mayor added.

Mahant Swami Maharaj was honoured with the “Key to the City” by Mayor David Fried of Robbinsville Township and Mayor John Higdon of Matthews, North Carolina, in recognition of his contributions to BAPS. He reiterated the message of unity and community betterment and stressed the importance of understanding and respecting each other’s traditions and values.

Chaitanyamurtidas Swami highlighted the shared values between American founding principles and Hindu teachings of unity, emphasizing the collaborative spirit of communities like Robbinsville. Swami shared the teachings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on fostering unity among individuals and communities. He emphasized the importance of giving time, tolerance, accommodation, and maintaining a broad perspective.

 

 

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