On 23 April, thousands of people swarmed the forecourts of the Opera House to celebrate the birth centenary of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the founder of the Akshardham temples.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj first visited Australia in 1984.
Thousands of Indian-Australians gathered at Sydney Opera House in the event organised by BAPS Swaminarayana Sanstha Source: Supplied by Utsav Patel/Paful Jethwa
Organizer Praful Jethwa says that the saint gave his first Australian sermon from the same forecourt.
"Swamiji [Pramukh Swami Maharaj] preached the universal concepts of humanity and brotherhood. This event was a homage to his life and contributions to society," he says.
The Consul General of India in Sydney Manish Gupta, Labor candidate for Parramatta Dr Andrew Charlton, NSW Minister for Corrections Geoff Lee, Councilpersons Nathan Hagarty, Reena Jethi, and Barbara Ward were among the dignitaries who attended the event.
The event saw a colorful display of Indian dance and music. Source: Supplied by Freena Trivedi/Praful Jethwa
Mr Jethwa said that the event took eight weeks of preparation and saw the participation of more than 3,000 members of the Indian community.
During the event, several children also chanted mantras. Apart from this, a three-hour-long Nagar Kirtan (devotional songs) and a Sabha (meeting) was also held.
The event concluded with a firecracker show and a prayer for peace, harmony and brotherhood.
Performances by children remained the highlight of the event. Source: Supplied by Praful Jethwa
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