Ghatlodia Swaminarayan temple celebrates 7th foundation day

Grand celebrations took place at the Swaminarayan temple, Ghatlodia on its seventh foundation day or patotsava on Sunday. The temple trust, Swaminarayan Mandir Vasna Sansthan (SMVS), which will complete 25 years of its existence next year also carried out a massive shobhayatra or procession in the city.

The foundation day ceremony began with a grand procession where more than 20,000 devotees had participated, with people on two-wheelers leading, while others in four-wheelers carrying flags followed. The procession also comprised beautifully decorated trucks and tractors that travelled 25 kms covering different areas like Gota, Akhbar Nagar, Pragati Nagar, Chandlodia, Navrangpura, Naranpura, Ranna Park before culminating at the temple in Ghatlodia.

“The celebration also witnessed the opening of two new Swaminarayan temples — one at Gota and another at Nirnaynagar, near Ranip,” said Prashant Trivedi, one of the coordinators of the audiovisual department of the temple. A lecture by Satya Sankalp Swamiji was also held in the evening followed by dinner for the devotees, he added.

Organisers of the function also said that more than 250 varieties of sweets was prepared as offerings to Lord Swaminarayan as a part of the celebration.