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ATLANTA, GA — His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, joined devotees and well-wishers in celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, GA on July 1.
The Mandir was inaugurated by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 2007 and has helped enrich the local community through the development of family and youth programs, community outreach, and spiritual assemblies.
The anniversary celebrations were primarily created and led by the youth of BAPS who have been preparing for the arrival of Mahant Swami Maharaj for several months.
The event was attended by several community and government officials who recalled fond moments with Pramukh Swami Maharaj and shared heartfelt reflections on their first meeting with Mahant Swami Maharaj during his current travels.
The mayor of Lilburn, Johnny Crist, presented Mahant Swami Maharaj with a key to the city while saying, “Most cities in the state of Georgia want to be a place where you live, work, and play. But may I offer another alternative, or add to it, and that is we need to be a city where that is a place to live, to work, to play, and to pray.”
Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brian Kemp, conferred an Honorary Citizenship of Georgia to His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj. Nagesh Singh, the Consul General of India conveyed a hearty welcome on behalf of the Government of India.
The celebrations concluded with blessings from Mahant Swami Maharaj who encouraged all to uphold unity, maintain faith, and further develop one’s spirituality in strengthening the mandir as a community place of worship.
The Mandir offers weekly services and year-round programs organized by volunteers and Swamis within the BAPS community.
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta is the first of its kind in the region, and community volunteers welcomed the ten-year anniversary celebrations in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj with the same zeal and excitement they experienced back in 2007.