At the onset, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Beena Gupta and Abha Gupta for organising an excellently conducted trip to Akshardham Temple on Saturday, 25 November for the Ladies’ Club.
We gathered in front of Tower One. The convoy then headed towards Akshardham. The lead members’ thoughtful organisation was evident by the VIP reception we got with guides, passes and express entry.
The trip at every step became engrossing as we entered the gates of the esteemed temple. Each sculpture was enchanting. The paintings adorning the walls were made of Ajanta/ Ellora pigment dye and were to last one thousand years in their beauty.
Visit to the sanctum, ‘Garbhagriha’, was awe inspiring. We were then led to an inner sanctum where we could perform Abhishek Puja. (This ritual removes negativity, promotes healing, and facilitates personal transformation. It is performed by pouring water on Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s statue while meditating.) This was a moving experience!
We then went for a hypnotic boat ride in a tunnel where India’s history was depicted in a very informative manner with depiction of articles along the banks of the canal along with the background narration which covered a span of ten thousand years of Bharat.
We were then treated to a movie on the life of Bhagwan Swaminarayan highlighting his work done for betterment of the society. This was followed by a laser show with a theme of victory of ‘goodness over evil’ kept us riveted to our seats.
Lastly, we were treated to a sumptuous meal specially laid out for us with bevy of waiters serving. In the end, we were given prasad to take home. How four+ hours flew, none of us could fathom, as every minute spent in the Akshardham precinct seemed like a blessing in paradise we had received.
This experience will remain etched with us for long.
Kudos again Beena ji and Abha for being dedicated in organising such a memorable trip!
