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Arts and Cultural Ganesh Festival of SA 2022
By: Daljeet Bakshi
South Australia celebrates diversity and multiculturalism is a great way . Year around festivals make state a happening place with lots of engaging events . This opens up a common space to promote inclusiveness , opportunities for small businesses and showcase of local talent . Migrant community of South Australia has massive support from the Government of South Australia and local community . UIOSA presented a grand event celebrating Ganesh ji Festival .
The resounding beats of dhol-tasha, soft jingling music of lezim, powerful chants in praise of Lord Ganesh, and women and children dressed up in traditional attire and head gear were the highlights of the vibrant procession of Lord Ganesh that marked the inauguration of the Arts and Cultural Ganesh Festival of SA 2022 that was held in Adelaide on 3 September and 4 September.
Organised by the not-for-profit organisation
United Indians of South Australia (UIOSA)
at AFL Max, near Adelaide Airport, the Festival celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesh, the Hindu God of wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. An estimated 10,000 visitors flocked to the two-day free cultural event to seek the blessings of the deity and to immerse themselves in the spirit of festivity.
The highlight of the 2022 Festival was the beautiful and magnificent 21 feet high Ganesh idol, Australiacha Raja, which was shipped all the way from India. This year, Adelaide set a record of hosting the biggest Ganesh idol outside of India.
The volunteer-run event, which offers an opportunity for the people of South Australia to celebrate the multicultural spirit of the state, featured a wide array of music and government, councils and the people of South Australia, and the support provided by the government bodies and the community in helping the state emerge from the throes of the COVID pandemic.
The Festival was supported by the Government of South Australia, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and has the City of West Torrens as its Event Partner. The other organisations that supported the Festival were the Multicultural Affairs SA, the Multicultural Communities Council of SA Inc., and the South Australian Cricket Association.
dance performances by 590 professional and budding artists from various linguistic, cultural, and regional backgrounds.
Some of the cultural performances that enamoured the visitors included the Chinese lion dance, Vietnamese dance, Latin dance, Macedonian folk dance, Garhwali dance, Marathi dance, Garba dance, Bharatnatyam dance, and contemporary dance. The Festival has proved to be a great platform for artists (adults and children) of the state to showcase their talent and skills.
A new addition this year was the rendition of Lord Ganesh Aarti and Atharvashirsha (chanting of hymns) by children of 6-15 age group. They had practised for two months under the guidance of UIOSA committee member Kapil Chousalkar to gain perfection, and the result was a beautiful performance which was admired by all. The UIOSA Children’s Arti group has now been receiving invitations from other Indian community groups to showcase their talent at Indian festivals.
In its 7th year now, the Arts and Cultural Ganesh Festival of SA 2022 highlighted the cohesive relationship between the state
In his welcome speech, UIOSA President Dilip Kulkarni said the success of the Ganesh Festival was the result of the powerful support of their sponsors, volunteers and committee members and he thanked them all for their contribution and trust. It is the brigade of over 200 volunteers that run the show under the guidance of UIOSA working committee comprising 30 members. For the
Arts and Cultural Ganesh Festival of SA
2022, of the 30 business sponsors, the lead corporate sponsors were Asia Pacific Group Education & Migration Consultants Adelaide and Alaxia Homes. The media partners for the event were SBS Radio, TEJJO TV, and Nischal Plus.
The Guest of Honour for the 2022 Festival was Hon Michael Coxon, Mayor, City of West Torrens. The Mayor said his city was happy to host the vibrant Arts and Cultural Ganesh Festival of SA 2022 and he looked forward to welcoming the Lord Ganesh again.
The event was attended by many other parliamentarians and dignitaries. During the immersion procession Ganesh idol, AFL Max resembled a mini India, with people dancing to the reverberating dhol-tasha beats, waving flags, and chanting Ganpati Bappa Morya.
By: Daljeet Bakshi
We human beings are social animals and live our entire lives as a part of society and social interactions and social connections has a positive impact on our health. Quality time spent with friends you trust and care about is good for everyone and good for our overall sense of wellbeing and also for our soul.
BAPS Australia has inaugurated the BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute Australia in Adelaide South Australia. Thousands witnessed the historic inauguration and participated in person or online through a live webcast in the Satsang Diksha Homatmak Path, a unique yagna (a ritual performed to invoke God for their blessings) ceremony in which sanctified grains were offered in the sacrificial flame with the recital of selected Sanskrit verses from the Satsang Diksha scripture (a revered and profound spiritual text at BAPS). For the first time in the Asia Pacific Region, the Satsang Diksha Homatmak Path yagna was undertaken. Over 90 children and teenagers sang Vedic peace prayers and recited Sanskrit verses from the Satsang Diksha scripture in the Homatmak Path. With the blessings of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, this yagna is a stepping-stone for the elevation of Vedic Sanatan Dharma and its heritage on the land of Australia.
The BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute is dedicated to advancing quality research, learning, and expression of Hinduism, its cultures, philosophies, affiliated languages, and rich collection of literature. Furthermore, the institute will strive to foster social harmony, interfaith dialogue, public engagement, and academic discourse as it generates opportunities for the highest level of value-based education, innovative research, and creative expression. His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is the visionary and inspirer of this research institute. Furthermore, The BAPS Research Institute was inaugurated as a part of the centenary celebrations of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj designated and inspired Mahamahopadhyay Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami from India to travel globally and preside over the inaugurations and the Satsang Diksha Homatmak Path. Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami is globally
acclaimed for his seminal contributions to Indian philosophy and his erudite scholarship on Hindu beliefs and culture. As the author of the ground-breaking Sanskrit commentarial and philosophical texts, the SwaminarayanBhashyam and the Swaminarayan-SiddhantaSudha, he is one of the world’s leading scholars of Hindu philosophy.
Many scholars have lauded the Swaminarayan Bhashyam, written by Mahamahopadhyay Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami, as one of the greatest contributions to Hinduism and Indian philosophy in the past several centuries. This monumental work is a testament to the continuing tradition of spiritual inquiry that has remained vibrant over millennia within Hinduism. These volumes address the modern need for religious and social pluralism and harmony in the world, along with explaining universal ethical and spiritual values.
BAPS invited and homogenised 92 representatives across 46 leading spiritual organisations, government, academics, and many community individuals under one roof for this event. Present in the event were the prominent guests Hon Jing Lee, Member of the Legislative Council of South Australia; Hon Tony Zappia MP, the federal member for Makin; Mr Rajendra Pandey is president of VHP, Mr Chirag Trivedi is President of Hindu Council Australia, Chad Buchanan, Deputy Mayor, City of Salisbury and many more. In his remarkable speech Tony Zappia stated “Everyone is welcome in Australia but don’t forget your heritage” and Mahamahopadyay Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami reiterated it in his speech. During his keynote speech, Mahamahopadyay Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami further conveyed the message of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj and said, “This institute aims to promote the spirit of benevolence and harmony by spreading the message of the ancient, sacred sentiment of “Vasudev Kutumbakam” – the whole world is one family. This historic initiative of BAPS to bring together and collaborate with all; marks a new chapter in the transmission of the Vedic doctrine: “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam.” Visit the global website at www.baps.org/adelaide for further information on BAPS Australia in Adelaide.
You may also visit global websites for additional information about BAPS and its activities: www.baps.org; https://research. baps.org/; www.bapscharities.org; https://pramukhswami.org/
