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On June 3, 2002 a historic,
unprecedented occasion took place in Rishikesh
(Himalayas), India. June 3 was the 50th birthday
of H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj
(Pujya Muniji), the President and Spiritual
Head of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh,
India and also the founder/Chairman of India
Heritage Research Foundation.
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FREE
MEDICAL HEALTH CAMPS: During
the month surrounding Pujya Swamiji's birthday, there
were also large scale free medical health camps
for thousands of rural, indigent patients. The following
teams of specialists came:
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- Specialists
from Hinduja Hospital, Bombay, came from 2-5
June. Dr. Khushrav Bajan, General Physician,
Dr. Sanjay Vaghani, Pediatrician and Dr. Ashwini
Bhalero, Gynocologist, came all the way from
Bombay to treat hundreds of women, children
and those suffering from a myriad of general
debilities.
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Cardiac specialists
from Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi came
with Dr. Ravi Kasliwal, head of Cardiac Surgery
for the 1-2 June
- Ophthalmologists
from UK came and screened not only local people,
but also every one of the young Rishikumars.
Dr. Nishit Kotecha, Priyesh Kotecha and Yoksam
Kotecha performed dedicated seva for more
than a full week.
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| H.H.
Sant Shri Rameshbhai Oza and H.H. Swamiji inaugurate
the medical camp |
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- Dr.
Ravi Goel, opthalmologist from UK, came and performed
eye screening as well as distributed free glasses
to those in need.
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From May 14-23 a team of
Acupressure specialists from Calcutta came and trained
50 students in the science of acupressure and also
treated over 1500 patients. The team was led by
Dr. Suman Shah and Dr. (Smt.) Rekha Shah, and included
Dr. KC Goel, Dr. S.C.D. Goel, Dr. S.L. Agarwal,
Dr. S.N. Navalgaria, Smt. Manju Agarwal, Smt. Sarla
Goel, Smt. Latika Srivastav, Smt. Meera Tripathi,
Kumari Preeti MIttal, Shri Ajai Kushwaha, and Shri
K.K. Sharma.
- On
June 8, a special ashthma camp was held under the
expertise of Parmarth Niketan's Ayuvedic Vaidyaji,
Dr. Joshi. Approximately 200 people gathered in
the ashram temple where they received the special
Ayurvedic cure in sweet kir.
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In
all, thousands of patients were screened, diagnosed
and treated for free, all in honor of Pujya Swamiji's
50th birthday.
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| A
child receives a pair of spectacles.
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| The
rishikumars' eyes are checked. |
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| BADRI-KEDAR MAHOTSAV:
For 3 days, there was a special celebration of Badrinath,
Kedarnath and the holy Himalayan pilgrimage areas. Top
level ministers came each evening to attend the Ganga
Aarti and then to watch the special cultural programs
in the evenings. |
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| Pujya
Swamiji with Shri B.S. Koshyariji, former Chief
Minister Uttranchal, Shri Ajat Bhattji, former
Health Minister, Shri Narendra S. Bhandariji,
Education Minister, Shri NN Persad, Tourism Secretary
and Shri Prakash Pant, former speaker for Vidhan
Sabha |
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| Shri
Jagmohanji, Urban Planning Minister from the
Central Office in Delhi comes and performs Ganga
Aarti |
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WORLD
COUNCIL OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS. From June 12 � 14,
more than 100 leaders of the world�s religions gathered
in Bangkok, Thailand for the World Council of Religious
Leaders, a direct outcome of the Millennium World
Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held
at the United Nations in August 2000.
The
World Council was organized by the Secretariat of
the Millennium World Peace Summit, headed by Shri
Bawa Jain the Secretary General. In Thailand the organizing
committee was lead by Most Ven. Somdet Phra Buddhacharya
and Ven. Dr. Phra Thepsophon of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya
University.
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| H.H.
Swamiji and H.H. Dada J.P. Vaswaniji share a loving
moment.
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| H.H.
Swamiji with His Holiness Somdet Phra Buddhacharya
D. Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. |
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The multi-faith Indian
Delegation included H.H. Sri Shankaracharyaji of Bhanpura
Peeth, Swami Divyanand Teerthji, H.H. Dada J.P. Vaswaniji
of Pune, H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (Pujya Muniji)
of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, H.H. Swami Dayanand
Saraswatiji of Coimbatore, H.H. Sai Das Baba of Ujjain,
H.H. Acharya Chandanaji representing Jainism, H.H.
Prof. Haspalji representing H.H. Jagjit Singhji Maharaj,
of the Namdhari Sikh tradition, Ven. Siri Sumedha
Theroji, Sarnath representing Buddhism, H.H.
Syed Zainul Abedin Ali, Ajmer representing Islam and
H.E. Vincent Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi representing
Christianity.
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The Council
opened on June 12 at the Buddhamonthon University
and was graced by the presence of His Royal Highness
the Crown Prince of Thailand and His Holiness Somdet
Phra Buddhacharya D. Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.
Addresses were given by the religious leaders and
also by the Educational Minister of Thailand.
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| Pujya
Swamiji with Chief Rabbi of Israel, Meir Lau,
Shri Bawa Jain, the Secretary General of the WCRL,
and Shri ML Mittal |
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| Ven.
Dr. Phra Thepsophon, organizer of the Conference
from Bangkok, Shri ML Mittal, Pujya Swamiji
and Shri Bawa Jain |
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H.H.
Swami Dayanand Saraswatiji spoke about the importance
of religious freedom and how religious freedom was
not only the freedom to worship according to our choice,
but it is also the freedom not to be forcibly converted
to another religion. He emphasized the need to abolish
conversion and to preserve all cultures, so that we
can continue to have a mosaic of faiths, traditions
and beliefs.
On
June 13, the venue shifted to the United Nations building
of Bangkok, where the Council was held for the final
two days.
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| June 13 opened
with blessings for the �Vision for the World
Council.� H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji
(Muniji) said that the image of the Walking
Buddha (the large statue where the previous
evening�s cultural program had been held) should
be the symbol for the World Council. �The Walking
Buddha should be our motto. It means: Be calm
and move on. We cannot bring peace, harmony
and love to the world by sitting down. We must
stand up, join hands, and move forward. Forgive,
forget and forward.� |
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On the afternoon of the
13th, the leaders of each religion met
to discuss, suggest and finally approve a Charter
for the World Council of Religious Leaders. The Charter
emphasizes the role of the religious leaders in mitigating
conflict, encouraging peace and working with the United
Nations and other international organizations to lead
the world to harmony, unity and non-violence. Additionally,
the Charter emphasizes the Religious Leaders� commitment
to the eradication of poverty, the preservation and
protection of the environment and to equity and equality
across religions, ethnicities and genders. Several
suggestions were made and incorporated into the next
draft of the Charter which was presented and signed
on the 14th. One representative of each
of the main religions went to the Executive Secretary's
of the UN's office to present the Charter to him.
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| Ayatollah
Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani, Pujya Swamiji and Sri Shankaracharya
Divyanand Teerthji sit in the meeting to discuss
the Charter |
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| The
leaders and Shri Bawa Jain present the Charter
to the Executive Secretary of the UN in Bangkok |
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On the afternoon of the
13th, the leaders of each religion met
to discuss, suggest and finally approve a Charter
for the World Council of Religious Leaders. The Charter
emphasizes the role of the religious leaders in mitigating
conflict, encouraging peace and working with the United
Nations and other international organizations to lead
the world to harmony, unity and non-violence. Additionally,
the Charter emphasizes the Religious Leaders� commitment
to the eradication of poverty, the preservation and
protection of the environment and to equity and equality
across religions, ethnicities and genders. Several
suggestions were made and incorporated into the next
draft of the Charter which was presented and signed
on the 14th. One representative of each
of the main religions went to the Executive Secretary's
of the UN's office to present the Charter to him.
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| Pujya
Swamiji and Shri Bawa Jain with the Princess of
Cambodia in front of the UN building. |
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| Pujya
Swamiji and H.E.
Mufti Ravil Gainutdin of Russia review
the program for the Conference. |
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The Summit
ended with blessings for peace in the world, with
the Hindu blessings given by H.H. Dada J.P. Vaswaniji
and H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji. H.H. Dadaji
said that the three most important teachings for the
world are love, love and love. He emphasized the necessity
of love and compassion for not only human beings but
for all living beings. He urged the leaders
to stop simply talking about peace and to actually
start living it.
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H.H.
Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (Pujya Muniji)
said that the Council must serve as a torchbearer
of peace across the world, and that it must
be a global lighthouse, guiding all the souls
who are lost in the sea of ignorance, violence
and conflict home to the land of peace, love
and harmony. �We must change our strategy
from operation to cooperation,� he urged.
�The leaders must use their influence, their
intelligence and their initiative to change
the state of the world from pieces to peace.�
He concluded his blessing by chanting the
sacred Buddhist mantra, which not only endeared
him to the several hundred Buddhist
monks who were organizing the conference,
but also brought a powerful message of unity
and one-ness to the Council.
Buddham Sharanam Gachami
Dhammam Sharanam Gachami
Sangam Sharanam Gachami
Satyam Sharanam Gachami
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His Majesty the King
of Nepal came to the
Kamakshi Temple in Delhi to have the
blessings and darshan of H.H. Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya
Jayendra Saraswatiji Maharaj, Kanchi Kaam Koti and
to perform sacred puja. Pujya Swamiji was invited
to attend this puja and to meet with the King. While
there, Pujya Swamiji discussed the upcoming Mansarovar
yatra as well as several other projects with H.H.
Sri Shankaracharyaji Maharaj and His Majesty the King.
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| At
the holy feet of H.H. Sri Shankaracharyaji Kanchi
Kaam Koti, the King and Queen of Nepal perform
sacred puja. |
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| Pujya
Swamiji walks with His Majesty the King of Nepal
out of the puja ceremony. |
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Pujya
Swamiji meets lovingly with Shri Venkataramanji, the
former President of India, outside of the room of
H.H. Sri Shankaracharyaji.
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Pujya
Swamiji's Itinerary
July
- September 2002 |
| July |
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August |
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September |
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1-2 |
Rishikesh |
1-2 |
Durban,
South Africa |
1-11 |
Rishikesh |
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3 |
Delhi |
3-4 |
N'dola |
12-20 |
Badrinath |
| 4 |
Ahmedabad |
6 |
Delhi |
21-30 |
Rishikesh |
| 5-6 |
Bombay |
7-31 |
Rishikesh |
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7-17 |
Rishikesh |
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| 19-21 |
Leicester |
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| 22-24 |
London |
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| 26-30 |
Lisbon |
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| 31 |
Johannesburg |
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Contact Information:
Phone: + (91-135)
434300, 435300 Fax: + (91-135) 434399
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