Name that Mandir
This Shikkarbadh mandir served as a blueprint for all of the shikkarbadh mandirs in the USA and Canada. It history was shown to us in The First of Its Kind Documentary
London Mandir
Pramukh Swami Maharaj was going to Dayabhai Gajjar's house in Amdavad in 1983 to do a parayan on this Granth, before suffering a serious heart attack. he asked the driver of the car to pull over and instruct the Santo to go to the parayan and apologize to Dayabhai Gajjar on his behalf, for not being able to attend the parayan
The Shikshapatri
Pramukh Swami Maharaj's compassion stemmed from a deep genuine love for his devotees, coupled with detail-oriented care for even the smallest things--so that his haribhakto wouldn't be inconvenienced. Name a prasang in which we see Bapa's care and compassion through his subtle planning and detail-oriented approach, which we wouldn't consider.
Prasangs may vary... Including but aren't limited to Bapa putting marcha in the food packets of the residents who were affected by the earthquake in Bhuj, assigned which Santo would do chandlo to the haribhaktas in such a way that their clothes wouldn't be ruined during Jamnagar mandir murti pratishtha mahapuja.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj fulfilled Yogiji Maharaj's Sankalp by building a mandir on the banks of the Yamuna River, it took about thirty-five to acquire land for this project.
Gandhinagar Akshardham
What are the dates for Pramukh Swami Maharaj's Shatabdi Celebration in Amdavad?
December 15th, 2022 to January 15th, 2023
If you were to Robbinsville Akshardham Site Seva, you'd be able to see how largescale and quickly the work is progressing along. Fun Fact, if you were to take all of the stones from the Jagati layer of Akshardham, you could make another Mahelav mandir. Also, twenty-two London Mandirs could fit into Robbinsville Akshardham, whenever it's all finished. This factoid is relevant because the remaining stones from Delhi Akshardham completed which shikkarbadh mandir in India?
Jaipur mandir, Rajasthan
Everyone was surprised when Bapa's health seem to improve while 35,000 feet in the air when he talked, and when he displayed an aptitude for food by asking for some khichdi en route to this destination
Robbinsville mandir in 2014 for the murti pratistha
In 1998, a haribhakta by the name of Jayeshbhai Mandadka gave Pramukh Swami Maharaj an invitation to his sister's wedding to prasadify (yes I know that's not a word). Bapa asks a couple of questions about the wedding arrangements but gives aashirwad nonetheless. Though Jayeshbhai never outwardly expresses it, Bapa understands his financial conditions and tells Santo, to get Jayeshbhai this, as his sister's about to get married, and he needs to look royal standing beside her. What did Bapa tell Santo to get Jayeshbhai?
A new sherwani (new wedding clothes)
Say a prasang in which Pramukh Swami Maharaj showed his Gurubhakti towards Shastriji Maharaj?
Answers may vary: but some Prasangs include the Sarangpur Gate Prasang when Shastriji Maharaj while sick called for Pramukh Swami Maharaj to come and read him the Bhaktachintmani--stating that he'd feel better. When Bapa was churning the limestone with his bare feet in the summer during Atladra mandir construction, and because of this many blisters formed on his body.
What is the specialty of Pramukh Swami Maharaj's Shatabdi? Think of this question from a logistics and a financial standpoint?
Mahant Swami Maharaj has had a near-zero budget plan for PSM Shatabdi, meaning all of the haribhakto and even non-Satsangis have given everything and sacrificed everything for the Shatabdi to come to fruition. Everything was given to the Sanstha as Seva, whether that's land by the farmers of Amdavad, who're allowing BAPS to celebrate such a massive Utsav free of charge.
This Shikkarbadh mandir in Gujarat is famous for being built right near a military base. When planning and mandir construction was underway, there was a governmental order stating that no building was supposed to be built within a 1,000-meter radius of the military base. But, after many attempts, Satsangi connections within the government, and most importantly, Bhagwan & the Satpurush's iccha, the order was rescinded and permission was granted. Name this Shikkarbadh mandir?
Jamnagar mandir
Pramukh Swami Maharaj played baseball with the balaks, kishores, and yuvaks in a 1994 shibir held in this location in which Bapa got a frozen shoulder shortly after this incident and he rehabbed the injury for eleven months. Whenever the kishores and yuvaks realized that Bapa got injured because of their insistence, they felt regret and wrote a letter to Bapa asking for forgiveness and prayaschit (atonement). Hint: (This prasang was mentioned in the PSM 100 Northeast Documentary from Pujya Shantyogi Swami and Suryakantbhai Brahmbhatt
Catskill Mountains, New York
Reshmabhai Parghi was a poor, simple haribhakta from the village of Hingatiya. In 2000, while Pramukh Swami Maharaj was in the USA, Reshmabhai wrote an illegible letter, despite this Pramukh Swami Maharaj realized the letter came from the village of Hingatiya. How did Pramukh Swami Maharaj realize the letter was from the village of Hingatiya if he couldn't read Reshmabhai Parghi's handwriting?
Bapa recognized the distinct postage letter stamp was from the village of Hingatiya
What was Pramukh Swami Maharaj's response when Yogi Bapa blamed him for organizing the program of going to Saedharnagar mandir murti pratistha in 1966 despite the threat of opposition, even though Bapa wasn't at fault?
He accepted responsibility and vowed to the trustees that another careless and reckless decision wouldn't be made in which Yogiji Maharaj's health and wellbeing would be put into compromise
How many Swayamsevaks are there currently in Amdavad giving Seva for Pramukh Swami Maharaj Shatabdi Mahotsav?
45,000 (even though now the number could be higher)
Pramukh Swami Maharaj first started searching for land for this shikkarbadh mandir in 1996. After acquiring the land, they were given a height requirement of only forty-two feet. Approval for increasing the height was met with severe backlash and disapproval from the townspeople and city council members. After a letter was written to Bapa, he gave aashirwad stating the five members who weren't permitting you to extend the height permission, Bhagwan will enter their minds and hearts, and by a unanimous decision will extend the mandir's height permission. Following that in the next city council meeting, the mayor and the other four council members gave their approval to extend the mandir's height in a unanimous 5-0 vote. In what shikkarbadh mandir, did all of these events transpire? (I gave you the cliff notes version)
LA Mandir. (there's a five-episode mini-doc in which these events are covered in much more detail, found on the BAPS Youtube Channel)
In 1973, Bapa was forced by a haribhakta to attend his nephew's which big life event, even though Bapa refused many times over because he was planning to go to do padhramnis to a village, which he canceled twice beforehand. However, this haribhakta pressed further by stating, I gave of my son to you (to become a Sadhu), and you can't even complete one of my requests? Pramukh Swami Maharaj understood that his haribhakta wasn't going to listen, so Bapa adjusted his schedule just to attend his nephew's which big life event?
The haribhakta nephew's wedding
This haribhakta was of humble origins, as he was a simple watchman's son living in a 10x10 hut. However, after Pramukh Swami Maharaj's agna takes place in the upcoming Adhiveshan and due to Pramukh Swami Maharaj's compassion and guidance, he's now a doctor. This prasang is close to was also near and dear to our Edison mandir's Manish Uncle, as he was this haribhakta's former Karyakar in India. Name that haribhakta? (Hint: This same question was used last jeopardy)
Amrutbhai
We're able to see Pramukh Swami Maharaj's gurubhakti toward his guru Yogiji Maharaj whenever he was assigned to sell off the excess marble and stone from Gadhada mandir to which small town in Rajasthan which conditions were bleak, there wasn't any proper facilities for eating, drinking water, showering. Bapa had to draw water from the well, and cook for everyone, and sometimes the other workers who worked in the marble and stones quarries. Bapa even consoled and cared for Pragat Bhagat when he got sick, and want to leave this town and go back.
Makrana in Rajasthan
When is the Diksha Mahotsav (Diksha Din) during Pramukh Swami Maharaj Shatabdi Mahotsav in Amdavad? Bonus points if you're able to guess who from Edison mandir is getting Diksha?
January 6th Parshadi Diksha (Sadhak to Parshad) and January 10th Bhagwati Diksha (Parshad to Sant).
From Edison people who are getting Diksha are Sagarbhai Sadhak, Maulikbhai Sadhak Viseshbhai Sadhak, Atri Bhagat, and Panini Bhagat just to name a few
In 1998, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Mahant Swami Maharaj (sadguru Sant at the time), Pujya Atmakirti Swami, and other Santo had to perform this mandir's murti pratistha in the middle of the night because of increasing opposition and threat of escalating violence?
Tithal Mandir
Name the year and Prasang in which Bapa told his sevak Santo and Pujya Doctor Swami to stop padhramnis for a couple of hours because of a leg injury.
In 1984/1985, Pramukh Swami Maharaj had a large painful boil (gumadu) on his leg, which caused him severe distress. The pain was such that it caused him discomfort when walking and whilst sitting. He had told his Sevak Santos and even Pujya Doctor Swami to cancel all of the padhramnis for the following day. However, because of the haribhaktos insistence, just to please his devotees, Swamishri put the feelings of his devotees over his bodily comfort, rest, and wellbeing.
In 1972, this former thirteen-year-old sadhu insisted on accompanying Pramukh Swami Maharaj on his Vichran from Sarangpur to Jhalawad (pronounced ઝાલાવાડ). Bapa though hesitant at first fulfilled this young sadhu's wish despite inconveniences such as being forced to move over and accommodate two people sitting in the passenger seat of a car. This sadhu seeing the unbridled love that the Satpurush has, composed a kirtan Aj Gavushu Het Tamara. This sadhu is now back in gruhasthashram and currently goes to Edison mandir, what is this haribhakta's name? Bonus points if you get his sadhu name and his name. Award points if they get only one of the two names.
Sadhu Name Mukundjivan Swami (Devendra Uncle)
Whenever Yuvaks got the opportunity to do the Seva of bathing Yogiji Maharaj, he'd often give them upvas lovingly, this tradition was given the nickname or title of Yogi Yuvak Upvas College (YYUC). Similarly, the Yuvaks wanted to recreate these same smrutis with Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 1972, what profound statement did Bapa make whenever the Yuvaks wanted to update the nickname to Pramukh Yuvak Upvas College (PYUC), which highlighted both his nirmanipanu and gurubhakti towards Yogiji Maharaj?
Just as the school's principal changes, the name of the school doesn't change alongside it. Similarly, though Yogiji Maharaj and I may look different, we're the same tattva (entity) of Aksharbrahma. Therefore, there's no need to change the moniker, title, or nickname.
What is Mahant Swami Maharaj's definition of how to properly celebrate Pramukh Swami Maharaj's centennial celebrations?
His definition of how to properly celebrate Pramukh Swami Maharaj's centennial celebrations is to imbibe the virtues of Pramukh Swami Maharaj and use them in our daily life--which will benefit us and those around us as well. Because Bapa has done everything for us, he's been whatever we needed whenever we needed it. Whether that be a mother's love, a father's advice, a friend's honesty, spiritual guidance as a guru, and everything in between. We all see something in the Satpurush, that's why we're all in Edison mandir, doing sevaSevaether as Yuvak Karyakars, if we didn't see anything in Bhagwan ad the Satpurush, we wouldn't ever come to mandir, plain and simple.