On Saturday, August 6, 2022, hundreds of devotees of Shree Swaminarayan Siddhant Sajivan Mandal USA gathered at the Liberty State Park – Flag Plaza to honor and remember Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj (Acharya Swamishree Maharaj) their 5th Spiritual Heir to Lord Shree Swaminarayan.
As part of that ceremony, the devotees spread the ashes in the Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty, with a backdrop of the New York City Skyline and New Jersey Golden Coast. The ceremony was conducted by His Predecessor, 6th Heir to Lord Shree Swaminarayan, Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj.
On July 16, 2020, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj withdrew his “Human darshan” after serving as Acharya of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, a worldwide spiritual cultural organization, for 41 years, a press release from the organization said.
Since July 2020, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj’s ashes have been spread around the world, including in India, Australia, Lake District and Richmond UK, and most recently Niagara Falls Canada.
Hudson River, NY/NJ is the final Asthi Suman Visarjan (divine spreading of holy ashes) location for Acharya Swamishree Maharaj.
Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band USA, North America’s only Indian-American bagpipe band, commenced the event at Flag Plaza.
A procession was held from Flag Plaza to the Liberation Monument, where a ceremonial wreath was laid.
The procession continued to the waterfront, where religious ceremonies were held to honor the holy ashes. Representatives for Governor Phil Murphy, Congressman Bill Pascrell, and Liberty State Park leadership were in attendance.
A yacht was chartered on the Hudson River to allow Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj to immerse the ashes. The bagpipe band played many memorial songs as the yacht cruised along the Hudson River. A white dove was released to signify peace and love as the ashes were being immersed in the Hudson..
About Acharya Swamishree Maharaj
Acharya Swamishree Maharaj, or Bapa as he is often called in adoration, travelled over 2.3 million kilometers across the globe to promote the values of morality, spirituality, high thinking, simple living, together with uplifting all in society, the press release said, delivering thousands of sermons promoting the message of equality, social mobility, sustainability and world peace.
Shree Swaminarayan Siddhant Sajivan Mandal, New Jersey, is a registered non-profit organization established in 1970. It is a branch of the worldwide organization, Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan. More than 400 cultural Temples exist in many states of North America and Canada, and across the globe. The Temple in Secaucus serves as the North American Headquarters for the organization and was built in 1998 and opened in 2001.
