Diwali

From as early at 5am, devotees were coming in to the mandir complex has the first darshan of Thakorji of the Hindu New Year [Vikram Samvat 2060]. The day started at 5.30am with Mangala Ãrti in the mandir. The murtis were then beautifully adorned and the second Shangãr Ãrti was performed at 6.45am. At 7.00am, the New Year Mahãpujã commenced in the Haveli, where prayers for world peace were chanted.
The climax of the day was soon approaching, when over two months of devotion by hundreds of volunteers working day and night was about to bear fruit. The Annakut offering of over 1200 items of food, snacks, sweets, pickles, spicy dishes, salads, drinks and various other dishes had been prepared by volunteers. The items offered consisted of dishes from the world over.
By 11.00am, the Annakut was placed in front of the sacred images in the shrines in a grand and decorative manner in the mandir and on the stage in the Haveli assembly hall. The theme of the decorations was the peacock, the...