New BAPS Mandir, Wellington, New Zealand 

 

For almost a decade, the present BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Wellington, New Zealand, has served as a center of community, culture and spirituality.  Now, a new BAPS Mandir is to be built in Wellington. Over 800 devotees participated in-person in the Vedic mahapuja ceremony, which was conducted at the Lower Hutt Events Centre as part of the Shilanyas Mahotsav. Also, 200 devotees at the BAPS Mandir in Auckland and 35 devotees at BAPS Mandir in Hamilton participated via the live webcast.

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The ceremony was followed by an assembly attended by invited guests and over 1,200 devotees from throughout New Zealand. Among the dignitaries present were the High Commissioner of India to New Zealand, Shri Muktesh Pardeshi, and Mr. Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education, Minister for COVID-19 Response, Minister for the Public Service and Leader of the House.

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Thereafter, Paramchintan Swami and other resident sadhus visited the new mandir site to lay the foundation bricks sanctified by Param Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj in India on 31 May 2021.

On Saturday, 19 June 2021, more than 800 people watched the youths present a special cultural program of skits, dances and bhajans which highlighted the values, spirituality and spirit of service a mandir brings.