Pujya Bhaishri meets divine youth of UK

On his way to America, Pujya Bhaishri spent two days in London where he met and addressed a large gathering of youth who are organising and preparing for the largest gathering of Hindu Youth in Europe during the Hindu Youth Festival 2001, which is scheduled from 26th July to 5th August.

Pujya Bhaishri will be reciting the Bhagwat Katha in Hindi during the Festival. Scholars of the Bhagwat believe that this text is just as relevant to the Youth as it is to the elderly, and that it teaches them how to live successfully on the paths of action, knowledge and devotion. For this reason, Bhaishri agreed to present the Bhagwat Katha at the Hindu Youth Festival to give the Youth of this country the opportunity to benefit from this teaching.

He expressed a great desire to meet the youth and went to the UK especially for that purpose. A very special evening was organised where Bhaishri met the several youth teams that have been organising the Katha, evening Youth activities, the stage and design, the website, the PR and Marketing, the Souvenir Brochure and the special research project that will take place at the festival.

The evening started with Pujya Bhaishri lighting a deep (deep pragatya). Ravi Gupta, a 19-year-old PhD student from the Oxford Centre for Vaishnava and Hindu Studies (OCVHS), spoke of the aims and objectives of the festival. He described the huge spectrum of Hindu Youth in the UK and how there had never been a gathering of these youth and a common platform where all could come and celebrate their culture and heritage.

This presentation was followed by smaller presentations by each of the youth team co-coordinators, who gave very brief summaries of the work their team had done over the past month and what was planned for the coming weeks.

Bhaishri spoke to the Youth teams praising, complimenting and encouraging them for their great endeavors. ‘It has been many years since I have recited a Katha in the UK and have been convinced to come to London this summer as the organising of the festival is done by the Youth, for the benefit of the Youth,’said Bhaishri.

At the meeting, Bhaishri also spoke of the need for the Youth organisers to seek advice from adults, use their experience and wisdom before taking any decisions. He also encouraged the adults present at the meeting to give their complete support to this unique and historic event. ‘In the Ramayana, the young vanar sena went for the search for Sita. They engaged in Bhagwat Karya, but Ramji also sent the elderly Jamavant,’ said Bhaishri. He continued, ‘Hanumanji asked the advise of Jamavant ‘Jamavant me puchhahu tohi, uchit sikhavanu dijahu mohi.’ We must also ask the elders for their advice and teachings’.

Bhaishri said that this year his dream had come true. ‘I have tremendous faith in the young generation of today. They are not all bad. Just because they dress and talk like the West does not make them any less Hindu or Indian. We must learn not to base our opinions at face value.’

At the end, Bhaishri spoke of his dream that one day he would conduct a Katha that had been organised by the youngsters. He gave his complete support and blessings to the project.

After the programme, the youth came in large numbers to meet and greet Bhaishri personally and seek his blessings.