Tuesday, 18 February 2025

Mahant Swami Maharaj

Belinda WILSON (Narre Warren North) (13:43): It was my absolute honour to join the BAPS community in welcoming His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, their 90-plus spiritual leader, to an amazing event at the Cranbourne Racecourse. This was such a wonderful evening spent alongside my colleagues the member for Cranbourne, the member for Southern Metro Mr Tarlamis in the other place and the member for Northern Metro Sheena Watt, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs the member for Greenvale, who made a very moving speech to over 3500 people.

The event attracted people not only from all over Victoria but from all over the world, and the evening was actually broadcast to millions of people. The event offered an opportunity for reflection and to appreciate the valuable contribution that the BAPS community make to all of our communities. I was grateful to have been part of this meaningful gathering, which brought people together in a spiritual unity full of respect, and I felt really blessed to be standing with my friends from the BAPS community who were all so excited and touched to be with their guru, some seeing him for the first time. It was really, really lovely.