The bagpipe band of the Swaminarayan temple in London was once again a star attraction at the international cultural event held at Manchester International Festival 2009, in Manchester, the third largest city of England, in the first week of the current month.
“The event is organised every year by the Manchester city council to promote all cultures of the world, as the widest range of people from all over the world live in this country. The colourful event where dance, music and floats showcased the cultures of different respective countries was witnessed by more than two lakh people from all over Greater Manchester and the UK. Our two pipe bands from our London and Bolton temples participated in it and were much applauded by the audience,” Praful Patel, spokesperson of the temple and London-based agro-scientist, told DNA in a talk from London on Sunday.
“Our religious head, Acharya Purushottampriyadasji, who is now in London, was happy at our pipe band being lustily cheered by the audience and blessed the event, calling it a show of unity of world culture. He said what today’s world needed most was respect and tolerance for all cultures and faiths,” Mahant Bhagwatipriyadasji, second in command at the Maninagar (in Ahmedabad)-based Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, who accompanied the acharya on his current foreign tour, said in a separate interview from London.
Patel said that a ‘rehearsal’ of the event was held at their Bolton temple before the main performance at a special music programme at Manchester Town Hall in Manchester. The programme was attended by eminent film personalities and music directors. “The BBC authorities were so much impressed with the outstanding performance of our band that the world’s premier broadcasting organisation invited our band to give a live performance on BBC Television. The programme telecast live was held at Albert Square where our Acharyaswami also remained present. He was also interviewed by BBC,” Patel said.
As if this was not enough, the band also gave special performance at the Spirit of Bolton event in Bolton Town Square and won hearts of many dignitaries, including the mayor of Bolton, and members of Bolton Hindu Forum, Bolton Council of Mosques & Christian
Community Cohesion.
Bhagwatipriyadasji said that the pipe band was formed by their spiritual leader Jeevanpran Swamibapa in 1972 on the lines of the world-famous Scottish bagpipe. “Its main purpose is to help undertake charitable activities by the London temple.
