Contact:

Rosemary Mackey

City of West Chicago

475 Main Street

West Chicago, Illinois

(630) 293-2200 ext. 139

rmackey@westchicago.org

City Leader Meets Spiritual Leader at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

West Chicago, Illinois: June 25, 2007 - The City of West Chicago was recently honored by an invitation that brought Mayor Michael B. Kwasman to the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the largest stone and marble Hindu temple constructed in the United States and located in Bartlett, Illinois. There, he was part of a celebration that marked the centenary of  Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the socio-spiritual Hindu organization that inaugurated the Bartlett temple three years ago.

BAPS' spiritual leader Pramukh Swami Maharaj began a four month visit which began in the Chicagoland area and which will take him to other cities throughout the United States and Canada to promote the group's message of peace, family values, morality,

non-violence and community service. He will also inaugurate two more traditional Hindu Mandirs in Toronto, Canada and Atlanta, Georgia later this summer.

At a private meeting with Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Mayor Kwasman was asked what blessing he would like bestowed upon him. He replied simply, "....to be blessed that I make the right decisions for the City of West Chicago." After reflecting on his inspirational visit and further understanding of BAPS, Kwasman remarked, "It was an honor of honors representing my city." He further acknowledged how amazing it felt to learn about another culture and how humbled he was by the graciousness and respect he felt from Pramukh Swami Maharaj in reaching out to the surrounding communities.

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