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Mountain of food at BAPS Swaminarayan ‘annakut’

The first look at ‘annakut’ is a sight to behold. Derived from the words ‘anna’, or food, and ‘kut’ meaning mountain, the prayer offering is a spectacularly literal representation of the word.

Plates full of sweet and savoury offerings neatly arranged on platforms in a step-like formation captivated visitors at BAPS Swaminarayan temple in the western Auckland suburb of Avondale on November 12.

As many as 1,221 vegetarian food items were part of the ‘mountain’ of offerings laid out at this year’s celebrations, say organisers.

The day-long festivities in the lead up to Diwali were graced by the presence of revered sadhus, P Swami Tilakmunidas and P Swami Nirvedmunidas, drawing in 975 devoted attendees and more than 1,900 well-wishers.

The festivities kicked off at the crack of dawn with an enchanting maha-arti, setting the tone for the day, followed by the 'Sharda Pujan' ceremony dedicated to goddess Saraswati, the Hindu deity of knowledge, learning and wisdom.

The grandeur continued with the final annakut aarti at 5pm, leading into an evening assembly where devotees, well-wishers, and more than 15 dignitaries from Auckland's Indian diaspora gathered to celebrate the occasion, also marked as Hindu New Year.

The assembly culminated in the sharing of annakut prasad, sanctified food, and a breathtaking fireworks display that illuminated the Auckland sky later in the evening.

The celebration was a cultural melting pot, with several MPs, dignitaries and community leaders trickling in through the day bridging political lines to partake in the festivities.

National Party’s Melissa Lee, Carlos Chueng, Paulo Garcia, Mahesh Muralidhar and Siva Kilari joined the annakut ‘thal’; while Labour’s Hon Dr Deborah Russell, Kharag Singh and Dr Anae Neru participated in the arti and annakut ‘darshan’.

The organisers also hosted members from the ACT Party, including Parmjeet Parmar and Rahul Chopra, along with Local Council members Bala Beeram and Ella Kumar.