Swaminarayan Sect. 18th April, 2004 sound Sound Cassette English Abhijeet Joshi Oral Interview Interview 078 Vasant Chandarana Male 73 1st January, 1931 Nairobi

U.K. matric EN Gujarati, Hindi, English I would like to just ask you about a little bit of your background and where your family came from? And things like that you can tell me where your parents were born? Yes, well, my father was born in India and he came to East Africa, in, before the First World War. Well his birth date is also 1-1-1900. Really? Yes, and, well he came to East Africa on his own. Then when he came back he got married and well he had a family there. He came back to East Africa, Kenya, Nairobi, and then we followed him, in 1937, means my mother and my sisters we followed and well I studied in East Africa. I was born on January 1st 1931 and well I had my education there. Can I just ask you where was your father, was in Gujarat? Yes, he was in Do you have the name of the town? Rajkot. Rajkot? Okay and is that when he went to Africa and then came back to Rajkot again. Yes, he got married and two children. Why did he keep going back? And for what? Well you know we Indians had some sort of a thing that we try to explore, we like to explore outside of India also and my father came to East Africa, Nairobi and he had a small business up there. And what was it? Well it was a grocery shop and during the Second World War we moved to a very big base of the British Army on just on the border of equator. And there on my Daddy was familiar with Army people, and we had a connection with the Army people who used to buy their food and their groceries from us. Was that the British Army? Yes the British Army. And there on my father passed away in 52' and I thought that I better where we are after my father came into this country, I mean to Africa there was two other brothers and two other sisters who was born. So we are three brothers and three sisters and then when my father died I decided that I should start some other sort of the business, this grocery is bit heavy for us. Then I got in connection with the British High Commissioner and he put me through the Trade Commissioner and I got a manufacturing directory from British High Commissioner. I started writing a letter to the manufacturers of the British company here and I started selling their product into East Africa. Well side by side the same thing I did it with Germany, Belgium, France, and I used to sell bear product in the East Africa. Well, East Africa was not a manufacturing country at that time. Well about the religion also my grandfather, we are in Swaminarayan sect since a very long time and my kids is also a follower and my grand daughters, my daughters-in-law everybody is in the Satsang What was it like were you in Nairobi did you say? Or where were you in when you were in Kenya? Kenya? Nairobi? I studied in Nairobi and then we moved to the equator, on the Equator side. Because Nairobi is very near to the Equator. Pardon? Nairobi is very near to Equator. Yes we came 80 mile out of Nairobi where there was a Army base. Okay so you were there then? Okay. What was it like to practice religion and you are a Swaminarayan devotee because was there a temple when you moved? No, well actually from India my grandfather used to take me in the evening Aarti, every day, when I come from the school my grandfather had a Grain business well from there I was a Swaminarayan. And when we came to East Africa in our shop also we had a photograph of Swaminarayan, there was a big camp activities were going on building and all those sides. There was lots of Hindus who used to come and buy the grocery from our store, and they saw some of them saw that we have got a picture of Swaminarayan, Lord Swaminarayan and they came and asked my father that during the Ekadashi period can we have the things which we only take during Ekadashi, you must be knowing Ekadashi. Yeah no grains and yeah. Yes, so my father said yes and my mother used to prepare all those things and keep it ready for them because they are mostly the builders and they are from Kutch, they were from Kutch, and that's it. Oh wow. So how far did you go with your education then in Africa? Well, I studied up to matric then I started with my father for a little while my father died, and I started this agency business. Okay so then at what point did you decide to move to the U.K. then? What happened in the interim period and then why did you decide? Well actually my brother, my younger brother who came into this country and then it was followed by my middle brother and they I used to come to this country when my father died in '52 I came first in '57 and I visited my manufacturers, my agents and those people. So you were a regular visitor? Regular visitor. From there onwards I used to visit this country every 4-5 years and then my brothers both of the brothers came in 1968 to get down settled. I came in 1970 the last visit to my manufacturers and there on I decided the family decided that I must move to this country, because of the education in that East African countries was getting slightly harder and as those countries were getting independent they wanted their way where we being a Hindu we like to go as our way, and that's it. Okay, so when did you actually move to the U.K.? 1970's I suppose? 1972. '72 okay. I came '70 was my last visit then Yogi Swami was here and I asked him what to do? Then he told me go, go back to the country bring the family around here and you will be all right. I have got now grand children one of them is my elder son's son is a barrister. Why I moved into this country is was because of education. The only reason. Well all my, I have got nearly 10 my grandchildren, they are all having their good education and they are all becoming professional. And they are all follower of Lord Swaminarayan. Can I just ask you because you have been coming to the U.K. between settling you know you come so many times and I guess by 1972 there was quite a large Hindu community specially in London at that stage. It was quite developed then wasn't it? So can you tell me little bit about what it was like when you first started coming in 1957, '57 yes. I mean you were already visiting but I mean you would have noticed you know the changes, can you tell me little bit about that? It was very, very difficult. First of all was the food, I used to eat yogurt and bread with a New Zealand butter on that. Even when I used to visit my manufacturers such as a carpet manufacturer or a shirt manufacturer like double two people I used to tell them, I used to put my foot down and tell them that I am a vegetarian I don't eat even onions or garlics. And they used to provide me my food; they used to bring tomato soup, salad and those things. Very simple. Very simple. Well but now it's a different thing. Now we can get every thing what we want but still my all grandchildren, myself we don't go for garlic or onions. No. Not even eggs. My grandson who is a barrister he will go into a big parties but he will only take wine, which is a vegetarian wine. He will insist on that if you are, when you are inviting me then I want these things to be there otherwise please don't invite me. Sounds really good. How was for your family settling then, did they all come together and settled here? No well two of my brothers came early. They had already come. And I followed them with my children. How many children did you have? I have got two daughters. Okay. Well would you like to switch off for Aarti. Okay yeah sure. So yeah I was asking did your family settle? Yes, yes they settled very well and as I told you that I have got my grand children who are also professional, one is barrister, one is becoming solicitor, one is (inaudible). My daughter side, my grand daughter, she is becoming solicitor also. Okay I just want to ask you then just a little bit about your religious practices I mean you are obviously very deeply religious. Yeah thank you. And your family also followed in your footsteps and your previous generations that's been passed very carefully from generation to generation. So tell me is there any particular traditions that have been passed on personally to your family and you know that special things that you have made an extra effort to pass down? To my grand children you mean to tell? Yeah. Well it's a thing which, when we came into this country it was slightly getting difficult to stay with this factor. But in 1978 Yogi Swami established a temple in Elm Street. We used to go there, even from Africa I have brought my old religious books and everything and used to go every Saturday and Sunday to Elm Street and there on they just got settle down. And how did you get involved with this particular temple? Because as I understand there are a lot of people were involved in different ways as and when how you yourself are involved? Into this temple or in the Elm Street? Both. Well I brought my religion from East Africa from my father and I got settled because I had a religion in my blood also from my grand father as I told you previous. Okay. One thing when they moved from Elm Street to, in there in the back of the big hall, when this temple was not built. I bought a property also before the temple came in here I bought a property just across the road. And I asked Swamiji he told me, bought this property and that's it. Because I have got say connections not from myself but from long time into Swaminarayan sect. Well I tell you one more thing, when my younger, my middle son got married, he used to stay with us. When he bought his own property he went to Swami and told that now, father and mother is on your own and this is a big house, three bedrooms with a big conservatory there and we are thinking of selling that. Then Swamiji told us that no that property is not to be sold. Then on his second visit, I visited him, well normally we do visit him personal problems or anything like that and I told him that look Swamiji this is the things what to do now? Then he told that look young man that property is not to be sold. At that time I thought one thing and that was you know always in the house there is, in the room there is a four walls. All of a sudden four walls or two walls cannot fall together even if there is an earthquake. One might go, one might crack or something like that. So what does that mean, you know what I am trying to tell you? I think may be but you explain anyways. Well death is something, Mr. And Mrs. cannot die together unless if there is an accident, right? So it came into my mind that Swamiji don't want to sell this house why because if one of us survives, one can stay very near to the temple. That came into my brain. But Swamiji did not tell me. He told me not to sell that. That's it. But then the understanding is also there. And what are these beliefs and values of the Swaminarayan sect that you see as very important to you? Can you tell me just a little bit about that? Yes. It's Swamiji's beliefs and our family have been with the Satsang things, I think more than 100 years. That's it. Just a couple of general questions now. Do you feel that you have may be progressed with your spiritual life. You are religious now; do you feel that it has moved on over the years? Yes I have progressed a lot in my life. And I have gained a lot. That's all. And what is the goal in the end? Goal? The goal yeah. It's the salvation of the soul. In this life? Yes. And what about the youth of today? Do you feel that they are more or less religious when you were in youth? Pardon? The youth of today. Do you feel that they are more or less religious then when you were a youth? Pardon. the youth of today, do you feel that they are more or less religious when you were a youth? Well youth of this country, particular Hindus have got a ego, have got a emptiness into their to get something. And that can be achieved by the religion and by the Guru. And that what they are getting from this Swaminarayan Mandir. So there they will get something. Yeah. I have got just a couple of final questions then, and how would you identify yourself because you were born in India, but you lived in Africa for such a long time, you were married there and you have a family there, but you have also lived in the U.K for such a long time and you have got very strong connections with the Swaminarayan sect and things like that. So if someone is to say that who are you or how would you identify yourself? What would you say? By these Tilak and Chandlo, I tell you even when I am driving my car I see an English lady I see an English gentleman, they can look at me and think themselves that he is a religious man. So that's just you don't care for the geographical things? No not much. Okay. Geographical is more or less is man made, a man made. And where do you see as home now? Where is your home? Well when I left East Africa it was my home, when I came to this country this is my home. Even my grand children are telling me, well some time back I told them I want to move to India and I want to build a house there. But they told me young man you have to die here you have to take my shoulder. We will take you into cremation in our shoulder. We don't want you to be away from us. Okay so here is home. Yes. Okay, and finally then do you have a final thought or message to give it to the people who would be listening in the future? Well it's the youngsters of this country, in particular Hindus, well only one thing and that is that, any religion you keep and that will be to take you to your God. If you become a yo balls no good. Okay, thank you. Is that right? Thank you very much. Thank you again.