I salute my friend Ghanshyam Dave

Vina Ben is my sister (Indian tradition) for nearly 18 years and her husband Ghanshyam is a great friend and brings out the boisterous one in me. When we are together, we sing songs loudly and unabashed. 

Ghanshyam was going to be a movie actor and was trained in Poona film Institute in India. We had a group, him and Vina, Vinod and Amita, and Narendra Bhai and Jyoti ben… we took turns in hosting dinners… Vina ben was a frequent guest on my TV show in 1996 and also hosted a few radio programs on my radio.

Today was a special day – he calls me at 4:45 on his way to Swami Narayan Temple and wanted me to join him in welcoming Sat guru from Hawaii, who runs the Hinduism today magazine, indeed, I knew the guruji as I have referenced his site when we did 104 hours of Hinduism on my Radio show, of the 500+on other religions. 

What I love about Ghanshyam, was his insistence that I speak about Pluralism after the Swamiji…I asked him that we cannot do it in the last minute.. He did not want to listen to any one and was demanding from the organizers that I speak… he was off the handle for me and I just loved that aspect of him… he will take his shirt off for me. What an incredible friend. Of course, I knew just about everyone at the temple, as I used to visit frequently. They asked me to be in the aarti sabha, an honor they give to few friends every Sunday, it was a delight to be there and they announced about my presence. Ghanshyam my friend was happy and I was happy that he was happy.

He walked me out of the temple to the car, he would not listen, it was little nippy and on the top if it, he walks bare feet. By the way, next time, I will take pictures of the Swaminarayan Temple… I was to go to the inauguration of the temple in Houston and London years ago… did not get to do that. It is one of the most humble and prosperous Indian communities in Dallas.

By the way, some of the best vegetarian food is served at the Jain Temple and the Swaminarayan Temple, of course at the Ekta Mandir too.

I hope and pray, you have friends like Ghanshyam! Amen