The 8th anniversary celebrations for the Ramji Mandir took place on the 19 April 2003.

Preparations for the event began one week before with a meeting that was held on the grounds of the Mandir.

Approximately 20 people from the gam attended the meeting to discuss the day’s event to ensure it would run as smoothly as possible. The meeting lasted approximately 2 hours and the main topics that were discussed were; the preparation of the food, preparing the Mandir grounds, ordering the Mandap, and volunteers.

It was decided the ingredients for the food, which was to be made for the day will be bought from a local shop in Kharsad.

Volunteers from the meeting were asked to help the day before the event with tidying and sweeping the Mandir grounds, so that the Mandap can be put up.

As a lot of wood was needed to cook the food, it was decided that the a few people from the gam will go around the rest of the houses to collect wood.

2 Brahmins from Pannar were to be invited to help conduct the Pooja on the day along with the Brahmin from the Ramji Mandir, Shree Arvindbhai.

Last year’s anniversary cost Chijgam 20,000 rupees, from this figure it was estimated that this year would be roughly the same. Haribhai C Patel from the UK – School Falia, who was visiting Chijgam at the time and attended the meeting, said he would donate all the costs towards the anniversary; the total cost was 23,000 rupees.

Two days before the anniversary a rickshaw was organised and decorated, which drove around the neighbouring villages such as Pannar, Kanera, Abrama, and Kalthan to invite people to the anniversary, via microphone and loudspeaker.

The day before the anniversary, volunteers arrived early at the Mandir and helped clean up the Mandir grounds. The mandap, which was ordered, was then erected.

A small pickup (Tempo) drove around the village asking the gamvasi to donate wood, in order for the food to be cooked.

The cook and his helpers arrived at 10.00pm to begin cooking the food. This went on during the whole night in order for the food to be ready on the day.

On the day more than 3000 people attended the anniversary, the day began at 9.00 with a Pooja (Havan), which was conducted by 3 Brahmins. This lasted for about 3 hrs and anybody from Chijgam could take part. Food was then served, which lasted another 3 hours. The day ended at 6.00pm.

Another year had past for the Ramji Mandir in Chijgam and the anniversary was another successful event for the Gam.