Swaminarayan Sampraday
Encyclopedia
Swaminarayan Sampraday (Devnagari: स्वामीनारायण सम्प्रदाय, Gujarati
: સ્વમિનારાયણ સમ્પ્રદય, IAST
: ), known previously as the Uddhav Sampraday, is a Hindu
sect established by Swaminarayan (or Sahajanand Swami) (April 2, 1781 – June 1, 1830). Swaminarayan was handed the leadership of the Uddhav Sampraday by his guru
, Ramanand Swami, to continue to propagate the teachings and philosophy of Vishishtadvaita
, which originates from the Sri Sampradaya
.
Under the leadership of Swaminarayan, the movement gained strength and at the time of his death, there were 1.8 million followers. The organisation is based on vedic
and puritic Hinduism
. Apart from traditional Hindu scriptures, the sect has more than three thousand works by its members. The most important are the Shikshapatri
and the Vachanamrut
. The Shikshapatri was written by Swaminarayan in 1826, is described as a book of social principles by the Bombay Gazetteer
. Before Swaminarayan died, he split the administration of the Swaminarayan Sampraday into two seats of power (gadi meaning seat): the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi headquartered in Ahmedabad
and the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi headquartered in Vadtal
. This was done by means of a legal document, called the Desh Vibhag Lekh
.
Followers of the faith are called Satsangi
s, are expected to follow certain basic rules set forth by Swaminarayan. The sect also has a huge number of ascetics, who since inception of the organisation contribute towards growth and development of the movement and towards salvation of its members. They have a special responsibility; that of taking care of images in temples. These ascetics wear orange robes and lead a strict life refraining from worldly pleasures and devoting their life to the service of the fellowship. The Swaminarayan Sampraday has temples spread across five continents. Six temples that Swaminarayan built during his lifetime are considered to be the most important within the faith.
The Swaminarayan Sampraday has encountered a problem of off-shoots in the last century. Multiple organisations have been formed by people who split from the Swaminarayan Sampraday as a result of differences in philosophy, such as BAPS and Swaminarayan Gadi. The original movement, however remains the largest group within the Swaminarayan faith
.
) by Ramanand Swami and given the name Sahajanand Swami. At the age of 21, he was given the headship of the sect known as Uddhav Sampraday with the blessings of his guru Ramanand Swami, who handed over the reins of the Religious diocese to him and left his mortal body. Fourteen days after Ramanand Swami left for his mortal body, Sahajanand Swami held a large gathering of followers at the town of Faneni. It was during this meeting, while explaining that God is one that Swaminarayan introduced what he termed "the father of all Mantras", Swaminarayan (the name Sahajanand Swami then became known by). It should be noted that there was no Swami who he had appointed his successor or as an ideal devotee, at that time. The name refers wholly and solely to one entity, Swaminarayan. Thereafter the name Swaminarayan Sampraday came into existence.
was founded by Swaminarayan. It follows the Vaishnava tradition and to its followers represents the form of Hinduism. The faith focusses on salvation through total devotion or bhakti
to the God developed through dharma
(virtues), gnana
(spiritual wisdom) and vairagya
(detachment).
The Swaminarayan Sampraday is bhakti-focussed and advocates God within the disciplines of dharma. Swaminarayan propagated a philosophy called vishistadvaita, which says that God is supreme, has a divine form, is the all-doer and is completely independent. He simply stated that jiva (souls) never merge or dissolve into God and neither are they part of God, but are always subservient to God. Redemption consists in the realisation of ekantik dharma comprising righteousness, right knowledge, detachment and, above all, devotion to that God.
The Sampraday aims to consolidate characters in society, families and individuals. This is done by mass motivation and individual attention, through elevating projects for all, irrespective of class, creed, colour and country. The organisation believes that the hallmark of the Swaminarayan devotee is that he or she devoutly begins the day with pooja and meditation, works or studies honestly and donates regular hours in serving others.
Swaminarayan's lifetime objective for the organisation was to establish a permanent system of achieving aatyantik kalyaan (the ultimate redemption from the cycle of life and death). He aimed at achieving this by establishing the following.
As an adjunct to the scriptures in establishing Ekantik Dharma and consolidating the framework of the Satsang (holy fellowship), Swaminarayan constructed stone mandirs; buttressing Upasana
– worshipping God, and bhakti – devotion towards the deities. Towards the end of his second decade of work, he placed a greater emphasis on bhakti over detachment – vairagya to foster love for God. This emphasis on bhakti culminated in the building of mandirs. The mandirs served four major purposes:
In a span of six years, from 1822 till 1828, Swaminarayan sanctioned the construction of nine mandirs in Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Mooli, Bhuj, Vadtal, Jetalpur, Dholera, Dholka, Junagadh and Gadhada.
One of the most prominent features of the heritage of Swaminarayan is temple architecture. The images in the temples built by Swaminarayan are the evidence of the priority of Krishna. All of the temples constructed during his life show some form of Krishna
, and all temples since have such worshipable murti
s. In the temples of the dioceses of Ahmedabad and Vadtal, they are predominantly a central altar or a shrine. Human forms are predominant for an known exception of a Hanuman temple
at Sarangpur
, where Hanuman
is the central figure. The temples have accommodation for sadhus built next to them. Stones were quarried in far places and carried to the temple sites.
Swaminarayan temples, like other Hindu temples have walk-ways around the central shrine to allow worshipers to circumambulate
the shrine. These are often decorated with designs and inlaid marble. The main shrine area is divided by railings. One side of the railing is reserved for women, as Swaminarayan propagated that men and women should be separated in temples to allow full concentration on god. Men do a specified number of prostrations. In front of the mens section, there is normally a small area reserved for ascetics and special guests. There is great variety in form and nature of the central images, in front of which are gold or silver plated doors that open during darshan
.
Swaminarayan ordered the construction of the following six mandirs and himself installed the images of various deities, such as Nara Narayana, Laxminarayan, Radha Krishna
, Radha Ramana
, Revti Baldevji, and many other images.
The very first temple Swaminarayan constructed, in Ahmedabad in 1822, presents images of Nara Narayana, forms of Arjuna and Krishna, in the central altar. The altar to the left has murti
s of Radha Krishna
. The land for construction of this first shrine of Swaminarayan Sampraday, was gifted by the British Imperial Government
. The task of constructing this pilgrimage place was entrusted personally by Swaminarayan to Ananandand Swami.
This was the first temple of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, constructed as per scriptural norms with intricate carving in Burma teak and constructed with sculptural art by depicting deities' episodes, auspicious symbols and religious icons representing axiomatic religion and India
n culture. The temple is believed to be a valuable cultural heritage in the socio-religious history of Gujarat and India.
The installation ceremony of the murti forms in the temple was celebrated in the presence of thousands of pilgrims representing many parts of India. Nara Narayana occupies the principal seat of this temple.
, Swaminarayan asked Vaishnavananand Swami to proceed with a team of the saints to Bhuj and construct a temple. Vaishnavanand Swami and the accompanying saints went to Bhuj in 1822, camped at the place neighbouring the land of temple drew plans of the temple, complex, executed the plans with minute details and within a short span of one year, they built a temple abode of Nar Narayan.
The Gujarat Earthquake
on 26 January 2001 destroyed much of the city of Bhuj, including this temple. Members of the Swaminarayan Sampraday have resolved to construct a new temple a short distance away from the site.
The town of Vadtal
is also known as Vadtal Swaminarayan. The temple in Vadtal is in the shape of a lotus
, with nine domes in the inner temple. The land for this shrine was donated by Joban Pagi, a dacoit who later converted into a devotee by Swaminarayan. The temple was constructed under the supervision of Brahmanand Swami
. The construction of this temple was completed within fifteen months and the altar of Laxminarayan ere installed by Swaminarayan on 3 November 1824. Swaminarayan also installed his own image or murti in Vadtal naming it Harikrishna Maharaj. The walls are decorated with colourful representations from the Ramayana
.
The idols of Laxmi Narayan were installed by Swaminarayan himself on 3 November 1824, amidst chants of vedic hymns and devotional fervour of the installation ceremony. The walls are decorated with colourful representations from the Ramayana
.
itself is an ancient port-city, 30 k.m. away from Dhandhuka in Ahmedabad District. The making this temple with three domes was supervised and planned by Nishkulanand Swami
, Brai Atmanand Swami, Akshardanand Swami and Dharmprasad Swami. The land for this abode of Gods, was gifted by Darbar Punjabhai.
On May 19, 1826 Swaminarayan installed the idols of Madan Mohan
and his own form Harikrishna at the Principal seat of the temple and invoked Gods amidst Vedic hymns
.
is nestled in the lap of Mount Girnar
. The city of Junagadh
is nestled in the lap of This temple has five domes and external decoration with sculptures. The construction of this temple was supervised by Brahmanand Swami. The land for this shrine was gifted by king Hemantsinh of Jinabhai, Darbar of Panchala. On 1 May 1828 Swaminarayan installed the murtis of Ranchhodrai and Trikamrai on the principal altar of the temple, which is 278 feet (84.7 m) in circumference. The life of Swaminarayan is crafted in stone on the dome of the sanctum.
(or Gadhpur), was donated by the court of Dada Khachar
in Gadhada. Darbar Shri Dada Khachar
and his family were devotees of Swaminarayan. The temple was made in the courtyard of his own residence. This shrine has two stories and three domes. It is adorned with carvings.
Swaminarayan shared in the manual service in the construction of the temple, by lifting stones and mortar. Gopinath
and Radhika along with Harikrishna were installed by him on October 9, 1828.
s, idol installation ceremonies, were conducted by Sahajanand Swami.
He installed images of various manifestations of God, such as Nar Narayan Dev, Laxmi Narayan Dev, Radha Krishna, Radha Raman, Revti Baldevji, etc. Swaminarayan made Gadhpur his home for over 27 years. In Gadhpur he stayed at the Darbar of Dada Khachar
, one of his most well known devotees. A lot of temples have footprints of Swaminarayan, worshiped by his followers. Swaminarayan entrusted the day to day performance of the worship rituals in these mandirs to ascetics. There are over a thousand of Swaminarayan temples
across five continents today.
(Swaminarayan's authorized biography) and other scriptures, such as, Muktanand Kavya, Nishkulanand Kavya and Bhakta Chintamani among others. Among scriptures, the Shikshapatri
and the Vachanamrut
are the most notable of these.
In 1826, Swaminarayan wrote the Shikshapatri, while the original manuscript is not available, it was translated into Sanskrit by his follower under the direction of Swaminarayan and is reveared in the sect. The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency
summarised it as a book of social laws that his followers should follow. As a commentary to the practice and understanding of dharma
, it is a small booklet containing 212 Sanskrit
verses that outline the basic tenets of religious views that all his followers should follow to live a well-disciplined and moral life. It is also used in daily morning ritual.
Swaminarayan's philosophical, social and practical teachings are contained in the Vachanamrut, a collection of dialogues recorded by five followers from his spoken words. The Vachanamrut is the scripture most commonly used in the Swaminarayan sect. It contains views on dharma (moral conduct), jnana
(understanding of the nature of the self), vairagya
(detachment from material pleasure), and bhakti
(pure, selfless devotion to God) – the four essentials for a jiva
(soul) to attain salvation.
ship in Dharmavanshi Acharyas, in direct succession to himself. Dharmavanshi meaning belonging to the lineage of Dharmadev – the father of Swaminarayan. Swaminarayan enthroned his two adopted sons, Acharya Maharajshree Ayodhyaprasad Pande and Acharya Maharajshree Raghuvir Pande (the sons of his brothers Rampratapji and Ichcharamji) as the spiritual leaders of the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi headquartered at Ahmedabad
and the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi headquartered at Vadtal
respectively. He installed them as the Acharya
s for each and every follower including both householders and ascetics. Swaminarayan gave sole authority to these two individuals to perform the installation of the murtis in temples and the initiation of sadhus and householders into the Sampraday.
This he did by means of a legal document (known as Desh Vibhag no Lekh), which he dictated and was written by Shukanand Swami. Learned saints and elder satsangis witnessed this document. Copies were presented to the inaugural Acharyas, Acharya Maharajshree Ayodhyaprasad Pande & Acharya Maharajshree Raghuvir Pande – these are currently in the possession of the current Acharyas. The document was accepted by the Bombay High Court
as the authoritative document regarding the apportionment of the two dioceses, so it has legal standing. Presently, Acharya Maharajshri Rakeshprasadji Maharaj is at the head of Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi, while Acharya Maharajshri Koshalendraprasadji Maharaj is at the head of the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi at Ahmedabad.
at Gadhada
in 1830, promising to remain within the Swaminarayan Sampraday in:
A member of the Swaminarayan Sampraday is known as a Satsangi. A male satsangi is initiated by the acharya of the gadi he comes under and a female satsangi is initiated by the wife of the acharya, who is the leader of women in the Swaminarayan Sampraday. In the absence of the acharya, ascetics perform this initiation, which is then confirmed by the acharya on his next visit. The ceremony involves taking of five vows (panch vartaman), i.e. not to commit adultery, not to consume intoxicants, not to consume meat, not to commit robbery and not to lie. The perpetrator then pours water over the initiates hands, gives him a Sanskrit shloka
, Shri Krishna twam gatirmama, meaning Shri Krishna thou art my refuge. The initiate then offers at least half a rupee to the acharya and the acharya adorns a kanthi thread around his neck. The initiate is then required to apply the tilak chandlo to his forehead (chandan U and red kum kum dot in the middle). Ladies only apply the red kum kum dot. Though the organisation is part of the Hindu faith, a satsangi need not necessarily be a Hindu
. Some adherents of other religions, such as Islam
and Zorastarianism are members of this movement as well.
There are eight important things in the life of a Satsangi:
A Satsangi must show:
(follower of Swaminarayan). These 11 points are called are called Niyams (Rules).
Right from the beginning ascetics play a major role in the Swaminarayan Sampraday. They contribute towards growth and development of the movement and towards salvation of its members. The sadhus, initiated by either Dharmavanshi Acharya, also form an integral part of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and wear only orange robes (except for the brahmachari ascetics, who are Brahmins. They have a special responsibility; that of taking care of images in temples. These ascetics wear white robes on their waist and an orange cloth over their shoulder). They lead a strict life refraining from worldly pleasures and devoting their whole life to the service of the holy fellowship. They preach the philosophy and lifetimes of Swaminarayan and encourage people to follow a pious and religious life. Swaminarayan has stated in the Vachanamrut
on numerous occasions that the association of Satpurush (true saints/devotees) opens the path to moksha
(Salvation). In 1999, the Ahmedabad Gadi had 765 male ascetics and the Vadtal Gadi 1468 male ascetics.
Right from the beginning ascetics have played a major role in the Swaminarayan movement. They contribute towards growth and development of the movement and towards salvation of its members. They preach the philosophy and encourage people to follow a pious and religious life. Tradition maintains that Swaminarayan initiated 500 ascetics as paramhansas in a single night. Paramahansa is a title of honor sometimes applied to Hindu spiritual teachers who are regarded as having attained enlightenment. Paramhansas were the highest order of sannyasi in the sect. These paramhansas practiced strict restraint and spread the message of purity to many people.
Notable Swaminarayan Paramhansas include:
The following are panch vartman or the five principal vows, that act as prerequisites for being considered as part of the Sampraday for Sadhus.
Swaminarayan felt that as he had established the temples and the Swaminarayan Sampraday, he wanted to keep his sadhus free from the affairs dealing with wealth, power etc. He therefore decided that he would create leaders for each and every sadhu and householder, who would then subsequently be responsible for the Swaminarayan Sampraday. This led to the decision of appointing his nephews as Acharyas.
The Acharyas of the Sampraday are more than mere administrative heads, they are the spiritual leaders and the guru to their followers. Since the acharya is supposed to refrain from contact with the opposite sex (other than close relations), his wife is the guru for female satsangis. She too is to refrain from contact with the opposite sex (other than close relations). The acharya wears a red turban, which is a symbol of his authority along with a golden staff and umbrella.
The Acharyas are responsible for:
describes the instance when Swaminarayan established the Dharmavanshi Acharyas. The establishment of the Dharmavanshi Acharyas was therefore immensely important for both administrative and spiritual purposes.
The constitution of the Sampraday is laid out in Desh Vibhag Lekh
which describes in detail the functions of the Acharyas.
Furthermore, in one of the most authoritative scriptures the Vachamanamrut, Swaminarayan states one of the prerequisites for attaining Akshardham.
So it is seen as imperative to be a humble loyal follower of the Dharmavanshi Acharya once receiving the diksha (guru mantra) in order to be qualified to achieve a bhram form.
According to Raymond Williams, when Swaminarayan died in 1830, the movement had a following of 1.8 million people and in 2001, the original movement had 3.5 million followers of the total 5 million in the Swaminarayan faith
. It more wealthy, has more followers, both householders and saints, and support more large temples than the other Swaminarayan groups. However, in 2007, the Indian Express newspaper listed members of the Swaminarayan faith as 20 million.
In the 1920s, members of the sect began to move out of India in search of work and a better life. The destination then was East Africa
. Among these, were a large amount of Kutchi
s, who remained loyal to the Bhuj temple under the Nar Nararayan Dev Gadi. All the temples built in Africa come under the temple in Bhuj. The first Swaminarayan temple in Africa was built in Nairobi
in 1945. This was followed by temples in Mombasa
and other Kenya
n towns in the following years. Temples were also built in Tanzania
and Uganda
. The Swaminarayan temple
in Karachi
, Pakistan
was made in 1868, however Karachi was part of the Indian Union till 1947.
After the Second World War, members of the movement began immigrating to the United Kingdom
from East Africa. The number of people who moved from East Africa to United Kingdom significantly rose in the 1960s and 1970s. The first Swaminarayan temple to be built in the UK was in Bolton
in 1973. The was followed by a Swaminarayan temple
in the London
suburb of Willesden
, which was consecrated in 1975 and is the biggest temple of the sect in the UK. Following this, temples have been built in several parts of the country, such as Cardiff
, Oldham
, Leicester
and Brighton
apart from several others in London itself. The one in Leicester was opened in 1993 and was the first under the International Swaminarayan Satsang Organsiation banner in Europe, followed by one in Sweden
among others.
A small number of followers had immigrated to the USA prior to 1965 as students. However, after 1965, following a new law on immigration, a large number of Indians, including members of the sect moved there from the 1970s and this continued till the end of the century. International Swaminarayan Satsang Organisation was formed in 1978 in Chicago
under the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi. The Swaminarayan temple
in Weehawken, New Jersey
was the first to be opened in the USA in 1987. This organisation has 20 temples in the USA today in places like Boston
, Houston, Chicago
, Los Angeles
, Tampa, Florida
, Detroit and Cleveland, Ohio
apart from others in New Jersey, in Colonia
, Parsippany and Cherry Hill
. Another organisation, ISSM, under the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi has temples in Chicago, Grand Prairie, Texas
, Sunnyvale, California
, Downey
, and Somerset, New Jersey
. Another organisation under the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi, the Laxminarayan Dev Spiritual Organisation has been set up in San Francisco to promote the faith there.
Apart from the above, the movement has temples in Australia
, Seychelles
, Canada
, Thailand
, Fiji
, Mauritius
, New Zealand
, Oman
, UAE, and Zambia
. The movement has a thousand temples across the globe, though the majority of them are in India.
) & Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal
) to practice their religious duties in harmony.
This step set into motion various initiatives by this organisation to build a foundation of young people across the globe. The organisation propagates dharma
(duty), bhakti
(devotion), gnaan
(knowledge), and vairagya
(detachment from maya
).
this organisation was formed at the behest of Acharya Maharajshree Rakeshprasad Pande to perform Satsang
in the area.
) claiming Gunatitanand Swami
was the rightful successor to Swaminarayan. He was legally excommunicated from the Vadtal Gadi. Muktajivandas Swami left the Ahmedabad Gadi to form the Swaminarayan Maninagar Gadi Sansthan in the 1940s, claiming Gopalanand Swami
was the spiritual successor to Swaminarayan.
Within the tradition, there has been a turf war over the Vadtal temple along with other assets since the conflict of 1902. This conflict between the Dev faction (led by ascetics) that maintain that the temple is nobody’s ancestral property and acharya
faction (led by the former acharya of Vadtal) has seen some tensions in recent years. In May 2001 conflict escalated, when the schismatic faction brought in Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande from Ahmedabad
for diksa ceremony instead of Acharya Maharajshree Ajendraprasad Pande, the then acharya at Vadtal
. The Government of India
intervened by setting up an arbitration panel in June 2001. A settlement was brokered by a panel between the two factions in June 2002, but the Dev fraction led by Nautam Swami (mahant of the Vadtal temple) refused to cooperate, leading to intensification of the struggle. A number of "sadhu
s" of this fraction were subsequently exposed in a sex scandal only three months after another five of "sadhus" were sentenced to death for murder of their guru in the Vadtal branch.
.
.
on the internet. To start of with, four of the USA temples, in Chicago
, New Jersey
(Colonia), Los Angeles
and Boston
and the first temple in Ahmedabad as well as Shree Swaminarayan Temple Bhuj are broadcasting darshan live on the internet everyday. Daily darshan is also able to be viewed from many temples worldwide. Apart from this, important events, such as the 25th anniversary of the Swaminarayan temple
in Cardiff
have also been webcast live on the internet.
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
: સ્વમિનારાયણ સમ્પ્રદય, IAST
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:...
: ), known previously as the Uddhav Sampraday, is a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
sect established by Swaminarayan (or Sahajanand Swami) (April 2, 1781 – June 1, 1830). Swaminarayan was handed the leadership of the Uddhav Sampraday by his guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
, Ramanand Swami, to continue to propagate the teachings and philosophy of Vishishtadvaita
Vishishtadvaita
Vishishtadvaita Vedanta is a sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy, the other major sub-schools of Vedānta being Advaita, Dvaita, and Achintya-Bheda-Abheda. VishishtAdvaita is a non-dualistic school of Vedanta philosophy...
, which originates from the Sri Sampradaya
Sri Sampradaya
Sri Sampradaya or Sri Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava sect within Hinduism. Its origin and codification is generally traced back to Sri, Mahalakshmi eternal consort of Lord Vishnu. Around the 10th century when a collection of the devotional hymns and songs by Alvars was organized by Sri Nathamuni, who...
.
Under the leadership of Swaminarayan, the movement gained strength and at the time of his death, there were 1.8 million followers. The organisation is based on vedic
Vedic
Vedic may refer to:* the Vedas, the oldest preserved Indic texts** Vedic Sanskrit, the language of these texts** Vedic period, during which these texts were produced** Vedic pantheon of gods mentioned in Vedas/vedic period...
and puritic Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. Apart from traditional Hindu scriptures, the sect has more than three thousand works by its members. The most important are the Shikshapatri
Shikshapatri
The Shikshapatri is a religious text consisting of two hundred and twelve verses, written in Sanskrit by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Shikshapatri is a key scripture to all followers of the Swaminarayan faith and is considered the basis of the faith.The Shikshapatri was written in Vadtal on February...
and the Vachanamrut
Vachanamrut
The Vachanamrut of Swaminarayan is a foundational scripture of the Swaminarayan faith. It is considered one of the most sacred scriptures by Swaminarayan followers...
. The Shikshapatri was written by Swaminarayan in 1826, is described as a book of social principles by the Bombay Gazetteer
Gazette
A gazette is a public journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.In English- and French-speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name Gazette since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers bear the name The Gazette.Gazette is a loanword from the...
. Before Swaminarayan died, he split the administration of the Swaminarayan Sampraday into two seats of power (gadi meaning seat): the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi headquartered in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
and the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi headquartered in Vadtal
Vadtal
Vadtal is a small village in the Kheda district of Gujarat, IndiaIt is a location of famous Swaminarayan's temple. "Gomti" is a lake in Vadtal....
. This was done by means of a legal document, called the Desh Vibhag Lekh
Desh Vibhag Lekh
The Desh Vibhag Lekh is the last and final testament of Sahajanand Swami or Swaminarayan, made in 1826. It has been accepted as such by the Bombay High Court....
.
Followers of the faith are called Satsangi
Satsangi
A follower of Swaminarayan is referred to as a Satsangi . There are eight important things in the life of a Satsangi.-Kanthi:Lord Swaminarayan instructed his followers to wear a double stranded kanthi to symbolise Krishna and Radha...
s, are expected to follow certain basic rules set forth by Swaminarayan. The sect also has a huge number of ascetics, who since inception of the organisation contribute towards growth and development of the movement and towards salvation of its members. They have a special responsibility; that of taking care of images in temples. These ascetics wear orange robes and lead a strict life refraining from worldly pleasures and devoting their life to the service of the fellowship. The Swaminarayan Sampraday has temples spread across five continents. Six temples that Swaminarayan built during his lifetime are considered to be the most important within the faith.
The Swaminarayan Sampraday has encountered a problem of off-shoots in the last century. Multiple organisations have been formed by people who split from the Swaminarayan Sampraday as a result of differences in philosophy, such as BAPS and Swaminarayan Gadi. The original movement, however remains the largest group within the Swaminarayan faith
Swaminarayan Faith
Swaminarayan Hinduism, also known as the Swaminarayan faith or the Swaminarayan sect, is a modern tradition in the Vaishnava denomination of Hinduism, in which followers offer devotion to and worship Swaminarayan as the final manifestation of God....
.
Foundation
The Swaminarayan Sampraday was earlier known as the Uddhav Sampraday and was headed by Ramanand Swami. In 1799, Swaminarayan (as Neelkanth Varni) was initiated into the Uddhav Sampraday as an ascetic (SadhuSadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
) by Ramanand Swami and given the name Sahajanand Swami. At the age of 21, he was given the headship of the sect known as Uddhav Sampraday with the blessings of his guru Ramanand Swami, who handed over the reins of the Religious diocese to him and left his mortal body. Fourteen days after Ramanand Swami left for his mortal body, Sahajanand Swami held a large gathering of followers at the town of Faneni. It was during this meeting, while explaining that God is one that Swaminarayan introduced what he termed "the father of all Mantras", Swaminarayan (the name Sahajanand Swami then became known by). It should be noted that there was no Swami who he had appointed his successor or as an ideal devotee, at that time. The name refers wholly and solely to one entity, Swaminarayan. Thereafter the name Swaminarayan Sampraday came into existence.
Roots
The Swaminarayan Sampraday with its roots in the VedasVedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
was founded by Swaminarayan. It follows the Vaishnava tradition and to its followers represents the form of Hinduism. The faith focusses on salvation through total devotion or bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
to the God developed through dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
(virtues), gnana
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
(spiritual wisdom) and vairagya
Vairagya
Vairāgya is a Sanskrit term used in Hindu philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the material world...
(detachment).
The Swaminarayan Sampraday is bhakti-focussed and advocates God within the disciplines of dharma. Swaminarayan propagated a philosophy called vishistadvaita, which says that God is supreme, has a divine form, is the all-doer and is completely independent. He simply stated that jiva (souls) never merge or dissolve into God and neither are they part of God, but are always subservient to God. Redemption consists in the realisation of ekantik dharma comprising righteousness, right knowledge, detachment and, above all, devotion to that God.
The Sampraday aims to consolidate characters in society, families and individuals. This is done by mass motivation and individual attention, through elevating projects for all, irrespective of class, creed, colour and country. The organisation believes that the hallmark of the Swaminarayan devotee is that he or she devoutly begins the day with pooja and meditation, works or studies honestly and donates regular hours in serving others.
Swaminarayan's lifetime objective for the organisation was to establish a permanent system of achieving aatyantik kalyaan (the ultimate redemption from the cycle of life and death). He aimed at achieving this by establishing the following.
Temples and images
Upasana
Upasana in Sanskrit literally means "Sitting near" but normally the term is used in Hinduism to denote a prescribed method for approaching a Deity or God or getting close to a deity/deities. In the Vedas, some Upasanas are prescribed whereby one meditates on the all-pervading Brahman as some aspect...
– worshipping God, and bhakti – devotion towards the deities. Towards the end of his second decade of work, he placed a greater emphasis on bhakti over detachment – vairagya to foster love for God. This emphasis on bhakti culminated in the building of mandirs. The mandirs served four major purposes:
- As a permanent place for offering worship
- As a centre for religious gathering and instruction
- As a centre for studying Sanskrit, devotional music and Vedic literature
- As centres of social services where alms, medicines and clothes were available to the poor and needy
In a span of six years, from 1822 till 1828, Swaminarayan sanctioned the construction of nine mandirs in Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Mooli, Bhuj, Vadtal, Jetalpur, Dholera, Dholka, Junagadh and Gadhada.
One of the most prominent features of the heritage of Swaminarayan is temple architecture. The images in the temples built by Swaminarayan are the evidence of the priority of Krishna. All of the temples constructed during his life show some form of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, and all temples since have such worshipable murti
Murti
In Hinduism, a murti , or murthi, or vigraha or pratima typically refers to an image which expresses a Divine Spirit . Meaning literally "embodiment", a murti is a representation of a divinity, made usually of stone, wood, or metal, which serves as a means through which a divinity may be worshiped...
s. In the temples of the dioceses of Ahmedabad and Vadtal, they are predominantly a central altar or a shrine. Human forms are predominant for an known exception of a Hanuman temple
Shri Hanuman Mandir, Sarangpur
Shri Hanuman Mandir, Sarangpur is a Hindu temple located in Sarangpur, Gujarat and comes under the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday. It is dedicated to Hanuman in the form of Kastbhanjan . It is the only Swaminarayan temple to have Hanuman as a central deity...
at Sarangpur
Sarangpur (Gujarat)
Salangpur is a village in the Ahmedabad district in the state of Gujarat, India, and its name is also often pronounced, "Sarangpur"...
, where Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
is the central figure. The temples have accommodation for sadhus built next to them. Stones were quarried in far places and carried to the temple sites.
Swaminarayan temples, like other Hindu temples have walk-ways around the central shrine to allow worshipers to circumambulate
Parikrama
For meaning of word see Parikrama .Parikrama is a Rock and Roll band from Delhi, India. They have several live performances and original numbers to their name. The band was officially formed on June 17, 1991 in Delhi...
the shrine. These are often decorated with designs and inlaid marble. The main shrine area is divided by railings. One side of the railing is reserved for women, as Swaminarayan propagated that men and women should be separated in temples to allow full concentration on god. Men do a specified number of prostrations. In front of the mens section, there is normally a small area reserved for ascetics and special guests. There is great variety in form and nature of the central images, in front of which are gold or silver plated doors that open during darshan
Darshan
or Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
.
Swaminarayan ordered the construction of the following six mandirs and himself installed the images of various deities, such as Nara Narayana, Laxminarayan, Radha Krishna
Radha Krishna
Radha Krishna is a Hindu deity. Krishna is often referred as svayam bhagavan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism theology and Radha is a young woman, a gopi who is Krishna's supreme beloved. With Krishna, Radha is acknowledged as the Supreme Goddess, for it is said that she controls Krishna with Her love...
, Radha Ramana
Radha Ramana
Radha Ramana is a famous image of Radha Krishna worshiped in Hinduism. There is a famous temple of this deity in Vrindavana.-Name:This name of Krishna should be understood from a certain perspective, as a lover of his Radha....
, Revti Baldevji, and many other images.
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad
Murti
In Hinduism, a murti , or murthi, or vigraha or pratima typically refers to an image which expresses a Divine Spirit . Meaning literally "embodiment", a murti is a representation of a divinity, made usually of stone, wood, or metal, which serves as a means through which a divinity may be worshiped...
s of Radha Krishna
Radha Krishna
Radha Krishna is a Hindu deity. Krishna is often referred as svayam bhagavan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism theology and Radha is a young woman, a gopi who is Krishna's supreme beloved. With Krishna, Radha is acknowledged as the Supreme Goddess, for it is said that she controls Krishna with Her love...
. The land for construction of this first shrine of Swaminarayan Sampraday, was gifted by the British Imperial Government
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. The task of constructing this pilgrimage place was entrusted personally by Swaminarayan to Ananandand Swami.
This was the first temple of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, constructed as per scriptural norms with intricate carving in Burma teak and constructed with sculptural art by depicting deities' episodes, auspicious symbols and religious icons representing axiomatic religion and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n culture. The temple is believed to be a valuable cultural heritage in the socio-religious history of Gujarat and India.
The installation ceremony of the murti forms in the temple was celebrated in the presence of thousands of pilgrims representing many parts of India. Nara Narayana occupies the principal seat of this temple.
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhuj
On the request of devotees from BhujBhuj
Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...
, Swaminarayan asked Vaishnavananand Swami to proceed with a team of the saints to Bhuj and construct a temple. Vaishnavanand Swami and the accompanying saints went to Bhuj in 1822, camped at the place neighbouring the land of temple drew plans of the temple, complex, executed the plans with minute details and within a short span of one year, they built a temple abode of Nar Narayan.
The Gujarat Earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
on 26 January 2001 destroyed much of the city of Bhuj, including this temple. Members of the Swaminarayan Sampraday have resolved to construct a new temple a short distance away from the site.
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Vadtal
Vadtal
Vadtal is a small village in the Kheda district of Gujarat, IndiaIt is a location of famous Swaminarayan's temple. "Gomti" is a lake in Vadtal....
is also known as Vadtal Swaminarayan. The temple in Vadtal is in the shape of a lotus
Lotus (plant)
Lotus identifies various plant taxa:* Nelumbo, a genus of aquatic plants with showy flowers** Nelumbo nucifera, the Sacred or Indian lotus** Nelumbo lutea, the American or Yellow lotus...
, with nine domes in the inner temple. The land for this shrine was donated by Joban Pagi, a dacoit who later converted into a devotee by Swaminarayan. The temple was constructed under the supervision of Brahmanand Swami
Brahmanand Swami
Brahmananad Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and one of Swaminarayan's Paramahamsas.- Biography :...
. The construction of this temple was completed within fifteen months and the altar of Laxminarayan ere installed by Swaminarayan on 3 November 1824. Swaminarayan also installed his own image or murti in Vadtal naming it Harikrishna Maharaj. The walls are decorated with colourful representations from the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
.
The idols of Laxmi Narayan were installed by Swaminarayan himself on 3 November 1824, amidst chants of vedic hymns and devotional fervour of the installation ceremony. The walls are decorated with colourful representations from the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
.
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Dholera
DholeraDholera
Dholera is a town in Gujarat, India. Dholera is an ancient port-city in Gulf of Khambhat, 30 k.m. away from Dhandhuka village of Ahmedabad district. One of the original six temples built by Swaminarayan is located here....
itself is an ancient port-city, 30 k.m. away from Dhandhuka in Ahmedabad District. The making this temple with three domes was supervised and planned by Nishkulanand Swami
Nishkulanand Swami
Nishkulanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.-Biography:Nishkulanand Swami was born to a Suthar family residing in a small village - Shekhapt. His parents were Rambhai and Amratbai and was named Lalji on birth...
, Brai Atmanand Swami, Akshardanand Swami and Dharmprasad Swami. The land for this abode of Gods, was gifted by Darbar Punjabhai.
On May 19, 1826 Swaminarayan installed the idols of Madan Mohan
Madan Mohan
Madan Mohan Kohli , better known as Madan Mohan, was a famed Bollywood film music director of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s...
and his own form Harikrishna at the Principal seat of the temple and invoked Gods amidst Vedic hymns
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
.
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Junagadh
The city of JunagadhJunagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
is nestled in the lap of Mount Girnar
Girnar
Girnar is a collection of mountains in the Junagadh District of Gujarat, India, situated near Junagadh at a distance of 327 km from Ahmedabad. It is a holy place and an important pilgrimage for both Hindus and Jains. There are a number of temples located here. Amidst the lush green Gir...
. The city of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
is nestled in the lap of This temple has five domes and external decoration with sculptures. The construction of this temple was supervised by Brahmanand Swami. The land for this shrine was gifted by king Hemantsinh of Jinabhai, Darbar of Panchala. On 1 May 1828 Swaminarayan installed the murtis of Ranchhodrai and Trikamrai on the principal altar of the temple, which is 278 feet (84.7 m) in circumference. The life of Swaminarayan is crafted in stone on the dome of the sanctum.
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Gadhada
The land for constructing this temple in GadhadaGadhada
Gadhada is a city and a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the state of Gujarat, India. Gadhada is situated at bank of River Ghelo.- Geography :Gadhada is located at . It has an average elevation of 104 metres .- Demographics :...
(or Gadhpur), was donated by the court of Dada Khachar
Dada Khachar
Dada Khachar was a well known devotee of Swaminarayan and the Darbar Shri of Gadhada. His father was Ebhel Khachar and mother Somadevi and was named Uttamsinh on birth. He came to be known as Dada Khachar and had four sisters, Jaya, Lalita, Panchali and Nanu...
in Gadhada. Darbar Shri Dada Khachar
Dada Khachar
Dada Khachar was a well known devotee of Swaminarayan and the Darbar Shri of Gadhada. His father was Ebhel Khachar and mother Somadevi and was named Uttamsinh on birth. He came to be known as Dada Khachar and had four sisters, Jaya, Lalita, Panchali and Nanu...
and his family were devotees of Swaminarayan. The temple was made in the courtyard of his own residence. This shrine has two stories and three domes. It is adorned with carvings.
Swaminarayan shared in the manual service in the construction of the temple, by lifting stones and mortar. Gopinath
Gopinath
Gopinath is a form of the Hindu god Krishna. He is also known as Gopinathji or Gopinathji Maharaj. Gopinath is associated with gopis who Krishna grew up with....
and Radhika along with Harikrishna were installed by him on October 9, 1828.
Other temples
Sahajanand Swami also ordered construction the following three temples. Although these temples were completed after his death, the Murti pratishtaPrana pratishta
Prana pratistha is the Hindu theological term for a rite or ceremony by which a deity is infused or brought to inhabit a murti or icon of that deity...
s, idol installation ceremonies, were conducted by Sahajanand Swami.
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, MuliMuliMuli may refer to:Places:*Mili Tibetan Autonomous County, or Muli from its Chinese name, of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China*Muli, Gaoqing County , town in Gaoqing County, Shandong, China...
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, DholkaDholkaDholka is a city and municipality in the Ahmedabad District of the Indian state of Gujarat. With an average elevation of , Dholka is considered "India's first municipality".-History:...
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, JetalpurJetalpurJetalpur is a town in the Ahmedabad district of the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the location of a Swaminarayan temple commissioned by Swaminarayan himself.- References :*...
He installed images of various manifestations of God, such as Nar Narayan Dev, Laxmi Narayan Dev, Radha Krishna, Radha Raman, Revti Baldevji, etc. Swaminarayan made Gadhpur his home for over 27 years. In Gadhpur he stayed at the Darbar of Dada Khachar
Dada Khachar
Dada Khachar was a well known devotee of Swaminarayan and the Darbar Shri of Gadhada. His father was Ebhel Khachar and mother Somadevi and was named Uttamsinh on birth. He came to be known as Dada Khachar and had four sisters, Jaya, Lalita, Panchali and Nanu...
, one of his most well known devotees. A lot of temples have footprints of Swaminarayan, worshiped by his followers. Swaminarayan entrusted the day to day performance of the worship rituals in these mandirs to ascetics. There are over a thousand of Swaminarayan temples
Swaminarayan temples
Swaminarayan, the founder of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, established temples, known as mandirs , as part of his philosophy of theism and deity worship. These mandirs are known as Swaminarayan Hindu temples....
across five continents today.
Shastras
There are many scriptures that were written by Swaminarayan or his followers that are of an importance within the organisation. Important works include the Satsangi JeevanSatsangi Jeevan
Satsangi Jeevan is the authorised biography of Swaminarayan. The book contains information on the life and teachings of Swaminarayan. IIt is written by Shatanand Swami and completed in 1829. Swaminarayan decided to make Gadhada his permanent residence on the insistence of Dada Khachar and his sisters...
(Swaminarayan's authorized biography) and other scriptures, such as, Muktanand Kavya, Nishkulanand Kavya and Bhakta Chintamani among others. Among scriptures, the Shikshapatri
Shikshapatri
The Shikshapatri is a religious text consisting of two hundred and twelve verses, written in Sanskrit by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Shikshapatri is a key scripture to all followers of the Swaminarayan faith and is considered the basis of the faith.The Shikshapatri was written in Vadtal on February...
and the Vachanamrut
Vachanamrut
The Vachanamrut of Swaminarayan is a foundational scripture of the Swaminarayan faith. It is considered one of the most sacred scriptures by Swaminarayan followers...
are the most notable of these.
In 1826, Swaminarayan wrote the Shikshapatri, while the original manuscript is not available, it was translated into Sanskrit by his follower under the direction of Swaminarayan and is reveared in the sect. The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
summarised it as a book of social laws that his followers should follow. As a commentary to the practice and understanding of dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
, it is a small booklet containing 212 Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
verses that outline the basic tenets of religious views that all his followers should follow to live a well-disciplined and moral life. It is also used in daily morning ritual.
Swaminarayan's philosophical, social and practical teachings are contained in the Vachanamrut, a collection of dialogues recorded by five followers from his spoken words. The Vachanamrut is the scripture most commonly used in the Swaminarayan sect. It contains views on dharma (moral conduct), jnana
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
(understanding of the nature of the self), vairagya
Vairagya
Vairāgya is a Sanskrit term used in Hindu philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the material world...
(detachment from material pleasure), and bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
(pure, selfless devotion to God) – the four essentials for a jiva
Jiva
In Hinduism and Jainism, a jiva is a living being, or more specifically, the immortal essence of a living organism which survives physical death. It has a very similar usage to atma, but whereas atma refers to "the cosmic self", jiva is used to denote an individual 'living entity' or 'living...
(soul) to attain salvation.
Dharmavanshi Acharyas and Succession
In 1826 at Vadtal, Swaminarayan established the dual AcharyaAcharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
ship in Dharmavanshi Acharyas, in direct succession to himself. Dharmavanshi meaning belonging to the lineage of Dharmadev – the father of Swaminarayan. Swaminarayan enthroned his two adopted sons, Acharya Maharajshree Ayodhyaprasad Pande and Acharya Maharajshree Raghuvir Pande (the sons of his brothers Rampratapji and Ichcharamji) as the spiritual leaders of the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi headquartered at Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
and the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi headquartered at Vadtal
Vadtal
Vadtal is a small village in the Kheda district of Gujarat, IndiaIt is a location of famous Swaminarayan's temple. "Gomti" is a lake in Vadtal....
respectively. He installed them as the Acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
s for each and every follower including both householders and ascetics. Swaminarayan gave sole authority to these two individuals to perform the installation of the murtis in temples and the initiation of sadhus and householders into the Sampraday.
This he did by means of a legal document (known as Desh Vibhag no Lekh), which he dictated and was written by Shukanand Swami. Learned saints and elder satsangis witnessed this document. Copies were presented to the inaugural Acharyas, Acharya Maharajshree Ayodhyaprasad Pande & Acharya Maharajshree Raghuvir Pande – these are currently in the possession of the current Acharyas. The document was accepted by the Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court at Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the High Court of India with jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra & Goa, and, the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli...
as the authoritative document regarding the apportionment of the two dioceses, so it has legal standing. Presently, Acharya Maharajshri Rakeshprasadji Maharaj is at the head of Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi, while Acharya Maharajshri Koshalendraprasadji Maharaj is at the head of the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi at Ahmedabad.
Samadhi and Promise
At the age of 49, Swaminarayan took SamādhiSamadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
at Gadhada
Gadhada
Gadhada is a city and a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the state of Gujarat, India. Gadhada is situated at bank of River Ghelo.- Geography :Gadhada is located at . It has an average elevation of 104 metres .- Demographics :...
in 1830, promising to remain within the Swaminarayan Sampraday in:
- the images he installed (and by the Acharyas succeeding him)
- the Acharyas installed by him (and those in direct succession)
- the saints he initiated (and those initiated by succeeding Acharyas)
- the scriptures, such as ShikshapatriShikshapatriThe Shikshapatri is a religious text consisting of two hundred and twelve verses, written in Sanskrit by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Shikshapatri is a key scripture to all followers of the Swaminarayan faith and is considered the basis of the faith.The Shikshapatri was written in Vadtal on February...
, VachanamrutVachanamrutThe Vachanamrut of Swaminarayan is a foundational scripture of the Swaminarayan faith. It is considered one of the most sacred scriptures by Swaminarayan followers...
, Satsangi Jeevan, Nishkhulanand Kavya etc. (and those authorised by succeeding Acharyas)
Satsangi Life
Shloka
A ' is a category of verse line developed from the Vedic Anuṣṭubh. It is the basis for Indian Epic verse, and may be considered the Indian verse form par excellence, occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry. The Mahabharata and Ramayana, for...
, Shri Krishna twam gatirmama, meaning Shri Krishna thou art my refuge. The initiate then offers at least half a rupee to the acharya and the acharya adorns a kanthi thread around his neck. The initiate is then required to apply the tilak chandlo to his forehead (chandan U and red kum kum dot in the middle). Ladies only apply the red kum kum dot. Though the organisation is part of the Hindu faith, a satsangi need not necessarily be a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
. Some adherents of other religions, such as Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and Zorastarianism are members of this movement as well.
There are eight important things in the life of a Satsangi:
- Kanthi (thread worn around the neck)
- Tilak Chandlo (holy mark)
- Mala (thread with 108 beads)
- Nitya Pooja (daily prayers)
- Mandir (Temple)
- DarshanDarshanor Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
(form of worship) - Aarti (ceremony)
- Vandu Pad and Chesta Pad (Verses recited in the temples daily)
A Satsangi must show:
- Reverence for god
- Reverence for the Shastras
- Reverence for the Acharya of the Gadi the Satsangi comes under (NarNarayan Dev GadiNarNarayan Dev GadiThe Naranarāyan Dēv Gadī , named after NarNarayan Dev, is one of the two Gadis that together form the Swaminarayan Sampraday. It is headquartered at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad and controls the Uttar Vibhag....
or LaxmiNarayan Dev GadiLaxmiNarayan Dev GadiThe Laxminarayan Dev Gadi is one of the two Gadis that together form the Swaminarayan Sampraday. It is headquartered at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Vadtal and controls the Dakshin Vibhag....
) - Reverence for festivals
- Reverence for elders
- Overall good conduct
Satsangi vows
Following are vows that have to be taken by each SatsangiSatsangi
A follower of Swaminarayan is referred to as a Satsangi . There are eight important things in the life of a Satsangi.-Kanthi:Lord Swaminarayan instructed his followers to wear a double stranded kanthi to symbolise Krishna and Radha...
(follower of Swaminarayan). These 11 points are called are called Niyams (Rules).
- Be non-violent
- Do not have any kind of relationship with other woman other than your wife
- Do not eat meat, i.e. including seafood, poultry products, eggs
- Do not drink products that contain alcohol, i.e. for e.g. wine, beer, medicine that contains alcohol
- Never touch widow woman whom you do not know
- Never commit a suicide in any circumstances
- Do not steal things
- Never blame others for something that you may not know about
- Never bad mouth about God, Goddesses, or any religion
- Never eat someone's food who does not follow these eleven rules established by Swaminarayan in Shikshapatri
- Never listen holy stories from a person who does not believe in the existence of God, i.e. a person who is an atheist
Ascetics
Vachanamrut
The Vachanamrut of Swaminarayan is a foundational scripture of the Swaminarayan faith. It is considered one of the most sacred scriptures by Swaminarayan followers...
on numerous occasions that the association of Satpurush (true saints/devotees) opens the path to moksha
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
(Salvation). In 1999, the Ahmedabad Gadi had 765 male ascetics and the Vadtal Gadi 1468 male ascetics.
Female Ascetics
Female ascetics, known as Samkhya yogini's, receive initiation from the Gadiwala (or wife of the Acharya). They stay within the temple and follow ascetic rules strictly. They must wear dark red clothing and stay in the temple Haveli. They take care of the images in ladies temples and conduct discourses for ladies. In 1999, the Ahmedabad Gadi had 440 female ascetics and the Vadtal Gadi had 115 female ascetics.Rules for Ascetics
To render respect for asceticism and preside over the temptations of the world and the opposite sex, the first rule of becoming a sanyansi of the sect is never to come in contact with the other sex or money. No sadhu is allowed to move out of the temple alone; they have to move out in pairs. In fact, even in the temple, while attending to the call of nature they must do so in pairs so as to ensure they keep their vows. The food they eat must be mixed up and eaten so that they may be no sense of taste.Swaminarayan Paramhansas
Notable Swaminarayan Paramhansas include:
- Muktanand SwamiMuktanand SwamiMuktanand Swami was a sadhu and paramahansa of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.-Biography:He was born Mukund Das to Anandram and Radhabai in Amreli, Gujarat in 1758....
: Initiated by Ramanand Swami, Muktanand Swami was instrumental in Swaminarayan's entry into the Uddhav Sampraday. Author of the Swaminarayan Aarti and literary works such as Muktanand Kavya, Swaminarayan sometimes called Muktanand SwamiMuktanand SwamiMuktanand Swami was a sadhu and paramahansa of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.-Biography:He was born Mukund Das to Anandram and Radhabai in Amreli, Gujarat in 1758....
the "Mother of Satsang". He co-authored the Vachanamrut. - Gunatitanand SwamiGunatitanand SwamiGunatitanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday. Gunatitanand Swami was a prominent paramhansa who gave valuable contribution for spreading of the Swaminarayan Sampraday....
: a prominent leader who gave valuable contribution to spreading of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and the head of Junagadh Temple for over 40 years. Writer of Swami ni Vato. - Gopalanand SwamiGopalanand SwamiGopalanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and one of Swaminarayan's paramhansas.-Biography:...
: Swaminarayan held Gopalanand SwamiGopalanand SwamiGopalanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and one of Swaminarayan's paramhansas.-Biography:...
in very high regard and he was very learned in Ashtanga Vinyasa YogaAshtanga Vinyasa YogaAshtanga Vinyasa Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is a system of yoga popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois, and which is often promoted as a modern-day form of classical Indian yoga...
. After the demise of Swaminarayan, the responsibility of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and the acharyas were left in the hands of Gopalanand Swami. Gopalanand Swami arranged for the image of HanumanHanumanHanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
to be installed in the SarangpurSarangpurSarangpur is a city and a municipality in Rajgarh district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.-Geography:Sarangpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 410 metres .-Demographics:...
temple and co-authored the Vachanamrut. - Brahmanand SwamiBrahmanand SwamiBrahmananad Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and one of Swaminarayan's Paramahamsas.- Biography :...
: a notable poet (writer of almost a thousand poems), his works are compiled in the Brahmanand Kavya, a copy of which is preserved in the British MuseumBritish MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was also distinguished in architecture – as evident in the temple buildings of MuliMuliMuli may refer to:Places:*Mili Tibetan Autonomous County, or Muli from its Chinese name, of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China*Muli, Gaoqing County , town in Gaoqing County, Shandong, China...
, VadtalVadtalVadtal is a small village in the Kheda district of Gujarat, IndiaIt is a location of famous Swaminarayan's temple. "Gomti" is a lake in Vadtal....
and JunagadhJunagadhJunagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
. He co-authored the Vachanamrut. - Premanand SwamiPremanand SwamiPremanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and one of Swaminarayan's paramhansas.- Biography :...
: a poet as well as a singer. He compiled the Chesta Pad and Vandu Pad among other works. The Chesta Pad, is recited daily at all Swaminarayan templesSwaminarayan templesSwaminarayan, the founder of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, established temples, known as mandirs , as part of his philosophy of theism and deity worship. These mandirs are known as Swaminarayan Hindu temples....
, describes Swaminarayan's daily routine and habits while Vandu Pad describe the features and appearance of Swaminarayan. - Nishkulanand SwamiNishkulanand SwamiNishkulanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.-Biography:Nishkulanand Swami was born to a Suthar family residing in a small village - Shekhapt. His parents were Rambhai and Amratbai and was named Lalji on birth...
: composed the Bhakta Chintamani, describing the life of Swaminarayan along with his activities, sermons, theories, and obstacles faced by him. He has also composed twenty-two other scriptural works on various subjects (such as Purshottam Prakash and Yamdanda), and poems which are complied in Nishkulanand Kavya. - Nityanand Swami: the writer of several important works, such as the Hari Digvijay and the Shri Hanuman Kavach. He produced the first GujaratiGujarati languageGujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
translation of the ShikshapatriShikshapatriThe Shikshapatri is a religious text consisting of two hundred and twelve verses, written in Sanskrit by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Shikshapatri is a key scripture to all followers of the Swaminarayan faith and is considered the basis of the faith.The Shikshapatri was written in Vadtal on February...
which was approved by Swaminarayan. He co-authored the Vachanamrut.
Ascetic Vows
- Lustless, Desireless:- Observe Naishthik Brahmacharya i.e. eightfold celibacy strictly. He has to observe a fast if he has seen a face of a lady. Not to expect any remuneration even of his good deeds or must not have any desire of anything.
- Greedless:- Not be attached at all to the worldly objects. He should keep clothes and things only permitted to him. He should not accept, touch or possess even any sort of currency of his own.
- Tasteless:- Not be allured or tempted at all to any taste. Not to eat anything which is not offered to God.
- Prideless:- Not have any sort of pride of renouncement, penance, knowledge, efficiency religious austerity, devotion, etc. If anybody beats him, abuses him or insults him, he should endure patiently, not to be angry at all, should forgive, not to oppose, not to keep any grudge or any ill feelings for him, but to wish good for him and to pity for his ignorance.
- Affectionless:- Not have any affection at all towards his body, his relatives, his disciples or anything except Almighty God Supreme.
Importance of Acharyas
The Acharyas are responsible for:
- Initiate followers into the sampraday with a Samanya Diksha by giving the guru-mantra
- Initiate monks-sadhus by giving them the Maha-Bhagwadi Diksha
- Perform murti-pratishtha, install deities in the temples
- Authenticate scriptures of the Sampraday
- Act as the Guru and leader of the entire Sampraday
Mention in Scriptures
These responsibilities have been prescribed in the Shikshapatri, Satsangijeevan and Desh Vibhag no Lekh, and according to these shastras no other individual other than the Dharmavanshi Acharyas are permitted to carry out the above duties. In the scripture Purushottam Prakash (Nishkulanand Kavya), the writer Nishkulanand SwamiNishkulanand Swami
Nishkulanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.-Biography:Nishkulanand Swami was born to a Suthar family residing in a small village - Shekhapt. His parents were Rambhai and Amratbai and was named Lalji on birth...
describes the instance when Swaminarayan established the Dharmavanshi Acharyas. The establishment of the Dharmavanshi Acharyas was therefore immensely important for both administrative and spiritual purposes.
The constitution of the Sampraday is laid out in Desh Vibhag Lekh
Desh Vibhag Lekh
The Desh Vibhag Lekh is the last and final testament of Sahajanand Swami or Swaminarayan, made in 1826. It has been accepted as such by the Bombay High Court....
which describes in detail the functions of the Acharyas.
Furthermore, in one of the most authoritative scriptures the Vachamanamrut, Swaminarayan states one of the prerequisites for attaining Akshardham.
So it is seen as imperative to be a humble loyal follower of the Dharmavanshi Acharya once receiving the diksha (guru mantra) in order to be qualified to achieve a bhram form.
Following
According to Raymond Williams, when Swaminarayan died in 1830, the movement had a following of 1.8 million people and in 2001, the original movement had 3.5 million followers of the total 5 million in the Swaminarayan faith
Swaminarayan Faith
Swaminarayan Hinduism, also known as the Swaminarayan faith or the Swaminarayan sect, is a modern tradition in the Vaishnava denomination of Hinduism, in which followers offer devotion to and worship Swaminarayan as the final manifestation of God....
. It more wealthy, has more followers, both householders and saints, and support more large temples than the other Swaminarayan groups. However, in 2007, the Indian Express newspaper listed members of the Swaminarayan faith as 20 million.
In the 1920s, members of the sect began to move out of India in search of work and a better life. The destination then was East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Among these, were a large amount of Kutchi
Kutchi people
The Kutchi people traditionally reside in the Kutch region of the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat and in the Sindh province of Pakistan...
s, who remained loyal to the Bhuj temple under the Nar Nararayan Dev Gadi. All the temples built in Africa come under the temple in Bhuj. The first Swaminarayan temple in Africa was built in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
in 1945. This was followed by temples in Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
and other Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n towns in the following years. Temples were also built in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. The Swaminarayan temple
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi
The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi is a Hindu temple that belongs to the NarNarayan Dev Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and is the only Swaminarayan temple in Pakistan. The temple is notable for its size and frontage, over on the M. A. Jinnah Road in Karachi city...
in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
was made in 1868, however Karachi was part of the Indian Union till 1947.
After the Second World War, members of the movement began immigrating to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from East Africa. The number of people who moved from East Africa to United Kingdom significantly rose in the 1960s and 1970s. The first Swaminarayan temple to be built in the UK was in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
in 1973. The was followed by a Swaminarayan temple
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London (Willesden)
Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden is a Swaminarayan Mandir in the London suburb of Willesden. It is the first Swaminarayan Mandir to be opened in the city. Today the Swaminarayan Sampraday has six Swaminarayan Mandirs across London alone.- History :...
in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburb of Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
, which was consecrated in 1975 and is the biggest temple of the sect in the UK. Following this, temples have been built in several parts of the country, such as Cardiff
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff is a Swaminarayan temple located in the Grangetown area of the capital city of Wales, Cardiff. It is the first and largest Hindu temple in Wales and comes under the NarNarayan Dev Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.-History:...
, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
apart from several others in London itself. The one in Leicester was opened in 1993 and was the first under the International Swaminarayan Satsang Organsiation banner in Europe, followed by one in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
among others.
A small number of followers had immigrated to the USA prior to 1965 as students. However, after 1965, following a new law on immigration, a large number of Indians, including members of the sect moved there from the 1970s and this continued till the end of the century. International Swaminarayan Satsang Organisation was formed in 1978 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
under the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi. The Swaminarayan temple
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey
The following Swaminarayan temples are located in the U.S. state of New Jersey:* Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey * Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey * Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey...
in Weehawken, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
was the first to be opened in the USA in 1987. This organisation has 20 temples in the USA today in places like Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Houston, Chicago
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago (Itasca)
Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Chicago, IL is a Swaminarayan Hindu temple located in the Chicago suburb of Itasca. Opened in 1998, it comes under ISSO of the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Detroit and Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
apart from others in New Jersey, in Colonia
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey (Colonia)
The Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey is a Swaminarayan temple that comes under ISSO in the USA. It was officially inaugurated by Acharya Maharajshree Koshalendraprasad Pande on the 4th of September 2005...
, Parsippany and Cherry Hill
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census...
. Another organisation, ISSM, under the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi has temples in Chicago, Grand Prairie, Texas
Grand Prairie, Texas
Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Ellis, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas and is a part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Grand Prairie is a suburb of both Dallas and Fort Worth and had a population of 175,396 at the 2010 census.- History :The city of...
, Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, Downey
Downey
-Schools:*Downey High School*Thomas Downey High SchoolOr a company:*W. & D. Downey, photographic studio-Surname Downey:*Aaron Downey, NHL forward*Brian Downey *Brian Downey *Bruce Downey*Glen Downey , Canadian children's author...
, and Somerset, New Jersey
Somerset, New Jersey
Somerset is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located at the easternmost section within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. At the 2000 United States Census, the CDP population was 23,040...
. Another organisation under the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi, the Laxminarayan Dev Spiritual Organisation has been set up in San Francisco to promote the faith there.
Apart from the above, the movement has temples in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, UAE, and Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. The movement has a thousand temples across the globe, though the majority of them are in India.
International Swaminarayan Satsang Organisation
The now retired Acharya of the Ahmedabad gadi (who was then Acharya), Acharya Shree Tejendraprasadji Maharaj founded International Swaminarayan Satsang Organisation (I.S.S.O.) in the USA on the occasion of Vijaya Dasami in the year 1978. The prime objective of I.S.S.O. is "To advance the Sanatan Dharma, in accordance with the principles and teachings of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, founded and ordained by Sahajanand Swami", enabling Swaminarayan's devotees from both the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi (AhmedabadAhmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
) & Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal
Vadtal
Vadtal is a small village in the Kheda district of Gujarat, IndiaIt is a location of famous Swaminarayan's temple. "Gomti" is a lake in Vadtal....
) to practice their religious duties in harmony.
ISSO Seva
In 2001 ISSO-Seva was established. It is an independent running charity under the Swaminarayan Sampraday to give a helping hand to mankind, to help the homeless and needy as well as making awareness about the modern day diseases and infections. It provides relief for when a natural disaster strikes worldwide. The charity is run by professionals and volunteers of the Swaminarayan temples and centres.Narnarayan Dev Yuvak Mandal
Narnarayan Dev Yuvak Mandal is a youth orgainisation which was founded by Acharya Shree Koshalendraprasadji Maharaj (In his Acharya status) in 1994 with its headquarters at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad and was created to help young people to confront the challenges of human life.This step set into motion various initiatives by this organisation to build a foundation of young people across the globe. The organisation propagates dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
(duty), bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
(devotion), gnaan
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
(knowledge), and vairagya
Vairagya
Vairāgya is a Sanskrit term used in Hindu philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the material world...
(detachment from maya
Maya (illusion)
Maya , in Indian religions, has multiple meanings, usually quoted as "illusion", centered on the fact that we do not experience the environment itself but rather a projection of it, created by us. Maya is the principal deity that manifests, perpetuates and governs the illusion and dream of duality...
).
LaxmiNarayan Dev Spiritual Organisation
Located in the San Francisco Bay areaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
this organisation was formed at the behest of Acharya Maharajshree Rakeshprasad Pande to perform Satsang
Satsangi
A follower of Swaminarayan is referred to as a Satsangi . There are eight important things in the life of a Satsangi.-Kanthi:Lord Swaminarayan instructed his followers to wear a double stranded kanthi to symbolise Krishna and Radha...
in the area.
International Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal
The International Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal (ISSM) is an organisation based in USA that comes under the Laxminarayan Dev Gadi, Vadtal. It has temples in various parts of the country, all of them being named Vadtal Dham after the parent organisation.Other groups and criticism
Decades after Swaminarayan's death several people claiming differences in philosophy left the original movement to make their own groups. BAPS and Swaminarayan Gadi are the two more prominent ones. In 1906 the original movement had suffered its greatest schism when a prominent ascetic named Shastri Yagnapurushdas left the Vadtal Gadi to formed his own institution, Bochasan Swaminarayan Sanstha (now BAPSBAPS
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha , often abbreviated as BAPS , is a major organization within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism...
) claiming Gunatitanand Swami
Gunatitanand Swami
Gunatitanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday. Gunatitanand Swami was a prominent paramhansa who gave valuable contribution for spreading of the Swaminarayan Sampraday....
was the rightful successor to Swaminarayan. He was legally excommunicated from the Vadtal Gadi. Muktajivandas Swami left the Ahmedabad Gadi to form the Swaminarayan Maninagar Gadi Sansthan in the 1940s, claiming Gopalanand Swami
Gopalanand Swami
Gopalanand Swami was a saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and one of Swaminarayan's paramhansas.-Biography:...
was the spiritual successor to Swaminarayan.
Within the tradition, there has been a turf war over the Vadtal temple along with other assets since the conflict of 1902. This conflict between the Dev faction (led by ascetics) that maintain that the temple is nobody’s ancestral property and acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
faction (led by the former acharya of Vadtal) has seen some tensions in recent years. In May 2001 conflict escalated, when the schismatic faction brought in Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande from Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
for diksa ceremony instead of Acharya Maharajshree Ajendraprasad Pande, the then acharya at Vadtal
Vadtal
Vadtal is a small village in the Kheda district of Gujarat, IndiaIt is a location of famous Swaminarayan's temple. "Gomti" is a lake in Vadtal....
. The Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
intervened by setting up an arbitration panel in June 2001. A settlement was brokered by a panel between the two factions in June 2002, but the Dev fraction led by Nautam Swami (mahant of the Vadtal temple) refused to cooperate, leading to intensification of the struggle. A number of "sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
s" of this fraction were subsequently exposed in a sex scandal only three months after another five of "sadhus" were sentenced to death for murder of their guru in the Vadtal branch.
Swaminarayan Museum
Swaminarayan Museum in Ahmedabad, which houses more than 5000 artefacts was opened in March 2011. The museum holds items such as Swaminarayan's writing scripts, day to day garments, ornaments etc. This is the first ever project in the Swaminarayan Sampraday to create this unity in all of Swaminarayan's Prasadi items from Temples all over the world. This museum is a dream of the retired acharya of Ahmedabad, Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad PandeAcharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande
Sanatan Dharma Dhurandar Acharya Maharaj Shree 1008 Tejendraprasadji Maharaj was appointed Acharya of the Narnarayan Dev gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday by his father, the late Acharya Maharajshree Devendraprasadji Maharaj...
.
Bhuj
Due to the Earthquake on 26 January 2001, much of the City of Bhuj was shattered, including the Swaminarayan Temple in Bhuj temple built by Swaminarayan. The saints and satsangis of Kutch residing in India and abroad, resolved to construct a new marble temple a short distance away from this historic site. The new temple, largest in Gujarat was opened in May 2010 by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra ModiNarendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat.He was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar; and is a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since childhood, as also an active politician since early in life. He holds a masters degree in political...
.
Technology
The official website of the Swaminarayan Sampraday uses technology to broadcast live darshanDarshan
or Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
on the internet. To start of with, four of the USA temples, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(Colonia), Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and the first temple in Ahmedabad as well as Shree Swaminarayan Temple Bhuj are broadcasting darshan live on the internet everyday. Daily darshan is also able to be viewed from many temples worldwide. Apart from this, important events, such as the 25th anniversary of the Swaminarayan temple
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff is a Swaminarayan temple located in the Grangetown area of the capital city of Wales, Cardiff. It is the first and largest Hindu temple in Wales and comes under the NarNarayan Dev Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.-History:...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
have also been webcast live on the internet.