swaminarayan religion

[131] Many centres also host parenting seminars, marriage counseling, and events for family bonding. [143][144], Yogiji Maharaj constructed the mandir in the Shahibaug section of Ahmedabad, which remains the site of the international headquarters of the organisation.[145]. Spiritual aspirants should not consume addictive substances nor should they eat onion, garlic, and other tamasic foods. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Swaminarayan Jayanti 2021 Date . [146] The BAPS mandir in Neasden, London was the first traditional Hindu mandir built in Europe. Swaminarayan temples have separate entrances for men and women. (June 30, 2023). [53][55], In 1950, disciples Mahendra Patel and Purushottam Patel held small personal services at their homes in England. [56] In this same year he established the Shree Swaminarayan Mission[57] as a formal organisation. [63][72] To engage the youths, festival grounds housed temporary exhibitions ranging from interactive media, dioramas, panoramic scenes and even 3D-exhibits. [71] The same festival was shipped to US as a month-long Cultural Festival of India at Middlesex County College in Edison, New Jersey.[49]. Modi, Biden, and the Surprising Links Between Multiculturalism and According to Swaminarayan tradition, the young Sahajanand Swami was known as Ghanshyama. . 1999-2023 Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha), Swaminarayan Aksharpith (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.) The lawsuit claims that the workers are recruited from Dalits and Adivasis, both marginalized communities in India. Much of temple-based discourse and many events revolve around assisting satsags to reflect upon and act on these suggestions: The most tangible means for attaining and expressing correct devotional postures is to perform seva, service and resources that are volunteered. Key Highlights. Hinduism is a religion that encompasses many beliefs and deities, and allows for diversity of thought. In Gandhinagar, Gujarat, an elaborate monument, exhibition, and research center known as Akshardham was the site of a terrorist attack in 2002. Kim, Hanna Hea-Sun. Bhagwan Swaminarayan did not simply reform society; He spiritually charged it with faith, virtue, and integrity. Whereas the early satsags were from a wide variety of castes and class backgrounds, later members came increasingly from the emerging Patidar farmer caste, who were finding commercial success in agriculture and entrepreneurial activities. After Yogiji Maharaj's death, Pramukh Swami Maharaj became both the spiritual and administrative head of BAPS[62] in 1971. Here he encountered Mukhtananda Swami, the senior ascetic of a group whose head preceptor (guru), Ramananda Swami, was temporarily away. Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha ( BAPS; IAST: Bocsavs Akar Puruottam Svminryaa Sasth) is a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. In Swaminarayan viidvaita, the ultimate reality, puruottama, never merges with akara or with lower existential entities. Williams, Raymond Brady. Vachanamrut, Vartal 5, The Vachanamrut: Spiritual Discourses of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. (Founded by Vallabha in the sixteenth century, the Vallabha Sapradya is a Hindu devotional sect that remains influential in Gujarat and includes many wealthy merchants and other business-oriented caste groups among its followers.) The Bishop's conversation with the "Hindoo reformer" as well as his descriptions of the meeting have been deployed by the Swaminarayan movement as proof of its founder's impact on the colonial presence in Gujarat. On October 28, 1800, he was initiated by Ramananda Swami and given two names, "Sahajanand" and "Narayan Muni." Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. Religion of Immigrants from India and Pakistan: New Threads in the American Tapestry. Swaminarayan Jayanti 2021 Date and Time. [23][note 3], Followers of BAPS believe that the Ekantik dharma that Swaminarayan desired to establish is embodied and propagated by the Ekantik Satpurush ("a most sublime saint"[web 3][note 4]), the Gunatit Guru. Swaminarayan Sampradaya - Wikipedia As a consequence of the Indian emigration patterns, mandirs have been constructed in Africa, Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. William Temple (1881-1944), archbishop of Canterbury, was an outstanding church and civic leader who by the time he die, Swallowers and Gulpers: Saccopharyngiformes, https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/swaminarayan-movement. Includes the full Sanskrit text of the Shikshapatri given to Monier-Williams by the crya of the Vadtal gdd in 1875. The Swaminarayan Faith is a branch of Hinduism, which was founded by Lord Shree Swaminarayan Himself, at the end of the eighteenth century in Northern India. [7], In May 2021, six workers involved in the construction of a New Jersey temple filed suit against the temple administrators resulting in a government investigation of potential labor law violations. As part of its social reform activity, BAPS has established temples and charitable projects in dalit (formerly referred to as Untouchables or harijan ) and adivasi (autochthonous groups or tribal communities) villages in Gujarat. In 1958, leading devotees including Navin Swaminarayan, Praful Patel and Chatranjan Patel from India and East Africa began arriving to the UK. BAPS Swaminarayan communities in the United States and Great Britain now have resident sdhus who teach and administer temple activities. Cambridge, U.K., 2001. Mind, Body, and Wealth: A Study of Belief and Practice in an Indian Village. Patel to begin satsang assemblies in the United States. Williams, Raymond Brady (2004). [38]:17 Yogiji Maharaj regarded Gunatitanand Swami as Akshar and also served the murti of Harikrishna Maharaj which had previously been worshiped by Gunatitanand Swami. "The Holy Man as the Abode of God in Swaminarayan Hinduism". This atmagnan is essential for a spiritual aspirant to reach Paramatma. The Vachanamritam is the first Gujarati vernacular text and consists of 262 discourses given by Sahajanand Swami between 1819 and 1829 and recorded by senior sdhus. [83] The BAPS concurs that Akshar is the divine abode of Purushottam, and "an eternally existing spiritual reality having two forms, the impersonal and the personal"[83][84][85]:158 Followers of BAPS identify various scriptures and documented statements of Swaminarayan as supporting this understanding of Akshar within the Akshar-Purushottam Upasana. Monier-Williams, Monier, ed. The followers of Swaminarayan constitute a dynamic force in Gujarat society as well as among Gujaratis who have settled abroad. Swaminarayan religion stresses the importance of practical living and surviving to achieve eternal happiness. Critical examination of the Ahmedabad gdd of the original Swaminarayan movement. In BAPS, women have parallel leadership positions and activities to men. [38]:20, In 1955, Yogiji Maharaj embarked on his first foreign tour to East Africa. I just want to know what is the importance of Tilak and Chandlo in Swaminarayan Religion? ." A number of shikharbaddha mandirs (large traditional stone mandirs) were inaugurated in major cities; Neasden (1995), Nairobi (1999), New Delhi (2004), Swaminarayan Akshardham (New Delhi) (2005), Houston (2004), Chicago (2004), Toronto (2007), Atlanta (2007), Los Angeles (2012), and Robbinsville (2014). All satsags must dress modestly, wear a double-stranded necklace of beads, and apply sectarian marks on their foreheads, with the women's mark differing from the men's. Its religious and lay leaders are focused on the needs of Hindus in the diaspora who are creating permanent rather than temporary lives outside of India. 17.50. [56] D.D. [49]:217[52]:Chp 5 Pg 2 The prime reason for the visit was to consecrate Africa's first Akshar-Purushottam temple in Mombasa. [44], In the early part of 1950, Shastriji Maharaj wrote several letters to 28-year-old Shastri Narayanswarupdas expressing a wish to appoint him as the administrative president of the organisation. Patel established a non-profit organisation known as BSS under US law. All Swaminarayan sects connect their devotional tradition to the historical person of Sahajanand Swami (17811830 ce), who was born near Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, in northern India. Similar "traditional" temple complexes were completed in Chicago, Illinois, and Houston, Texas. Remain within the expectations and rules for moral living. Amrutvijaydas, Sadhu (2006). Pointed critique of diasporic South Asians and their modes of identity and ethnicity-making. Following the death of his parents when he was eleven years old, he embarked on a phase of wandering. This book is notable for its early effort to refrain from using the word religion in order to avoid an artificial separation of Hindu practices from other areas of social life. [74], Following the death of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 13 August 2016, Mahant Swami Maharaj became the 6th guru and president of BAPS. Bhagwan Swaminarayan - His Life and Work The Swaminarayan Religion BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - Magic City Religion Religion offers the soul a path clear of self-inflicted pain. He attracted attention for his textual knowledge (evidenced by his winning debates with older religious scholars), asceticism (adoption of brahmacarya vows of celibacy), and performance of austerities (tapas), an example of which involved standing on one leg for four months while clad only in a loincloth. Introduction The brightly painted BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir is a sacred space that sustains and promotes a community within the age-old religion of Hinduism. As explained in the Vachanamritam, parabrahman (synonymous with puruottama ) is the highest existential entity and is never formless: it possesses the power of immanence and action (antarymakti) and manifests itself in a distinctly human form. 4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars (27) Kindle Edition. [82], The philosophy of BAPS is centred on the doctrine of Akshar-Purushottam Upasana, in which followers worship Swaminarayan as God, or Purshottam, and his choicest devotee Gunatitanand Swami, as Akshar. Cambridge, U.K., 1988. His address was given to me by Yogiji Maharaj". there whole religion is a classic, hitler type brain-wash method at converting people to meet . By recognizing akara in its manifest form, jva, clothed in human form and impaired by bodily emotions and senses, can acquire the knowledge necessary for escaping the conditioning of my. Bhagwan Swaminarayan is always present on Earth through the gunatit guru. . [56] Beginning 1953, D. D. Meghani held assemblies in his office that brought together several followers in an organized setting. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Swaminarayan Jayanti today: Everything you need to know about this Devotees - BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha The wealthy BAPS organization is criticized by dam opponents for acting to protect its class interests, including those of its land holding members. [132][133], BAPS mandirs and cultural centres serve as hubs of several humanitarian activities powered by local volunteers. [138] In times of disaster, centres closest to the affected area become hubs for relief activity ranging from providing meals to reconstructing communities. 2 (1997): 296315. Provides comprehensive bibliography for BAPS publications. Under the leadership of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, over 25 additional shikharbaddha mandirs have been built across Gujarat and other regions of India and abroad. Swaminarayan religion stresses the importance of practical living and surviving to achieve eternal happiness. The festival also saw 125 youths initiated into the monastic order bringing the total number of swamis initiated to more than 700 in fulfillment to a prophecy made by Yogiji Maharaj.[73]. Contributions to Indian Sociology, n.s., 10, no. Godmen of India. His sole . Professor Williams outlines the daily activities & regulations to demonstrate how theology, ethics, devotion, & ritual unite in one contemporary Hindu sect. For other uses, see, Toggle Akshar-Purshottam Upasana subsection, Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, Development and organisational formation (19501971), Growth and further global expansion (19712016), Mahant Swami Maharaj as Guru (2016 present). Vachanamrut, Gadhada I-37, The Vachanamrut: Spiritual Discourses of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. What is the importance of Tilak and Chandlo in Swaminarayan Religion? The Swaminarayan Religion This entails practices such as biweekly fasting (on the eleventh day of each half of each lunar month) and avoiding worldly pleasures by strongly attaching themselves to God. Shri Harililakalpataru (1st ed.). [9] Their history of service activities can be traced back to Swaminarayan (1781-1830), who opened alms houses, built shelters, worked against addiction, and abolished the practice of sati and female infanticide with the goals of removing suffering and effecting positive social change. Professor Raymond William's book on this The Shikshapatri, authored by Sahajanand Swami in 1826 and originally written in Sanskrit, is a listing of 212 precepts, a code of behavior for Swaminarayan followers. Though sometimes frustrated at the gender segregation and their inability to have direct contact with guru and sdhu s, women consider theirs a privileged position, of having a god-realized guru who powerfully guides them from a distance. Polemical in tone, the article critiques the activities of the London BAPS temple. views 2,975,709 updated. Satsang in Africa had started during Shastriji Maharaj's lifetime, as many devotees had migrated to Africa for economic reasons. The Ahmedabad temple was designated administrative head of the northern seat and the Vadtal temple, the center for the southern seat. In 1907 he established the first new Swaminarayan sect, the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). This equation promotes a problematic conceptualization of religion, one that uncritically conflates it with culture, language, and geography and offers a seamless portrait of Hindu traditions. However, the date of retrieval is often important. The guru provides the template for ideal devotional behavior and through him devotees can achieve awareness of their eternal jva. However, as per the traditional Hindu calendar, Bhagwan Swaminarayan was born on the Navami Tithi, Chaitra . 2nd edition. [40] This event was later seen to mark the formal establishment of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha,[27] which was later abbreviated as BAPS. Neelkanth Varni or Sahajanand Swami, the originator of Swaminarayan sect, was born in a village called Chhapia in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh. He asked Mukhtananda the questions he had asked during his encounters with ascetics throughout India; receiving satisfactory answers, Nilkantha ended his period of wandering. [141], The organisation's second mandir was built in Sarangpur, which also hosts a seminary for BAPS swamis. [4][5][6], Since 1971, under the leadership of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the BAPS has grown strongly. The Vachanamritam, Shikshapatri, and iconic representations in the six original Swaminarayan temples point to Ka (Krishna) as puruottama, the foremost entity to whom devotion must be directed. For both laity and ascetics, he supported varramadharma, or the fulfillment of duties according to caste, social class, and gender. [41], On 12 August 1910 Shastriji Maharaj met his eventual successor, Yogiji Maharaj, at the house of Jadavji in Bochasan. Lord Shree Swaminarayan propagated the teachings of the Vedic Dharma and stressed on the importance of Dharma, Bhakti, Gnan and Vairagya. [55] Yogiji Maharaj inaugurated the temple in Ngara, a suburb of Nairobi in 1970. A new face of Hinduism : the Swaminarayan religion The Swaminarayan Sect of Hinduism - Hindu Website [99][100] Jivas who perform devotion to this personal form of Brahman can, despite remaining ontologically different, attain a similar spiritual standing as Brahman and then go to Akshardham. During Sahajanand Swami's lifetime Gujarat came under British control. Scholars of modern Gujarat history are critical of this cooperation, arguing that the Swaminarayan movement's alignment with the British reflected its bias toward promoting its own caste and class interests at the expense of other groups either unable or unwilling to yield to Anglo-colonial hegemony. For the BAPS community, there is no ambiguity regarding the identities and relationship of puruottama to akara, the resolution of this distinction being the basis for the sect's founding. [119] On weekends, assemblies are held in which swamis and devotees deliver discourses on a variety of spiritual topics. The contemporary Swaminarayan movement thus appears sympathetic to pro-Hindu fundamentalist sentiments. Ahmedabad: Swaminarayan Aksharpith. In 1999, the Ahmedabad Gadi had 765 male ascetics and the Vadtal Gadi 1468 male ascetics. The web site for the original Swaminarayan gdds is www.moksha.akshardham.org. To help with this BAPs have food courts serving vegetarian food at its mandirs.[153]. It runs a large publishing house and music recording studio, and employs systematic methods for training sdhus and laity in Swaminarayan bhakti. GoldGiftIdeas Decorative Swaminarayan Photo Frame with Charan Paduka (Sahajanand Swami), Religious Photo Frame for Return Gift, Sadguru Pramukh Swami Wooden Momento Gift (24K Gold Plated) . Selflessly serving God, the gunatit guru, and the community is the only way to rid ones self of base desires and faults. Chronologically located between the "bhakti renaissance" of the medieval period and the early to mid-nineteenth-century Hindu revivalism of colonial India, the Swaminarayan movement is a devotional tradition rooted in Vaiavism and arising out of Gujarat in western India. Honestly swaminarayan is a faith in which they believe that this man that was born in 1781 was a avatar/incarnation of vishnu, and try to propose there own agenda, by failing to teach there "followers' of how there is no mention of this in the Gita. The philosophical foundation for Swaminarayan devotionalism is the viidvaita, or qualified non-dualism, of Rmnuja (10171137 ce). In addition to BAPS's break from the original Swaminarayan satsag, other schisms have occurred. In Economic and Political Weekly (September 10, 1988): 19071912. This has resulted in the creation of programs that were not needed in the Gujarat context, such as Gujarati language classes and festivals to promote "Hinduism." His biography is the basis for the Swaminarayan origin narrative, one that combines hagiography with historically confirmed persons, events, and places. Membership in the Swaminarayan movement begins with a brief verbal initiation followed by the devotee's acceptance of the Swaminarayan mantra. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, n.s., 14 (1882): 733772. Genuine Respect for Other Faiths - BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Cambridge University Press, Mar 15, 1984 - Religion - 240 pages. While this connection is disputed by its leaders, what is less refutable is the movement's growing base of immigrants who are attracted to representations of an essentialized Hinduism. [19][note 2] According to the BAPS-tradition, Shastriji Maharaj had understood this from his guru, Bhagatji Maharaj, who had Gunatitanand Swami as his guru. [88][note 7], According to BAPS, Swaminarayan refers to Akshar in the Vachanamrut, with numerous appellations such as Sant, Satpurush, Bhakta and Swami, as having an august status that makes it an entity worth worshipping alongside God. [59] He gave Patel the names of 28 satsangi students to help conduct [satsang] assemblies.[59]. [70] During this festival, 200 youths were initiated into the monastic order. Mandirs in the US and UK host an annual walkathon to raise funds for local charities such as hospitals or schools. The Vachanamritam outlines four categories of action for helping devotees strengthen their devotionalism. [49]:217 Paralleling Sahajand Swami's building of temples to propagate his teachings,[27][note 5] Shastriji Maharaj then set out to build his own mandir to "house the devotional representations of Bhagwan and Guru" and propagate his understanding of Swaminarayan's teachings. Basic Beliefs - BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Develop a deep attachment to Lord Swaminarayan and. 2nd edition. As it happened, the greatest schism in the Swaminarayan movement was prompted not by outsiders but came from within. "Being Swaminarayan: The Ontology and Significance of Belief in the Construction of a Gujarati Diaspora." Further duties include the administration of the Swaminarayan mantra for new male initiates, installation of temple icons, and management of the gdd' s material wealth. Lord Shree Swaminarayan instilled into people the ideology of high morals, love and compassion for all, irrespective of caste, creed, color or gender. He was born in a village named Chhapaiya in north India to Dharma Dev (Hariprasad Pande) and his wife Bhakti Devi (Bala Devi) on April 3, 1781. [36][37][38]:13. For BAPS followers, pj includes the pictorial forms of the guru lineage and a reading selection from Swami ni Vato, a collection of brief sayings by Gunatitanand Swami. p. 43, Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar) temple, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London, United Kingdom, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto, Canada, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Los Angeles, United States, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston, United States, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta, United States, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago, United States, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Robbinsville, United States, 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199463749.003.0005, "Guru's grace empowers philosophical treatise", "Yogiji Maharaj Sermons of Yogiji Maharaj", "Bhagwan Swaminarayan's Spiritual Lineage", "BAPS Inaugurates Stone Mandir in New Jersey", "Final Darshan and Rites of Pramukh Swami Maharaj", "Digital Mrtis, Virtual Daran and a Hindu Religioscape", "BAPS Temple holds installation of 1st pillar, Mandapam, and Visarjan in New Jersey | News India Times", "Everything we know about the UAE's first traditional Hindu temple", "Hindu Sect Is Accused of Using Forced Labor to Build N.J. Temple", "Federal agents probe Hindu sect for using forced labor to build New Jersey temple", "Hindu Sect Accused of Using Forced Labor at More Temples Across U.S.", "FAQ-Related to BAPS Swaminaryan Sansth-General", "BAPS celebrates Swaminarayan Jayanti & Ram Navmi", "BAPS Commemorates Education with Educational Development Day", "BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Hosts Women's Conference in Chicago", "BAPS Charities stresses importance of children's health", "BAPS Charities Hosts 15th Annual Walkathon", "BAPS Charities Host Community Walk in Support of American Diabetes Association and Stafford MSD Education Fund", "BAPS Charities to Hold Women's FREE Health Awareness Lectures 2010 on Saturday, June 5th 2010", "BAPS Care International launches relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims", "BAPS Charities helps victims of tornadoes", "Traditional Hindu temple opening in Robbinsville, part of BAPS community", "PM Modi officially launches foundation stone-laying ceremony for first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi Times of India ", 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199463749.003.0010, "1,200 young adults from North America attend Spiritual Quotient Seminar", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bochasanwasi_Akshar_Purushottam_Swaminarayan_Sanstha&oldid=1152765339, Religious organizations established in 1907, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2021, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from June 2021, Articles with dead external links from July 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected from banned users, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 2 May 2023, at 05:20. [59] Soon, K.C. Religious diasporasJewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhistvery often become strong supporters of religious nationalism back in the homeland, usually nostalgically romanticized as a place where traditions are dominant and pure. BAPS advocates the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) and practices vegetarianism. Two administrative seats (gdd), outlined in the Lekh, a text written by Sahajanand Swami, were established by dividing India into northern and southern juridical territories. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha - Home [130] They also host sports tournaments and initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles among children and youth. One should not commit adultery. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, n.s., 14 (1882): 289316. List of Swaminarayan temples - Wikipedia "The Public Face of Hindu Nationalism." A NEW FACE OF HINDUISM: THE SWAMINARAYAN RELIGION by Raymond Brady Williams, 1984 Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, Pp. The Swaminarayan movement has, in spite of its restrictive codes of behavior, endured for over two centuries: its newer communities demonstrate how politics of religious nationalism and the needs and desires brought on by diasporic living can spur accommodations to, rather than retreat from, external changes. An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology provides a comprehensive doctrinal account of the Swaminarayan tradition's belief system, drawing on its rich corpus of theological literature, including the teachings of Swaminarayan himself and classical commentaries on canonical Vedntic texts. BAPS, through its worldwide network of more than five hundred temples and a large "volunteer" base, is by far the most visible sect in the Swaminarayan movement. In response, BAPS followers who are familiar with the Narmada controversy point to the various village relocation and community rehabilitation projects voluntarily instigated and funded by BAPS. In 1992, a month-long festival was held to both celebrate Yogiji Maharaj's centenary and to inaugurate a permanent exhibition and temple called Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar). Swaminarayan - Wikipedia BAPS followers do not follow the cryas and temples of the original gdds but have constructed temples to reflect their interpretation of Swaminarayan viidvaita. In 1906 a sdhu, Swami Yagnapurushdas, left the Vadtal temple. A vegetarian diet (no meat, no eggs, no poultry, and no seafood) should be followed. Argues that the activities and attitudes of this gdd stem from its narrow caste base. In Cultural Studies 11, no. NNDYM - Kalupur Mandir - Swaminarayan Pocock, David. [121] Members of the sect are known as Satsangis.