Sri Swaminarayan (3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, was a yogi and ascetic, who is believed by followers to be a manifestation of Krishna,as the highest manifestation of Purushottama,and around whom the Swaminarayan Sampradaya developed.
During his lifetime, Swaminarayan institutionalized his charisma and beliefs in various ways. He built six mandirs to facilitate devotional worship of God by his followers, and encouraged the creation of a scriptural tradition, including the Shikshapatri, which he wrote in 1826. In 1826, through a legal document titled the Lekh, Swaminarayan created two dioceses, the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal Gadi) and Nar Narayan Dev Gadi (Ahmedabad Gadi), with a hereditary leadership of acharyas and their wives from his own extended family, who were authorized to install statues of deities in temples and to initiate ascetics.
Akshar-Purushottam Darshan or Aksarabrahma-Parabrahma-Darsanam, “Akshar-Purushottam philosophy,” is a designation used by BAPS as an alternative name for the Swaminarayan Darshana, Swaminarayan’s view or teachings, to distinguish it from other Vedanta-traditions.It is based on Swaminarayan’s distinction between Parabrahman (Purushottam, Narayana) and Aksharbrahman as two distinct eternal realities, which in this view sets Swaminarayan’s teachings apart from other Vedanta-traditions.It is an essential element for the BAPS and it’s Akṣara-Puruṣottama Upāsanā (“worship”),in which Purushottam c.q. Parabrahman is present in a lineage of Aksharbrahman guru’s, who are the abode (akshar) of God.
For the BAPS, other sources clarifying Akshar-Purushottam Darshan include Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj, and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who in order were successors to Gunatitanand Swami as Guru in the BAPS Swaminarayan tradition, and Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current Guru. The followers of BAPS lay particular emphasis on the creedal statement written by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, titled Swaminarayan Darshanna Siddhantono Alekh, which summarises their view on Swaminarayan’s teachings. According to the Swaminarayan Aksharpith, the BAPS publisher, “Shastriji Maharaj identified [Swaminarayan’s] darshan as ‘Akshar-Purushottam’ Shastriji Maharaj propagated this darshan by using terms such as ‘Akshar-Purushottam Upasana’ and ‘Akshar-Purushottam Siddhant.’”
The Swaminarayan Bhashyam is a published commentary written by Bhadreshdas Swami in 2007 that explicates the roots of Akshar-Purushottam Darshan in the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras. This is further corroborated in a classical Sanskrit treatise, also authored by Bhadreshdas Swami, called Swaminarayan-Siddhanta-Sudha. Bhadreshdas (2016) argues that the Akshar-Purushottam disntinction is a characteristic marker which “identifies” Swaminarayan’s teachings, and that the term Akshar-Purushottam Darshan can be used as a designation for Swaminarayan’s teachings.
Swaminarayan Temple, Abu dhabi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the temple on 14 February 2024. Mr Modi had launched the project in 2018 when he revealed the first model showing a monument with seven spires to reflect the Emirates. Swami Ishwarcharandas and Swami Brahmaviharidas extended the invitation on behalf of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu Mandir, and it has been accepted by PM Modi.
Swaminarayan Temple, Ahmedabad
Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kalupur is the first Temple of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, a Hindu sect. It is located in Kalupur area of Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat, India. It was built on the instructions of Swaminarayan, the founder of the sect.
As per the will of Swaminarayan, the administration of the Swaminarayan Sampraday is divided into two Gadis (seats) – NarNarayan Dev Gadi and LaxmiNarayan Dev Gadi. This Temple is the headquarters of the NarNarayan Dev Gadi.