The roots of The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS Sanstha) reach back over two hundred fifty years in the teachings laid down by Lord Swaminarayan. The teachings of Lord Swaminarayan assure a steady life, free of worry and tension, safe from pain, passion and prejudice. He stressed that only pure at heart can see God and can be eternally liberated. To attain such refined purity a true Swaminarayan devotee sincerely observes a discipline of five codes:
And for total perfection , the Lord emphasized the need of the ideal devotee. Just as Lord Krishna is worshipped along with Radha as Radha-Krishna and Lord Rama with Sita as Sita-Rama , Lord Swaminarayan ( Purushottam )and his ideal devotee Swami Gunatitanand ( Akshar ) are worshipped together as “ Akshar Purushottam”. After Gunatitanand Swami , His first spiritual heir , Lord Swaminarayan has ever remained on earth through an unbroken chain of Spritual Heirs – Bhagatji Maharaj , Shastriji Maharaj , Yogiji Maharaj and at present His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Today many people from all walks of life experience this special divinity in Pramukh Swami Maharaj whose saintly way of life makes him the polestar of the Spritual World.
His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj was not only a Spiritual Guru , but also the head & heart of the world spiritual organization - The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS Sanstha). He was the fifth spiritual heir to the Gunatit Hierarchy of Lord Swaminarayan who appeared on this earth over 200 years ago.
Unbound by race or religion, Pramukh Swami reached out to every individual, providing valid answers to life’s toughest questions. A prominent promoter of the Indian Culture, he tirelessly attended to the social, cultural, moral and spiritual needs of humanity and weaved a universal fabric of inner and outer peace. His striking humility and deep spiritual purity made him one of the most loved and widely followed spiritual leaders. Because he was eternally linked with God, amazing things happened in his presence. People changed themselves, gained every chance to become better and deepened their faith in God. He promised no miracles but helped you work one with your own life. His greatness lies in the fact that he has done so much for others, yet cared very little for his personal comforts. His whole life can be summarized in his motto,“ In the joy of others lies our own.”
On 20 July 2012, in the presence of senior sadhus in Ahmedabad, Pramukh Swami Maharaj revealed Mahant Swami as his spiritual successor. Following the earthly departure of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 13 August 2016, Mahant Swami became the sixth guru in the Gunatit Parampara tradition of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. HH Mahant Swami Maharaj now presides as the guru and spiritual guide of countless devotees and helms the worldwide socio-spiritual activities of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
HH Mahant Swami’s profound discourses have enlightened countless devotees and well- wishers and motivated them to adopt pious, addiction-free lives. His saintliness and devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Gurus Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj have left a lasting impression on innumerable devotees.