Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha

"BAPS" redirects here. For other uses, see BAPS (disambiguation).

Atlanta BAPS Temple at Night

Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (Gujarati: બોચાસનવાસી અક્ષ૨ પુરુષોત્તમ સ્વામિનારાયણ સંસ્થા, IAST: Bocāsanvāsī Akshar Purushottam Swāminārāyan Sansthā), often abbreviated as BAPS (formerly Bochasan Swaminarayan Sanstha or BSS), is a major organization within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism. The organization was established on 5 June 1907 by Shastri Yagnapurushdas or Shastriji Maharaj (1865–1951), a Sanskrit scholar and sadhu who left the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday in 1905. The Akshar Purushottam Upasana, an interpretation of Bhagwan Swaminarayan's succession, is what led to the formation of this present organization. Shastriji Maharaj's successor was Yogiji Maharaj. Presently the sanstha is headed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

BAPS Logo with the Akshar Deri

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is a charitable Non-governmental organization affiliated with the United Nations. The organization is recognized as a Non-Governmental Organization that holds General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

History

Shastri Yagnapurushdas left the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday to form his own institution, Bochasan Swaminarayan Sanstha or BSS (now BAPS) claiming Gunatitanand Swami was the rightful successor to Swaminarayan in 1906. After leaving of his own accord, he was later expelled from the Vadtal Gadi by the then Vadtal acharya in a hastily called meeting.

The difference in interpretation of the beliefs withheld within the Sampraday led to the creation of group. The first traditional temple with the centerpiece murtis (shrines) of both Akshar and Purushottam was built in Bochasan in 1907, marking the beginning of BSS, later renamed to BAPS. Shastriji Maharaj then went on to build temples in Sarangpur (1916), Atladra (1945), Gondal (1934), and Gadhada (1951 with successor Yogiji Maharaj).

Cultural field for Youth

Children learn through stories, rhymes, and Gujarati, teenagers through multimedia and sports, youths through discussions and dramas, the elderly progress through scriptural reading, discourses and introspection. Activities range from music classes, to scripture study, to fitness, to cooking classes. The organization has encouraged youths in countries around the world to keep many aspects of Indian culture alive.

Major relief activities handled by BAPS Charities

BAPS carries out its humanitarian services through the BAPS Charities foundation.

• 2007 Floods Saurashtra (Kathiyavad) Gujarat, India
• 2006 Floods Gujarat, India
• 2005 Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts, USA
• 2004 Tsunami Relief Work, India
• 2001 Earthquake Gujarat, India
• 1999 Cyclone Orissa, India
• 1998 Cyclone Southern Gujarat, India
• 1998 Floods Surat, India
• 1997 Floods Gujarat, India
• 1996 Cyclone Andhra Pradesh, India
• 1995 Floods Malda, West Bengal, India
• 1994 Pneumonic Plague Surat, India
• 1994 Earthquake Los Angeles, USA
• 1993 Earthquake Latur, Maharashtra, India
• 1992 Drought Jamnagar, Gujarat, India
• 1987 Famine Saurashtra, India
• 1984 Famine, Ethiopia
• 1983 Floods Saurashtra, Gujarat, India
• 1982 Floods Saurashtra, Gujarat, India
• 1979 Floods Morbi, Gujarat, India
• 1975 Famine Gujarat & Maharashtra, India
• 1974 Famine Gujarat & Maharashtra, India

Province of its influence

BAPS is prominent in Gujarat, India and amongst NRI Gujarati community members. Its international network has grown into 2,710 Youth, 4,070 Children and 1,320 Women centers, more than 800 sadhus, 55,000 volunteers and over one million followers [Williams, 2001], with more than 750 temples and 9090 centers in 45 countries.

Spiritual Guru

Today the Sanstha is led by the 91 year old Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Pramukh Swami Maharaj is a sadhu and the present leader of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. As leader of BAPS, he is responsible for the opening ceremonies of temples, initiation ceremonies for sadhus, and the major decisions of the organisation. With no fixed residence, he constantly travels to temples and residences both in India and abroad to meet the devotees and further the spiritual disciplines of Lord Swaminarayan. His primary spiritual teaching is to perfect one's personal bhakti-yoga by understanding the Self as one with Brahman as taught by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. [1]

Notable Projects and Achievements

Akshardham (Delhi) Monument

• In November 2005, the President of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj – along with the President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the Leader of Opposition, Lal Krishna Advani- inaugurated "Swaminarayan Akshardham", a 100-acre (0.40 km²) site in Delhi. Akshardham includes a 141 ft (43 m) high monument constructed entirely of stone, two exhibition halls highlighting India Culture and values, Delhi's first large format movie theater, gardens, and a temple (mandir). On December 17th, 2007 in Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India's Delhi Akshardham was named the largest Hindu Temple in the world by Guinness Book of World Records representative Mr. Michael Whitty.

• Neasden Temple BAPS constructed what was at the time the world's largest traditional Hindu temple outside India. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London (http://www.mandir.org), also popularly known as the Neasden Temple) was opened in 1995. Constructed entirely from Marble and Limestone, the temple is popular amongst tourists seeking a unique place to visit in London. On 8 July 2000, the Managing Editor of Guinness Book of Records, Tim Footman and Andrew W. Dowsey presented His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj with certificates marking his entries into the world famous record book. The first certificate presented to His Holiness was for building and inspiring the largest traditional Hindu Mandir outside India. The second certificate marked a record 355 Temple Consecration Ceremonies performed by His Holiness between April 1971 and May 2000.

• In 1999 BAPS opened its first traditional Hindu Mandir in Africa – in Nairobi, Kenya. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nairobi is unique in that the interior is constructed entirely from intricately carved wood.

• In 2004 BAPS broke its own record when it opened the largest Hindu temple outside India near Chicago, USA. Based upon the Neasden Temple, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago is the USA's second traditional Swaminarayan Temple. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston was the first. A similar, slightly smaller temple, it was opened in Texas, a month prior to the opening of the Chicago Mandir.

• July 2007 saw BAPS break its own record with the opening of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Toronto. The first traditional stone temple in Canada, and the largest such structure outside India. Just over a month later, in August 2007, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Atlanta was inaugurated, breaking the record broken the previous month in Toronto. The BAPS temple in Atlanta is currently the largest Hindu temple outside India.

• BAPS financed and produced the 2004 large format film, Mystic India, which retraces the 12,000 km barefoot journey throughout 18th century India undertaken by Neelkanth Varni at the age of 11.[1]

Title

Bochāsanvāsī Akshar Purushottam Swāminārāyan Sansthā translates to (The) Bochasan-ite Imperishable Supreme Being, Lord from the first of Men, Establishment.

However, for modern and practical purposes, the title can be rendered in English as The Bochasan-ite Akshar-Purushottam Swaminarayan Establishment or The Akshar-Purushottam Swaminarayan Organization of Bochasan. The high Sanskrit formations of Akshar Purushottam Svāminārāyan, meaning Imperishable Supreme Being, Lord from the first of Men, understandably adorning references to God, can be left untranslated due to a cumulation of two reasons, the first that Akshar Purushottam Swāminārāyan is hardly taken in a literal manner, it is more so Indian terminology for God, God; the second that not even God, God is accurate, as Akshar Purushottam Svāminārāyan is much more contextually loaded than that, in terms of the history and the philosophy of BAPS and that which lead to it.

• nārāyaṇ (Son of the original Man) is the general component. It means God and is of Vaishnavite origin. Hinduism → Vaishnavism
• Svāmi-, meaning Lord, in this case and in most cases of a religious capacity (learned holy man, monk, spiritual preceptor), is just a further embellishment at a linguistic level, thus: Lord that is the Son of the original Man or Lord from the first of Men. However this specifically refers to the one Sahajanand Swami, believed to be God. Hinduism → Vaishnavism → Swaminarayanism
• Akshar Purushottam (Imperishable Supreme Being) is a specific deity and philosophy or interpretation of Swaminarayanism. This theology lead to a split in 1907, leading to BAPS.
• Though it must be said that Akshar Purushottam is in less need of being left untranslated, because unlike Svāminārāyaṇ, which is something unique unto itself, the philosophy of Akshar Puruṣottam really can be gleaned from the English rendering of Imperishable Supreme Being, with one modification. Up until now, Akshar Purushottam has been translated as Imperishable Supreme Being (un-hyphenated), but what is really meant is along the lines of Imperishable - Supreme Being (hyphenated). Imperishable is in fact not an adjective; instead the hyphen creates a pairing of two nouns: (the) Supreme Being paired with (the) Imperishable. This stems from the thrust of the BAPS doctrine, which is the unicity/pairing between the Supreme Being (Purushottam) and his Imperishable (Akshar, represented by the line of gurus, now at Pramukh Swami). Hence The Bochasan-ite Akshar-Purushottam Swaminarayan Establishment.
• Bochasan is a town in Gujarat, associated with that split.

References

• Williams, Raymond (2001). Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521654227. http://www.amazon.com/dp/052165422X 

External links

Organization Information

• BAPS Website
• BAPS Charities – The Spirit of Service
• BAPS Children's Website

Mandirs and Monuments

• Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi
• Swaminarayan Akshardham, Gandhinagar Gujarat
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London
• Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston
• Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Sanstha Chino Hills, California
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Toronto Canada

Productions

• Mystic India Website