Lord Swaminarayan, also known as Sahajanand Swami, is the central figure in a modern sect of Hinduism known as the Swaminarayan Faith, a form of Vaishnavism.Within Swaminarayan faith is equated with the Supreme Being, the Purushottam or worshiped as an incarnation of Narayana from Nara - Narayana deity couple.
Swaminarayan was born Ghanshyam Pande in Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1781. In 1792 he began a seven-year pilgrimage across India adopting the name Nilkanth Varnier. He settled in Gujarat around the 1799th In 1800 he was initiated into the Uddhav Sampraday of his guru, Ramanand Swami and given the name Swami Sahajanand.
In 1802 his guru handed over leadership of the Uddhav Sampraday to him before he died. Sahajanand Swami held a meeting and learned Swaminarayan mantra. From this time he became known as Swaminarayan and regarded as an incarnation of God by his followers. The Uddhav Sampraday became known as the Swaminarayan Sampraday.
Swaminarayan developed a good relationship with the British imperial government. He had followers, not only from the Hindu faith, but also from Islam and Zoroastrianism. He built six temples in his lifetime and appointed 500 Swami to spread his philosophy. In 1826 they wrote Swaminarayan Shikshapatri, a book of social principles. He died June 1, 1830 and was cremated according to Hindu rituals in Gadhada, Gujarat. Before his death, appointed his nephew as Swaminarayan Acharya to lead the two dioceses of Swaminarayan Sampraday.
Swaminarayan was born Ghanshyam Pande in Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1781. In 1792 he began a seven-year pilgrimage across India adopting the name Nilkanth Varnier. He settled in Gujarat around the 1799th In 1800 he was initiated into the Uddhav Sampraday of his guru, Ramanand Swami and given the name Swami Sahajanand.
In 1802 his guru handed over leadership of the Uddhav Sampraday to him before he died. Sahajanand Swami held a meeting and learned Swaminarayan mantra. From this time he became known as Swaminarayan and regarded as an incarnation of God by his followers. The Uddhav Sampraday became known as the Swaminarayan Sampraday.
Swaminarayan developed a good relationship with the British imperial government. He had followers, not only from the Hindu faith, but also from Islam and Zoroastrianism. He built six temples in his lifetime and appointed 500 Swami to spread his philosophy. In 1826 they wrote Swaminarayan Shikshapatri, a book of social principles. He died June 1, 1830 and was cremated according to Hindu rituals in Gadhada, Gujarat. Before his death, appointed his nephew as Swaminarayan Acharya to lead the two dioceses of Swaminarayan Sampraday.
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