BAPS Swaminarayan Temple

Dabhoi, Tal. Dabhoi, Dist. Vadodara

The Swaminarayan temples built by the ‘Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha’ (BAPS), a prominent religious sect in India, are considered a beautiful blend of architecture, aesthetics, and spirituality both in India and abroad. Nilkanthvarni, also known as Swami Sahajanand, was the founder of this sect. He is considered an incarnation of Lord Krishna as Swaminarayan. The temples known by his name are places of faith for millions of devotees. One such temple is located in the ancient and historically significant city of Darbhavati (Dabhoi).

The history of this sect is that the founder, Swami Sahajanand, was originally named Ghanashyam Pande. He was born in 1781 in the village of Chhapaiya near Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. At the age of twelve, he left home. He then spent seven years traveling throughout India and performing penance in the Himalayas. During this period, he was known as Nilkanth Varni. In 1800, after being initiated by Swami Muktanand in Mangrol, Saurashtra and later by Guru Ramanand in Piplana, he chose Gujarat as his field for religious and social reforms. Drawing on the philosophies of Vishishtadvaita of Ramanujacharya and Shuddhadvaita of Vallabhacharya, he propagated a syncretic religious doctrine.

Nilkanthvarni was given the name Sahajanand by Ramanand. In 1801, Sahajanand became the leader of the Ramanandi sect. His teaching was that Swami Narayan is Lord Krishna, and people should surrender to him. Devotees believe that Sahajanand, also known as Nilkanthvarni, is the incarnation of God as Swami Narayan. It is said that in November 1820, Sahajanand himself explained to Gopalanand Swami six reasons why he took incarnation. Sahajanand, also known as Swami Narayan, passed away in 1830. After that, Gunatitanand Swami took over the leadership of the sect. Later, in 1905, Shastri Yagnapurushdas, also known as Shastri Maharaj, established the ‘Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha’ within the Swaminarayan sect.

Under the leadership of Pramukh Swami, who held the principal position in this sect, BAPS expanded significantly after 1971. Today, there are two grand Swaminarayan Akshardham temples worldwide, one of which, located in New Delhi, is considered one of the world’s largest temples. Situated on a 100-acre campus on the banks of the Yamuna, this temple is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. In addition, there are 150 shikhara-topped temples and more than 1,700 temples of BAPS worldwide. Most of these temples have been built under the guidance of Pramukh Swami. The ground-breaking ceremony for this magnificent temple in Dabhoi was performed by Pramukh Swami in 2014. The construction of this temple, which cost about forty million rupees, continued for four years. On August 11, 2018, the consecration of the idols in this temple was performed by Mahant Swami Maharaj. Narendraprasad Swami and Ishwarcharan Swami of the Swaminarayan sect, along with hundreds of followers, were present on this occasion.

This magnificent temple is situated in a spacious compound near Pramukh Swami Hospital in Dabhoi. This two-story temple is accessed by climbing 33 steps to reach the viewing hall on the second floor. The viewing halls on all three sides of the assembly hall, the pillars adorned with intricate carvings, the makara toranas (crocodile arches) between these pillars, as well as the grand spires and sub-spires are the special architectural features of Swaminarayan temples. One can observe a confluence of grandeur and delicate carvings at once. The temple in Dabhoi is of this type.

The temple consists of a viewing hall, a transverse gallery, an assembly hall and a sanctum. The viewing halls of the temple have dome-shaped spires with tall finials, while the sanctum has a tall Urushrunga-type spire. There are also stairs on the right side of the temple structure to go up. The upper walls of the spacious assembly hall display images of the principal swamis of the Swaminarayan sect. In the sanctum, there is an ornate golden-plated shrine on a high, horizontal marble platform. In the center are the serene-faced statues of Swaminarayan and Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Maharaj in blessing postures. These marble statues are adorned with clothing and ornaments, with turban-like crowns on their heads. In the shrines on both sides of these statues are images of the five gurus of the Swaminarayan sect – Bhagatji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj, Mahant Muni Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. On the left side are beautiful marble statues of Radha-Krishna and Hanuman, while on the right side are statues of Ghanshyam Maharaj and Ganesha.

Darshan of Swaminarayan can be taken at this temple from 6 AM to 10 PM. Many devotees come here to meditate. The Patotsav (anniversary of the consecration of the idols) and many religious programs are celebrated here with great enthusiasm. Near this temple is the BAPS Pramukh Swami Hospital. This modern hospital, inaugurated in May 2000, serves patients from surrounding villages. About 2,200 patients are treated here every month.