Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a branch of the Swami Narayana Sampradaya and the Akshar Dham. Mahant Swami Maharaj is the present president and guru of BAPS.
Profile
Mahant Swami Maharaj was born on 13th September 1933 to Manibhai Naranbhai Patel and Dahiben Patel in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The little boy was named Vinubhai Patel. His parents were devotees of Shastriji Maharaj who was the founder of BAPS. Shastriji Maharaj visited the Patel family after the baby was born and named him Keshav. However through his school and college days his nick name Vinu stayed with him. He took a degree in Agriculture. During the college Vinu had the chance of meeting Yogiji Maharaj who was the successor of Shastriji Maharaj. During summer vacation Vinu travelled with Yogiji Maharaj and his innate spiritual inclinations got more intense. Yogiji Maharaj’s love and charisma drew Vinu very close to the master. Vinubhai received his novitiate initiation on 2nd February 1957 from his master and was named as Vinu Bhagawat. Now he looked after his master’s needs full time. In 1961 on 11th May when Vinu Bhagawat was 28 years old he became a swami, was given his Bhagawati Diksha. The new name that he got was Keshavjivandas Swami. He came to be known as Mahant Swami because he was the group head of the 51 monks who were initiated with him on that day. Yogiji Maharaj attained samadhi in 1971 and then Mahant Swami dedicated himself to serve Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the new guru. On July 20th 2012 Pramukh Swami Maharaj declared that Mahant Swami would be the next successor and this was concretised on 13th August 2016 and he was sixth spiritual guru of BAPS and continues to be so till date.
Philosophy Propounded
The philosophy propounded by Bhagawan Swaminarayana was to live a life based on devotion to god and service to mankind. Lord was in the form of Aksharabrahman. This was the philosophy followed by Mahant Swami Maharaj.
Work Done to Spread the Philosophy
BAPS is a registered charitable trust which had its main activities in its temples. Devotees have chances serve in these temples. There are pro-environmental activities, disaster activities, empowering people in rural areas and many more. Mahant Swami very efficiently took these projects and activities to many more places.
