God Himself remains forever within His idol forms and Sants
Vachanamrut Gadhada First Section Chapter 68
Continuing in the divine pioneering footsteps of Gurudev Jeevanpran Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa and tirelessly preaching and promoting the supreme glory and philosophy of Lord Shree Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa, He is forever a shining beacon of spirituality.
Traversing across the world to fulfil the wishes of His disciples and showering unconditional love upon all the world’s souls, He is forever the vastest ocean of compassion.
Personifying the mantra ‘Society before Self’ and striving to unify all people, regardless of nationality, faith, culture, or walk of life, He remains infinitely selfless.
The essence of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan and the world’s most beloved Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj – Our Bapa, Our Father.
To the world, He is the renowned and fifth spiritual leader of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan; to His Sants and disciples, He is the world - a father, affectionately known as Bapa, who provided infinite compassion, strength, and love throughout every step of His children’s lives; a friend with whom one could share countless joys and sorrows alike; and a Guru who affectionately uplifted all who resorted unto the shelter of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi from the mires of worldly life and guided them onto the most divine path towards absolute salvation and bliss.
Acharya of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi, His Divine Holiness Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree manifested on this Earth on 28th May 1942 (Samvat 1998 Adhik Jeth Sud 13) in the village of Bharasar in Kutch, Gujarat, India.
The Adya Acharya Pravar of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi, Jeevanpran Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa, bequeathed the helm of the Lord's throne to Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree during the 35th anniversary celebrations of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Maninagar on Wednesday 28th February 1979. Throughout the 78 years of His time in this world, and particularly over the 41 years as Acharya of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj showered the most divine love on all His beloved Sants and disciples all over the world, and inspired and elevated countless more. Leaving His own wellbeing aside, His sole mission has been the betterment of His disciples, and society at large.
Not only did Acharya Swamishree Maharaj tirelessly and so selflessly spread the supreme tenets of Lord Shree Swaminarayan, Jeevanpran Shree Abji Bapashree, and Jeevanpran Swamibapa, throughout the world – providing spiritual guidance and upliftment to innumerable souls, He established dozens of new Mandirs, centres of spiritual, cultural and social progress all throughout the world, instigated countless charity initiatives, and campaigned on societal issues such as equality, social mobility, sustainability and world peace. Acharya Swamishree Maharaj's remarkable endeavours have been recognised and commended by many global, faith, community, and thought leaders from around the world.
It is with great sadness to His beloved Sants and disciples around the world that He willed to withdraw His human darshan on 16th July 2020 (Samvat 2077, Ashadh Vad 11); however, the Lord and His Satpurush do not come and go – they are ever-present and omni-present through the Acharyas of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi. In this manner, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj, too, will remain on this Earth through that divine lineage that stems from the supreme Lord Shree Swaminarayan. Today, we have the divine darshan of Lord Shree Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa and Acharya Swamishree Maharaj through the present Acharya of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi, Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj.
While His human presence will be sorely missed by all, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj has given us all a truly profound legacy – a treasure trove of blissful teachings, episodes, memories, and miracles, a mere glimpse of which has been captured on this memorial website dedicated to the divine life and times of Acharya Swamishree Maharaj.
We invite you to celebrate His divine life with us. By reliving His glory, teachings, key milestones, accomplishments, and endless contributions to Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan
Let us pray to the Supreme Lord Shree Swaminarayan, Jeevanpran Shree Abji Bapashree, Gurudev Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa, and Acharya Swamishree Maharaj that they bestow us with the divine strength, wisdom, and courage to personify their teachings, continue to serve them, and forever remain at the divine shelter of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi.