Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Maninagar
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. 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 2076, Ashadh Vad 11).
Let us pray to the supreme Lord Shree Swaminarayan, Jeevanpran Shree Abji Bapashree, Gurudev Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa and Acharya Swamishree Maharaj that they bestow divine strength, wisdom and courage to accept His will.
God Himself remains forever within His idol forms and Sants
Vachanamrut Gadhada First Section Chapter 68
Lord Shree Swaminarayan is eternally manifest, and forever gives darshan through His divine spiritual lineage – our Guru Parampara. For 78 years, the Lord gave us His divine darshan through Acharya Swamishree Maharaj, and will eternally do so through the Acharyas of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi.
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. For the past 41 years since, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj has continued in the divine pioneering footsteps of Gurudev Jeevanpran Swamibapa.
Not only has 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, guiding them onto the divine path to absolute salvation, He has 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.
Over the past 78 years, and especially over the past 41 years as Acharya of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj has 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.
His presence will be sorely missed by all, but He leaves us all with a truly profound legacy – a treasure trove of blissful teachings, episodes, memories, and miracles.
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.
