Bhagwan Swaminarayan was one of the principal torchbearers of Hinduism in 18th century Gujarat. Born on April 3, 1781, in the small village of Chhapaiya in northern India, He displayed divine powers from childhood. By the age of 10, He had mastered the Hindu scriptures. At the age of 11, He renounced His home to embark on a 7 year journey on foot, across the length and breadth of India. By the age of 14, He mastered ashtang-yoga. Eventually, settling in Gujarat at the age of 18, He spent the remaining three decades of His life transforming the lives of countless people. He ushered in a moral and spiritual renaissance in Gujarat. Bhagwan Swaminarayan and His sadhus campaigned against and abolished the customs of widow burning, female infanticide and many other vices in society. In the Shikshapatri, He prescribed a moral code of conduct for His disciples, and through the Vachanamrut enlightened them with the essence of scriptural knowledge. Having redeemed humanity till 1830, Bhagwan Swaminarayan promised to remain ever-present on earth through a succession of God-realized gurus.
Today, His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual successor , is faithfully promoting the spiritual tradition of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
