Sankari
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (BAPS)
Sankari, Post Timbarva Ta. Bardoli,
Dist. Surat,
Gujarat, INDIA - 394655
Tel: (02622) 255 991, 255 992, 99989 92300
Fax: (02622) 255 100

Location
Sankari is a village in the Surat district of Gujarat.

Opening
By Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 18 May 2001.

Images
1st shrine - Harikrishna Maharaj, Krishna, Radha
2nd shrine - Guru Parampara
3rd shrine - Akshar Purushottam Maharaj
4th shrine - Sukh Shayya
5th shrine - Ghanshyam Maharaj

History
A leading local citizen by the name of Somabhai wished to see a mandir built in his village. Yogiji Maharaj agreed to install the images in this mandir in Sankari. However, Yogiji Maharaj passed away in January 1971 before the mandir was ready. It was left to his successor, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, to install the small but beautiful marble images of Akshar Purushottam and Lakshmi Narayan and thus fulfil Yogiji Maharaj's promise.

Information
At the annual New Year festival here, it is an observed fact that the deities partake some of the food offerings placed before them in the form of an Annakut.
Over the decades the efforts of Swamishri and sadhus saw the fluorishment of Satsang in the region of Sankari. They travelled to the tribal villages and inspired thousands to give up addictions and superstitions. The Sankari mandir soon burgeoned into a center for spiritual and moral regeneration. In 1988 a portion of the mandir land was transformed for over six months into an ideal cattle camp for the drought-stricken cattle. Every Punam, 6,000 to 7,000 devotees come for darshan at the mandir. The entire region has 88 Bal Mandals, 61 Balika Mandals, 98 Mahila Mandals and over 155 BAPS Satsang Mandals. These centers have spread and consolidated the Hindu ideals and messages of moral living among the tribal and educated masses. Two BAPS Mobile Health Vans offer their services to the poor tribal people in that region. With the growing magnitude of Satsang, the need for a bigger mandir complex became necessary. To satisfy the increasing needs, Swamishri performed the ground-breaking ceremony for a new shikharbaddh mandir on 15 January 1996. Within 5 years the intricately carved mandir made of pink sandstone was ready. It stands like a resplendent jewel in the lush green surroundings of Sankari. The mandir is 196 ft long, 135 ft wide and 65 ft high. It has 5 towering shikhars, 15 domes, 84 profusely carved pillars, 100 filagreed arches, 290 statues of incarnations, acharyas and devotees and an impressive entrance gate. The inauguration ceremony of the newly built Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was performed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 18 May 2001. The three main features of this festival were: the diksha and yagna ceremony, procession and murti-pratishtha ceremony.