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Hall
of Travels
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The
hall is a combination of restoration and re-creation. Bhagwan Swaminarayan
traveled far and wide, mostly on horseback, and at times by cart and
on foot. Here is an opportunity to see firsthand: |
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Chakhdi: the Lord's wooden sandals; Chakhdi is a pair of wooden sandals. Bhagwan Swaminarayan preferred to wear them and walked with such swiftness and grace that people entered into samadhi by hearing the sound of His Chakhdi. This delicately carved pair of Chakhdi were personally worn by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. |
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Mafo: a renovated, original bullock cart used by the Lord; Kashidas Mota of Bochasan was an ardent disciple of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He drove the Lord in his Mafo - bullock cart through 35 surrounding villages to sanctify the homes of his relatives. His direct descendants donated the broken fragments of that bullock cart to Pramukh Swami Maharaj. These pieces of the cart were kept in the mandir at Bochasan for years until arrangements in Akshardham were made. It took 3 months of meticulous and antique craftsmanship to restore the holy cart from historical references. |
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Rash: the reins of the mare Manki. Bhagwan Swaminarayan traveled by foot and by cart, but mainly on horseback. His favorite mare, Manki, was more than just a four legged creature. She understood every wish of the Lord, guiding and easing His journey accordingly. So attached was Manki to the Lord and His devotees that after the departure of the Lord from the earth, she refused to eat or drink until death. Displayed here is the Rash - the reins which have been purified by the constant touch of the Lord and His favorite, Manki. |
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Hardo: A multi-colored string garland used to decorate Manki - the mare of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The entire Hardo has been handwoven with precious threads. It was preserved by the ancestors of Mangubhai Jivabhai Patgir of village Kundal. |
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Toran: The Toran or wall tapestry, usually hung above the door, was made by Jivuba and Laduba and decorated the room of the Lord. Along with it, the original mattress preserved in Akshardham, has also been purified by the divine touch of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. These holy articles were preserved by Sheth Muljibhai of Limli, whose descendants gave them to Pujya Shastriji Maharaj. |
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Wooden Bed: After Dada Khachar of Gadhada gave his residence to Bhagwan Swaminarayan to build a mandir, he constructed new rooms for his family. Next to the new residence was the small house of Jasa Pana Teraiya, the royal priest of Dada Khachar. Once when Bhagwan Swaminarayan visited Dada Khachar's residence, He also graced the house of Jasa Pana, who became frustrated as he did not own a good bed for the Lord to sit on. Dada Khachar brought a bed from his house and laid it for the Lord. That same bed of Dada Khachar, sanctified by Bhagwan Swaminarayan was preserved in the lineage of Jasa Pana and given by Ratanben to this rare collection. |
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Berkho: Berkho is a small mala of large beads. Bhagwan Swaminarayan once declared that if anyone slept during the assembly the Berkho would be thrown at him. Once Brahmanand Swami began to gently doze. The Lord threw the Berkho, waking him up. Embarrassed, Brahmanand defended that he was not dozing but composing a devotional song and gently swinging his head to its melody. "If that is so," the Lord said, "sing it before the assembly." Brahmanand Swami was a spontaneous composer. He instantly composed four devotional songs beginning with - Taro chatak rangilo - and won over the Lord. This Berkho has been responsible for the remarkable incident. |
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© 1999, Bochasanwasi
Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, Swaminarayan Aksharpith
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