Bhagwan Swaminarayan's Life: A Pictorial Presentation

Introduction

Bhagwan Swaminarayan was born in 1781 in Chhapaiya( U.P.), in the northern part of India. After spending
His childhood years in Chhapaiya and Ayodhya He left home at the tender age of eleven. He travelled the whole of India alone for seven long years, finally settling in Gujarat at the age of eighteen. He founded the Swaminarayan Sampradaya - a Vaishnav stream of Hinduism - at the age of twenty-one, outlawing superstitions, addictions, violent sacrifices, widow-burning and social evils in Gujarat 200 years ago. He and His 3000 paramhansas elevated the poor and ignorant from bad habits and inspired faith and devotion to God.
He performed many miracles during his time and transformed evil people into law-abiding citizens and devotees. He preached the message of love, brotherhood, addiction-free living and respect to all. He said that the ultimate goal of life was to realise oneself as atma and offer devotion to God. Before he left this physical world in 1830, he declared Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami as His successor.