Producer: Peuli Bakshi
On February 14, PM Modi, along with His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj inaugurated the grand BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi. Read to know all about Swamiji.
Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth and present spiritual guru of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
He was born to Dahiben and Manibhai Narayanbhai Patel on 13 September 1933 (Bhadarva vad 9, Samvat 1989) in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
He studied in Christ Church Boys’ School, Jabalpur and then in College of Agriculture, Anand (his native town). He was exceptional in studies.
He was previously known as Vinu Bhagat, before receiving diksha. He was spiritual and a logical thinker right from his childhood.
In 1961, Yogiji Maharaj gave bhagwati (saffron) diksha to 51 educated youths, and Vinu Bhagat was one of them. He was then named Swami Keshavjivandas.
Yogiji Maharaj taught the 51 sadhus Sanskrit. Keshavjivandas was appointed as their head ('mahant') and thus, over time, began to be called Mahant Swami.
After Yogiji Maharaj’s death, Mahant Swami dedicated himself to the new guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, with the same devotion and allegiance.
On 20 July 2012, Pramukh Swami named Mahant Swami as his spiritual successor, in the presence of senior sadhus in Ahmedabad.
Mahant Swami’s profound discourses have enlightened countless devotees and well-wishers and motivated them to adopt pious, addiction-free lives.