In the footsteps of Shastri Narayanswarupdas (Pramukh Swami Maharaj)1951 to 1961 A President in the role of a sevak – a unique approach in management
With the passing of Shastriji Maharaj in 1951, while Gadhada Mandir was about to open its doors for the first time, it was a time for grief and concern for the organisation. However, Yogiji Maharaj was at the helm fully supported by the young, 29 year old, Pramukh Swami, (now referred to as Swamishri), and all concerns were soon put aside. The grand opening of Gadhada Mandir happened on the pre-agreed date in its full glory.
The cremation of Shastriji Maharaj had taken place at the site he had chosen in Sarangpur. A small deri was built as a memorial to him in March 1952 (A one-shikhar mandir was later built here in 1981as a permanent reminder of his contribution).
Introduction to Vinu Bhagat (Mahant Swami Maharaj)
As per the divine wish and plan, Vinubhai, 18 years of age, came with his family to Sarangpur to attend Shastriji Maharaj’s final rites. Here he met for the first time the young Pramukh Swami and immediately formed a friendship. There were a number of occasions when they met over the next few years and during these meetings, Swamishri blessed him with a kanthi and introduced the initial thought of becoming a sadhu. It was also at the wish of Swamishri that he did his first waterless fast on ekadashi.
Working tirelessly to spread satsang
Young Pramukh Swamiji immediately started working tirelessly spreading satsang in hundreds of villages, stepping in whenever Yogiji Maharaj fell ill and carrying out pratishtha of numerous mandirs and literally conducting hundreds of parayans and discourses. He grew from a very young person to a hard working sadhu that had no care for his personal needs – be it food, place to sleep, travelling in third class or on horse or bullock carts, no matter what the weather was from extreme heat to cold and wet.
He truly kept his oath that he took when he was appointed as the president of the organisation.
First special train journey in 1953
After initiation, young Pramukh Swami had once expressed to Shastriji Maharaj of his wish to visit Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s birthplace. Shastriji Maharaj had told Yogiji Maharaj: “Please fulfil his wish in the future.”
According to these words of Shastriji Maharaj and through Yogiji Maharaj’s inspiration and blessings, a special train yatra was arranged in 1953. 500 devotees had put down their names to take opportunity of this yatra. In the end, there was so much demand, that two more compartments were added to the train. A second train yatra was organised 3 years later to accommodate those that could not come on the first one.
When the group arrived in Chhapaiya, sadhus from the Swaminarayan Mandir gave them all a warm reception. Six elephants and 60 bullock carts had been kept ready. With great fanfare, they were welcomed into the village.
Swamishri became overwhelmed with emotion merely on visiting this sanctified land of Chhapaiya. For one who was seeing Bhagwan Swaminarayan in every dust particle of this land, the darshan of the murtis gave him immense bliss.
First Yuvak Adhiveshan (Youth Convention) in 1955
Yogiji Maharaj had already made great efforts to develop the youth activities of the Sanstha. To further encourage the development of all youths, the first Yuvak Adhiveshan (Youth Convention) was organised in Atladra. The seeds that were planted then later bore fruits with thousands of young devotees participating in daily activities of BAPS mandirs in every part of the world today. This also resulted in some of the highly educated youths becoming sadhus.
Yogiji Maharaj foreign trips in 1955 and 1959/1960
The first trip took place in 1955. It was the first time that sadhus of the Sanstha were to embark on vicharan abroad to spread satsang. This was a short trip to East Africa where Yogiji Maharaj opened a beautiful mandir in Mombasa, Kenya and also planted the seeds for mandirs to be built in Uganda. In 1959 these mandirs were ready in Kampala, Jinja and Tororo. Yogiji Maharaj was invited to the pratishthas of these mandirs. Yogiji Maharaj asked Swamishri to join him this time as he was quite keen to introduce him as the President of the organisation to devotees in East Africa. Vinu Bhagat (later Mahant Swami Maharaj)and Arunbhai (later Ishwarcharan Swami) also accompanied them on this trip.
On 21 January 1960, the murti pratishtha took place in Kampala, followed by Jinja murti pratishtha on 1 February 1960, and finally the third pratishtha in Tororo on 22 February 1960. There were thousands in attendance at each of the mandirs and these mandirs became centres of spiritual and social development for the wider community.
In this way, Yogiji Maharaj created three wonderful mandirs in Uganda. (Today in Africa, there are over 30 mandirs, with many more centres.) Everyone felt that these sadhus did not just conduct parayans or home visits; they also created mandirs and Satsang centres to provide the essence of Indian culture and Sanatan Hindu Dharma.
After covering over 20,000 miles and sanctifying 103 villages and cities, Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami returned to India from Africa in June 1960.
Diksha to nine yogeshwars in 1960
Soon after his return to Mumbai in India, Yogiji Maharaj gave parshadi diksha to nine educated youths on 3 July 1960. These included Mahant Swami, Kothari Swami, Tyagvallabh Swami, Ishwarcharan Swami and Viveksagar Swami. These parshads were later to become sadhus when Yogiji Maharaj intitiated 51 sadhus in Gadhada in 1961.
On this occasion, Swamishri also addressed the parshads and passed on his best wishes. He also mentioned: “Through this feat, Shri Yogi Bapa has entrenched the foundations of the Sanstha all the way to the core of the earth.”