History

In 1969-70, Gurudev Bapji lived at the Ahmedabad temple. Gurudev Bapji would propagate the original principles of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, as explained by Bapashree, despite facing many hurdles. To propagate these principles to a larger audience of devotees and aspirants, Gurudev Bapji started conducting religious assemblies at the open ground of the Maleksaban stadium in the Bapunagar area of Ahmedabad. To accommodate an increasing number of devotees, a small piece of land of 1500 square yards (about half the area of a large mansion) was acquired in the Ghanshyamnagar society near the Odhav area of Ahmedabad, despite a scarcity of funds. The temple's construction in Ghanshyamnagar was completed on the 12th of April 1974, with the help of donations ranging from as low as 1, 5, 10, and 15 rupees to a maximum amount of 500 rupees. Gurudev Bapji took a revolutionary step when He consecrated idols of only Shriji Maharaj and His mukto in the temple. This was the beginning of pure supreme upasana temples fulfilling Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s 200-year-long wish.

By 1984, on the 10th anniversary of the Ghanshyamnagar temple, Satsang had expanded in many ways through Gurudev Bapji’s divine wish. In the same year, as per Maharaj’s wish, Gurudev Bapji detached Himself from the sect and its obligations. Hence Gurudev Bapji did not have to worry about any opposition or pressure from anyone to expand Satsang. To create an everlasting organization, Gurudev Bapji revealed a desire, “We want to create a temple on the other side of the river, so start searching for a land.” Taking on this mission, in 1985, HDH Swamishri showed Gurudev Bapji over 100 unique pieces of land in areas such as Vadaj, Ranip, Paldi, and Jivaraj Park. However, every time, Gurudev Bapji would say, “Shriji Maharaj’s wish is not for this place.”

After noticing this, everyone realized that Gurudev Bapji wanted to accomplish something different through this task. He had a unique perspective. One day, a broker took Gurudev Bapji to a lonely plot in Vasna, near a place called Azam-Muazam Khan’s Mosque. It was a 776 square yard (about twice the area of a tennis court) open plot over which a heavy grid line was passing. There were also about 20 to 25 huts in the area, and this piece of land was an open toilet for the people living in these huts. Who would have the courage to construct a temple in such a filthy and legally complicated place? However, Gurudev Bapji became joyous while looking at it. After seeing a neem tree on this plot, Gurudev Bapji immediately said, “Just like how Shriji Maharaj used to sit under a neem tree in Gadhada, Shriji Maharaj wishes to sit under this neem tree, so our temple shall be built here.””

Motapurush’s vision is pervasive. Upon looking through the sect’s scriptures, we discovered that ‘Whenever Shriji Maharaj visited Ahmedabad, He would use the route from Sarkhej to Paldi to Ahmedabad. On this trip, He would sit under the neem tree near the Azam-Muazam Khan’s Mosque.’ It just so happened Gurudev Bapji selected this exact place to build the temple. Wow! What a connection Satpurush shares with God.

A land blessed by Shriji Maharaj was chosen to build the temple. However, there needed to be more money to buy it. Nevertheless, Shriji Maharaj’s divine wish to build this temple was steadfast. Hence, Shriji Maharaj changed the landlord’s mind and got him ready to sell the land which was worth 3,50,000 rupees for only 35,000 rupees. A transfer deed was signed, and the temple construction started immediately. Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s earnest desire to build this temple shone through from the many divine experiences that occurred during its construction. There was a continuous shortage of money needed to buy raw materials.

Sometimes, there would be no money to pay for the goods already purchased. However, Maharaj is always present and ready to protect. He would arrange for the money, sending the exact amount to an aspirant or a devotee. The donation box kept before the Murti of Bhagwan Swaminarayan would always miraculously contain the required money. Likewise, many astonishing events occurred during the temple's construction, and it was ready within a mere eleven months. It was now time for the consecration of the Murti in the temple.

The auspicious day of the 22nd of February 1987, Sunday (9th day of the bright half of Maha), was engraved with golden words in history. On this special day, a royal procession was held to bring the prestigious idol of Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj into the temple's sanctuary in the early morning at 4 a.m. Since the idol weighed 702 kilos, 15-20 devotees had lifted it into the temple. However, there was a big dilemma about how to carry the idol into the sanctuary, as the entrance of the sanctuary needed to be narrower for 15-20 devotees and the idol to pass through it. With the prayers of Gurudev Bapji and HDH Swamishri, Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj miraculously and omnisciently reduced His weight. The idol, which 15-20 devotees could barely lift, had become so light that it needed only 2 devotees to carry it into the sanctuary. Maharaj exhibited His existence and omnipresence even before this consecration ceremony; hence, Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj’s deification was warmly celebrated. Since then, Maharaj has continuously exhibited His presence through the form of this holy idol.

Ever since Gurudev Bapji and HDH Swamishri established the divine Murti of Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj in the Vasna temple, the organization has been recognized as the Swaminarayan Mandir Vasna Sanstha (SMVS). Subsequently, the revolutionary efforts to propagate the pure supreme upasana of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the status of an Anadimukta had actively started. This establishment has also paved the way for the global spread of Karan satsang through the SMVS organization.