THE grand opening of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is a miracle. Even the gods, goddesses and angels were happy and showered their blessings, in the form of rain, in this desert area on the eve of the consecration of the deities. Their blessings were also showered on the ruler of Abu Dhabi, his ministers and the citizens of the country.
The Mandir is a historical testimony to the tolerance of the Sheikh and his people. We are witnessing a version of Islam, which is progressive and allembracing. Not many people know that Bhagvan Swaminarayan was born in Uttar Pradesh and began the Swaminarayan spiritual mission in Gujarat. Known as Shajanand Swami, he established the Swaminarayan movement in 1801. The BAPS was formed by Shahstriji Maharaj to propagate the teachings of Shajanand Swami in its pure form.
Humble beginning
The movement started in very humble circumstances and often the initiated monks did not have anything to eat. Even in those circumstances, Shastriji Maharaj emphasised the importance of mandirs for the welfare of the people. Following his instructions, the gurus who followed him have constructed hundreds of beautiful mandirs all over the world. Akshardham in Delhi, inspired by Guru Yogiji Maharaj, and grand temples in the US and the UK are some of the examples.
The Swaminarayan mission is based on the idea of Ekantit Dharma. It comprises dharma, gyan (knowledge of self realisation), vairagya (detachment from worldly desires) and bhakti (devotion to God). There are over a thousand sadhus or monks who have taken initiation and dedicated their lives to preaching of Hindu dharma. They have a strict code of conduct and do not even look at a woman not because of any disrespect for them but to strictly observe their moral code.
Dream-cum-true
The Abu Dhabi Mandir miracle has the hallmarks of the revered late Guru Pramukh Swami who actually prayed for a Mandir to be built in Abu Dhabi way back on April 5, 997. No one in his wildest dreams thought that it would be possible. But here we are; under the guidance of present Guru Mahant Swami, the younger generation of sadhus under Brahmvihari Swami have built a magnificent Mandir in the desert. Perfection and dedication in whatever they do is the mantra of BAPS sadhus and devotees. Late Pramukh Swami showed by personal example the importance of these attributes.
For the Abu Dhabi Mandir, over 200 volunteers from Africa, the Gulf, the UK and the USA dedicated more than 6,90,000 hours to the construction of the Mandir. The Mandir can host 10,000 people, it has 400 pillars, and there were 5,000 carvers who put together the masterpieces that adorn the Mandir.
Beyond the temples
BAPS does much more than building temples. It runs schools and hospitals and is the first to reach disaster areas. During the catastrophic earthquakes in Gujarat in 2001, BAPS served 40,000 meals every day, constructed new villages and built 2,292 earthquake-resistance homes. It took special care of 100 Muslim families.
More recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested BAPS to help students stuck in Ukraine. In no time, its devotees from Europe went to the South-eastern Polish city of Rzeszow and served 1,000 meals, not only to the students but to all the refugees from differrent nationalities. They also provided medical help. Pramukh Swami says that in the joy of others lies our joy. Former President Abdul Kalam considered Pramukh Swami Maharaj as his guru.
The BAPS movement is truly a benchmark to follow. Future generations will credit BAPS for the global revival of Sanatan Dharma followed by the Hare Krishna movement.
