New Mandir Inauguration Ceremony in the Divine Presence of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj on Sunday, 22nd December, 2024

Dar es Salaam. The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushot­tam Swaminarayan (BAPS) Sanstha Tanzania is pleased to announce the inauguration ceremony of the New BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in the divine presence of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj on Sunday, 22 December, 2024.

A grand 13-day Mahotsav (celebra­tion) will accompany this momen­tous occasion.

Significantly, this Mandir is con­structed on the very site where the first Mandir was inaugurated by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 1977. The new ten-storey Man­dir, built in Kisutu Street/Pramukh Swami Street, showcases a unique architectural style adapted to mod­ern needs while retaining traditional Hindu elements.

The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sans­tha is a voluntary-driven global Hin­du organization promoting spiritual­ity, cultural values, and social service.

Closely affiliated with the United Nations Economic and Social Coun­cil, it has been serving humanity for the past 117 years. Its establishment is based on the teachings of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and was formalised by the Late Shastriji Maharaj in 1907.

Since then, BAPS has grown into an influential social and religious institution with worldwide followers of more than one million in its 5,025 centres worldwide.

The core foundations of BAPS lie in the ancient Hindu Scripture of the Vedas. BAPS inspires followers to lead a righteous and moral life guided by the teachings of the scriptures and blessings of the revered Gurus.

BAPS has established centres and temples in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, catering to the needs of local communities.

BAPS is also well-represented in the Middle East through the BAPS Hindu Mandir, a magnificent piece of art in Abu Dhabi, standing as a spiritual oasis of global harmony.

Significantly, BAPS has been involved in various social and humanitarian services through its sister organization: BAPS Charities. For further details about BAPS Swa­minarayan Sanstha, please visit baps. org.

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is a Hindu Swami and one of the most respected Hindu Gurus of our time. He is the sixth and present spiritual guru of the BAPS Swami­narayan Sanstha.

His life is a testament to love, service, and spirituality. His acts of compassion span the world, encom­passing aid during droughts, floods, earthquakes, and pandemics.

Beyond immediate needs, he builds legacies for generations—gift­ing mandirs (temples), schools, hos­pitals, and festivals. For him, helping one life is akin to healing humanity. His love embraces everyone, regard­less of race, rank, or religion. He is present in good times and bad, offer­ing unwavering support. This isn’t a recent development; his lifelong ded­ication to selfless service began long ago. His love creates lasting transfor­mation and harmony.

His Holiness has personally coun­selled 500,000 people, written and responded to 550,000 letters, and constantly travelled to countless homes and villages since 1971. He oversees 1,800 mandirs and leads 1,200 swamis. Each number reflects the countless hearts he has healed and filled with faith. In the tradition of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and his spiritual successors, Mahant Swami Maharaj continues to travel and meet devotees across India and the world.

He is a spiritual being, present in our world yet transcending it. As the spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swa­minarayan, he holds God and beholds God—always and in all ways. This constant connection is the source of his profound peace, peace he shares with countless souls. He brings light to the world through every deed, yet, with characteristic humility, believes himself to be doing nothing. His life is pure and selfless, a testament to giving. A true servant of God and humanity, his humble, holy presence has enriched millions of lives. He is living proof that true love, service, and spirituality can change the world.

His innermost desire is to spread peace, joy, and spirituality. He achieves this by creating structures that stand for generations as beacons of peace and service. Since 2016, he has inspired the construction of over 500 temples, including the largest Hindu temple in the modern era—the Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Jersey—and the first traditional Hin­du temple in the Middle East, located in Abu Dhabi.

Today, through sincere devotion and tireless dedication, he continues to inspire the creation of new com­munity complexes and traditional temples worldwide. These spiritual sanctuaries serve millions as sacred spaces for worship, learning, celebra­tion, and community service. One such traditional temple is the new BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Dar es Salaam, set to be inaugurated on December 22, 2024.

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj carries forth the legacy of his guru, His Holiness Pramukh Swa­mi Maharaj—a rare soul who lived for others while remaining deeply absorbed in God. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual successor in Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s line­age of Gunatit gurus, was a peaceful, humble, simple, and spiritual person­ality.

He led by example, inspiring mil­lions of devotees and over 1,100 sad­hus to embrace moral and spiritual lifestyles through his humility, faith in Bhagwan Swaminarayan, and pro­found compassion. He lived a sim­ple, celibate life, eschewing fame and recognition. His greatness stemmed from his ability to connect with the common person, understanding their everyday struggles and empa­thizing with their pain. His success wasn’t measured by awards or acco­lades, but by the countless lives he transformed.

Recognised as one of the 20 most influential people in the world by Guinness World Records in 2000, Pramukh Swami Maharaj also received accolades from the British Parliament, Canadian Parliament, and the United Nations for his work promoting religious harmony and community service.

He inspired religious activities in BAPS mandirs and satsang centres worldwide, including the Swami­narayan Akshardhams in New Delhi and Gandhinagar. He inspired fol­lowers of the Swaminarayan faith to live a pure life centred on devotion to God and service to others. Embracing eight-fold celibacy, he lived a simple life free of ego, attachment, anger, and materialistic pleasures—a true sad­hu. His legacy continues to inspire acts of selfless service and devotion through His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj.