Back বোচাসনবাসী অক্ষর পুরুষোত্তম স্বামীনারায়ণ সংস্থা Bengali/Bangla બોચાસણવાસી અક્ષર પુરુષોત્તમ સ્વામિનારાયણ સંસ્થા Gujarati बोचासनवासी अक्षर पुरुषोत्तम स्वामिनारायण संस्था Hindi BAPS Polish
 BAPS Akshar Deri Logo | |
 Akshardham, New Jersey, U.S., in Robbinsville, near New York City, the world's largest BAPS temple and the largest Hindu temple outside Asia | |
| Abbreviation | BAPS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 5 June 1907 |
| Founder | Shastriji Maharaj |
| Type | Religious organisation |
| Headquarters | Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
| Location |
|
Area served | Worldwide |
| Leader | Mahant Swami Maharaj |
| Website | www www |
Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS; IAST: Bocāsaṇvāsī Akṣara Puruṣottama Svāminārāyaṇa Saṇsthā) is a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.[1][2][3] It was formed in 1905 by Yagnapurushdas (Shastriji Maharaj) following his conviction that Swaminarayan remained present on earth through a lineage of gurus starting with Gunatitanand Swami.[4][5][6] As of August 2016, Mahant Swami Maharaj is the 6th guru and president of BAPS.[7]
The philosophy of BAPS is centred on the doctrine of Akshar-Purushottam Upasana, in which followers worship Swaminarayan as God, or Purushottam, and his choicest devotee, Gunatitanand Swami, as Akshar.[8] As of 2019, BAPS has 44 shikharbaddha mandirs and more than 1,200 mandirs worldwide that facilitate practice of this doctrine by allowing followers to offer devotion to the murtis of Swaminarayan, Gunatitanand Swami, and their successors.[9] BAPS mandirs also feature activities to foster culture and youth development. Many devotees view the mandir as a place for transmission of Hindu values and their incorporation into daily routines, family life, and careers.[10][web 1]
BAPS also engages in a host of humanitarian and charitable endeavors through BAPS Charities, a separate non-profit aid organisation which has spearheaded a number of projects around the world addressing healthcare, education, environmental causes, and community-building campaigns.[11]
- ^ Mamtora 2021.
- ^ A.Patel 2018.
- ^ Gadhia 2016, p. 157.
- ^ Williams 2001, p. 55.
- ^ Rinehart 2004, p. 215.
- ^ James 2017.
- ^ Kulkarni, Deepali (December 2018). "Digital Mūrtis, Virtual Darśan and a Hindu Religioscape". Nidān: International Journal for Indian Studies. 3 (2): 40–54.
- ^ Williams 1984, p. 73.
- ^ NN 2019, p. 51.
- ^ Kim 2001, p. 418–422.
- ^ Clarke 2011, pp. 40–49.
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