Swaminarayan Bhagwan's objective on this earth was to establish a permanent system of achieving aatyantik kalyaan – the ultimate redemption from the cycle of life and death. He achieved this by establishing the three resolutions; the murtis (deities), shastras (scriptures) and the Dharmavanshi Acharyas.
As an adjunct to the scriptures in establishing Ekantik Dharma and consolidating the framework of the Satsang, Lord Swaminarayan constructed magnificent stone mandirs - buttressing Upasana - worshipping God in all His greatness and glory, and bhakti - unalloyed devotion towards the deities. Towards the end of His second decade of work, He placed a greater emphasis on bhakti over detachment - vairagya, to foster love for God. This emphasis on bhakti culminated in the building of mandirs. The mandirs served four major purposes:
as a permanent place for offering worship,
as a center for religious gatherings and instruction,
as a center for studying Sanskrit, devotional music and Vedic literature,
as centers of social services where alms, medicines, and clothes, were available to the poor and needy.
In an astonishingly short span of six years, from 1822 till 1828, Lord Swaminarayan sanctioned the construction of nine mandirs of exquisite beauty and architectural grandeur in Gujarat - Ahmedabad, Muli, Bhuj, Vadtal, Jetalpur, Dholera, Dholka, Junagadh and Gadhada [ 1, 3, 4].
The sadhus and devotees provided the labour, considered as seva - devotional service. The Lord Himself spiritedly carried stones on His head, hauling them up the hill from the river Ghela, to Dada's court, during the foundation laying of the Gadhada mandir. He also carried thirty-seven bricks in the Vadtal mandir's construction. These can be observed 'in situ' even today.
He further spread the concept of unique monotheism by installing murtis such as NarNarayan, LakshmiNarayan and Radha-Krshna declaring that God is one but appears in many forms. He also consecrated His own murti, named Harikrishna Maharaj in temples such as Vadtal. Interestingly, in the history of world religions, this is perhaps the first instance of monuments of worship being constructed in the life period of a religious founder.
He entrusted the day-to-day performance of the worship rituals in these mandirs to the sadhus. At a time when the land was steeped in penury, finances scant the construction of such grand temples attested to His innate divinity.
Lord Swaminarayan's objective on this earth was to establish a permanent system of achieving aatyantik kalyaan – the ultimate redemption from the cycle of life and death. He achieved this by establishing the three resolutions; the murtis (deities); shastras (scriptures) and the Dharmavanshi Acharyas (spiritual leaders).
During the last decade of Swaminarayan Bhagwan's Dharmashasan, he built 6 beautiful temples, and personally installed murtis in 3 other temples which are:
Ahemdabad (24-2-1882)
Shri Nar Narayan Dev
Bhuj (15-5-1823)
Shri Nar Narayan Dev
Vadtal (3-11-1824)
Shri Laxmi Narayan Dev
Dholera (19-5-1826)
Shri MadanMohan Dev
Junagadh (1-5-1828)
Shri RadhaRaman Dev
Gadhada (9-10-1829)
Shri Gopinathji Mahraj
Muli (17-1-1823)
Shri Radha Krishna Dev
Jetalpur (13-3-1826)
Shri Ravti Baldevji Harikrishna Maharaj
Dholka (15-5-827)
Shri Morlimanorhardev Harikrishna Maharaj
Temples Built And Murtis Installed
Ahemdabad (24-2-1882) Shri Nar Narayan Dev
Bhuj (15-5-1823) Shri Nar Narayan Dev
Vadtal (3-11-1824) Shri Laxmi Narayan Dev
Dholera (19-5-1826) Shri MadanMohan Dev
Junagadh (1-5-1828) Shri RadhaRaman Dev
Gadhada (9-10-1829) Shri Gopinathji Mahraj
