PM Modi inaugurates centenary celebrations of Swaminarayan sect leader Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the centenary celebrations (Shatabdi Mahotsava) of Swaminarayan sect leader Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. During the occasion, PM Modi also praised the sect leader for treating him like a son.

He also recalled a conversation with the late Pramukh Swami when the Akshardham temple faced a terrorist attack in 2002 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, Modi said the latter had enquired if the CM's residence was damaged because it was close to the temple. Notably, PM Modi made his second visit to his home state in three days to inaugurate the month-long celebrations. 

Further, the PM recalled his special relationship with Pramukh Swami Maharaj, claiming that the "great saint", who built numerous temples all over the world,



regarded him like a son. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, according to Modi, sent him a pen with which he signed the nomination papers to run for his first state assembly election from Rajkot.

“After that, he used to send pens to me every time to sign nomination papers and he even sent pens with BJP colours when I fought the Lok Sabha election from Varanasi,” Modi said.

As its fifth spiritual guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj headed the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the most popular of the 16 branches of the Swaminarayan community, between 1950 and 2016.

During this period, the sect set up temples in places like Atlanta, Los Angeles, London, Toronto, Auckland and Sydney. There are Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar and another will open soon in New Jersey.