His suites harness and modernize the best booms and baps the 90s.
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The BAPS philosophy helped moor those immigrants, especially those from Gujarat, to their homeland.
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He was succeeded by Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current guru of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
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Admiring his work- haps baps to my wonderful grandad A photo posted by ella braimbridge rogers ?
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The guru's death was confirmed by Jayesh Mandanka, a spokesman for the sect, Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, known as BAPS.
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He was also the driving force behind monthlong BAPS festivals held across the United States, events that helped recruit new devotees.
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In the UK and Europe, all events and religious assemblies at BAPS Swaminarayan mandirs have been canceled or postponed until further notice.
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While some might regard football as a religion, this venue actually is a sacred space: the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan mandir, Europe's largest Hindu temple.
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Perhaps even more significant than the analyses of Instagram techs and cybersecurity experts is that of Porscha Weeks, owner of BAPS Hair Salon in Philadelphia.
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Scented candles are lit before being offered to well wishers during a ceremony to celebrate Diwali at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London on Nov.
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"We've had the most amazing time on Bake-Off, and have loved seeing it rise and rise like a pair of yeasted Latvian baps," they said.
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She opened BAPS more than a year ago and has a thriving Instagram account where she promotes her services and peddles wigs and hair weave to 90,000 followers.
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For those who want to avoid travel but continue to worship, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London says people can engage in daily darshan on its website.
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His parents were followers of the founder of BAPS, Shastriji Maharaj, who was believed to have blessed the guru as a child, seeing in him the potential for greatness.
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Sprint car racer Greg Hodnett was killed during a race at the BAPS Motor Speedway in York Haven, Pennsylvania, on Thursday night, the York County Coroner's office confirmed in a news release provided to PEOPLE.
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It's weird, because studios are putting more and more effort into creating characters with believable and complex personalities and motivations, but that seems to go out the window as soon as the wangs and baps come out.
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Obstacles naturally arose, with Arboleda receiving many rejections, but approval finally arrived from the imam of the decade-old Jeddah Mosque Kambi, followed by the leaders of the 20-year-old Holy Trinity ACK Parish Kibera and BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple built in 2001.
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A 2014 study of 173 straight, gay, and bisexual cis men, published by the Journal of Sexual Medicine (leading dick researchers, apparently), found that the men's beliefs about penis size (or BAPS, as the study researchers dubbed this) did not correlate to their actual penis size.
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bochasan. The first mandir of BAPS. Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj in the central shrine of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bochasan.
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Alongside BAPS centres throughout North America, the BAPS mandir in Toronto holds an annual walkathon in support of various charities. Participants work to raise funds for BAPS Charities initiatives and local beneficiaries. In 2010, BAPS Charities Canada announced a pledge of $100,000 over five years for the SickKids Research and Learning Tower in Toronto.
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BAPS Charities organizes an annual health fair and related lectures throughout the year. BAPS Charities (formerly BAPS Care International) is a humanitarian service organization that originated from BAPS with a focus on serving society. These events are free and open to the public and promote early detection and prevention techniques to support the wellness of communities. The 7th annual Health Fair was held on 14 October 2012.
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Yogiji Maharaj declared Pramukh Swami Maharaj to be his spiritual successor and guru of BAPS, a role he commenced in 1971. As president of BAPS, he had overseen the growth of BAPS from an organization centered in Gujarat, India, to one spread around the world, maintaining many Hindu mandirs and centers outside of India. He built more than 1,100 Hindu temples, including the Swaminarayan Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar, Gujarat. He had also spearheaded the efforts of BAPS Charities, which is the charitable service organization affiliated with BAPS.
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LINX Cargo Care Group comprises five separate businesses - LINX, Autocare Services, C3, Pedersen Group and GeelongPort. This group of businesses was formerly known as Patrick Bulk and Automotive Port Services (BAPS) prior to the sale of the BAPS assets to a Brookfield Asset Management led consortium as part of the $9.05 billion Asciano Limited transaction in August 2016. BAPS was rebranded as LINX Cargo Care Group following the Asciano transaction. Patrick Bulk Port Services, part of the BAPS business, was rebranded LINX.
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In the last few years of his life, Shastriji Maharaj took steps to preserve the growth and future of BAPS by registering BAPS as a charitable trust in 1947 under India's new legal code.
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256x256px After Yogiji Maharaj's death, Pramukh Swami Maharaj became both the spiritual and administrative head of BAPS in 1971. He was the fifth spiritual guru of the BAPS organization. Under his leadership, BAPS has grown into a global Hindu organization and has witnessed expansion in several areas. His work has been built on the foundations laid by his gurus – Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj.
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Shashtriji Maharaj was accepted as the third successor, or Akshar by BAPS devotees.
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BAPS devotees in an assembly in the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The living guru is considered by followers of BAPS to be the ideal swami, the perfect devotee, and the principal target for emulation by all spiritual aspirants. He was often described by followers as a personification of the sacred scriptures. He was viewed as "fully brahmanized", or having achieved the ultimate level of spiritual development.
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For their various livestock projects, BAPS Charities has been awarded 34 National Livestock Awards.
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These gatherings also represent an opportunity to reaffirm a sense of community. At the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, England in 2004, 1247 vegetarian dishes were assembled and offered to the deities during the Annakut celebrations in 2000 at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, England. The Guinness World record for the largest Annakut ever held was on October 27, 2019 (Diwali) in BAPS Atladra Mandir in Gujarat. With over 3500 vegetarian dishes.
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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. BAPS also engages in a host of humanitarian and charitable endeavors through BAPS Charities, a separate non-profit aid organization which has spearheaded a number of projects around the world addressing healthcare, education, environmental causes, and community-building campaigns.
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Pramukh Swami Maharaj (born Shantilal Patel; ordained Narayanswarupdas Swami; 7 December 1921 – 13 August 2016) was the guru and Pramukh, or president, of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a major branch of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Hindu denomination. BAPS regards him as the fifth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan, following Gunatitanand Swami, Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, and Yogiji Maharaj. He was believed by his followers to be in constant communion with Swaminarayan, and ontologically, the manifestation of Akshar, the eternal abode of Swaminarayan. He received initiation as a Hindu Swami in 1940 from Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS, who later appointed him as President of BAPS in 1950.
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The followers of BAPS hold Gunatitanand Swami as the spiritual successor to Swaminarayan, asserting that on several occasions Swaminarayan revealed to devotees that Gunatitanand Swami was Aksharbrahm manifest. Followers of BAPS believe that the acharyas were given administrative leadership of the sect while Gunatitanand Swami was given spiritual leadership by Swaminarayan. The current spiritual and administrative leader of BAPS is Mahant Swami Maharaj. The followers of the Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan hold Gopalanand Swami as the successor to Swaminarayan.
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The rejection as the Lekhs, two in number, exists in both diocese as well as spoke about in the scriptures of the fellowship. The BAPS founders too at one point served the original diocese according to Lekh. BAPS does acknowledge that Swaminarayan "for administrative purpose, He divided His mandirs into two regions and appointed his two adopted sons, the Acharyas, Raghuvirji Maharaj and Ayodhyaprasadji Maharaj to guide the progress." But BAPS maintains that Gunatitanand Swami was the sole successor.
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The other mandir was the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto, which was inaugurated on 22 July 2007.
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He was succeeded as the guru and President of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha by Mahant Swami Maharaj.
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The principles are in keeping with ecological impact assessment, which in turn depends on good quality BAPs for evaluation. Contemporary principles of biodiversity management, such as those produced by the Business Biodiversity Offsets Program are now integral to any plans to manage biodiversity, including the development of BAPs.
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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a Hindu temple complex located in Chino Hills, in southwestern San Bernardino County in southern California. The temple belongs to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha denomination of Hinduism. However, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is open to visitors of all faiths.
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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of Abu Dhabi in UAE is a traditional Hindu place of worship that is being built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. The site is located at Abu Mureikhah, which is near Al Rahba off the Dubai–Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway. The mandir, upon completion, will be the first traditional Hindu stone mandir in the Middle East. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, which is headed by Mahant Swami Maharaj, is a denomination of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism.
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Stereotypically, younger BAPs are often members of Jack and Jill, a social and civic organization for upper-middle-class African American youth. BAPs usually then go on to attend a "black Ivy" institution such as Spelman College or Howard University where they pledge either Alpha Kappa Alpha or Delta Sigma Theta sorority. BAPs often later become members of The Girl Friends, Inc. or The Links, Incorporated, and pass in black enclaves of Sag Harbor, New York or Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.
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Blood agar plates (BAPs) contain mammalian blood (usually sheep or horse), typically at a concentration of 5–10%. BAPs are enriched, differential media used to isolate fastidious organisms and detect hemolytic activity. β-Hemolytic activity will show lysis and complete digestion of red blood cell contents surrounding a colony. Examples include Streptococcus haemolyticus.
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was opened to the public in 2014. It is on the Diamond Harbour Road at Bhasa.
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Bhadreshdas Swami was initiated as a renunciant (swami) of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha by his guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 1981 at the age of 14, Afterwards, he attended the BAPS seminary for swamis in Sarangpur, Gujarat, where he learned Swaminarayan Vedanta as well as the philosophical system of logic (nyaya) and Sanskrit grammar (vyakaran).
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For BAPS devotees, he is best known for passing on the philosophy of the Akshar Purushottam Upasana to his closest disciple, Shastriji Maharaj, who later founded BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in 1907 after leaving the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. His inclusion is the BAPS lineage is remarkable as he was a tailor and was not a saffron-clad swami demonstrating that status does not limit spiritual realization. The extraordinary spiritual service and unflinching devotion towards his guru elevated him to an exalted standing among devotees of the Swaminarayan sect both past and present.
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Pramukh Swami Maharaj (right) with Yogiji Maharaj (left), then the spiritual head of BAPS, in the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Gondal, Gujarat . He continued to serve as the president of BAPS under guru Yogiji Maharaj after Shastriji Maharaj died in 1951. He became particularly esteemed for his aptitude as an organizer and administrator, fulfilling all of Yogiji Maharaj's goals and dreams for the organization. For instance, he helped Yogiji Maharaj in expanding the faith to England and East Africa in 1960 and 1970, constructing new temples, and instituting new programs within the organization.
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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a traditional Hindu place of worship that was built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, which is headed by Mahant Swami Maharaj, is a global spiritual organization within the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism. The mandir was built in 18 months and consists of 24,000 pieces of hand-carved Italian carrara marble, Turkish limestone and Indian pink stone. The mandir is the largest of its kind in Canada and was constructed according to guidelines outlined in ancient Hindu scriptures.
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Madeleine Marr from the Miami Herald said that the pair "have created a thing of beauty" in recording "BAPS". She noted "The piano-heavy tune references various fellow celebrities from her [Trina's] dating past." A journalist from Vibe said that Trina "enlisted one of the boldest voices in the game" for "BAPS". Hannah Frishberg of the New York Post said that the song appeared to pay homage to the 1997 film B.A.P.S. She noted that both the film's promotional poster and Trina's single artwork both feature a crown motif above the wording of "BAPS".
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The BAPS Charities Health Fair in Chino Hills is one of over 40 such fairs which BAPS Charities organizes annually throughout North America. In total, over 2,500 health care professionals from local communities treated nearly 12,500 patients across the nation. The success of such an event is attributed to the collaborative effort between medical professionals within the community to volunteer their time and effort towards such a cause. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Chino Hills, hosted a community health fair providing free check-ups and numerous tests for over 425 participants.
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Many BAPs have friends in a variety of organizations, include Sigma Pi Phi fraternity and the National Association of Guardsmen, Inc.
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Searching Questions and Fulfilling Answers: Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Interview. pp. ix-xi. See also . Serving concurrently as Shastriji Maharaj's personal secretary, Shastri Narayanswarupdas also gained a comprehensive understanding of BAPS’ broader affairs and activities. In 1946, when Shastri Narayanswarupdas was 25, Shastriji Maharaj appointed him the head, or "kothari", of the large BAPS temple in Salangpur.
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Trina also announced a collaboration with Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj. On June 21, 2019, "BAPS" was released as the fifth single.
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The British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) is a registered charity that aims to advance the study and practice of paediatric surgery.
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Yogiji Maharaj (23 May 1892 – 23 January 1971), born Jina Vasani, was a Hindu swami and the fourth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan in the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a major branch of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. According to the metaphysics of BAPS, Yogiji Maharaj is considered to be the next iteration of Akshar after Shastriji Maharaj in the guru parampara, an unbroken line of "perfect devotees" who provide "authentication of office through Gunatitanand Swami and back to Swaminarayan himself." Together with Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who acted as the administrative head of BAPS, he was instrumental in nurturing the growth of BAPS "through new programs, expansion into new areas, and the construction of temples". As guru, he consecrated over 60 temples and visited over 4000 towns and villages.
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Because there were only thought to be 50–60 paediatric surgeons in the world at that time, BAPS quickly developed an international membership.
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The Bachelor of Arts in Pharmacy Studies (BAPS) is an option for students who are accepted to the school without completing the undergraduate degree.
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Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi (2007) Under his leadership, BAPS rapidly grew into a global Hindu organization and witnessed a significant expansion in many measurable parameters. As of 2019, BAPS encompasses over one million devotees, more than 900 swamis, 3,300 mandirs and congregations, over 7,200 weekly assemblies, and a host of humanitarian and charitable activities. He accompanied Yogiji Maharaj on a tour of East Africa in 1960 as well as in 1970, and embarked upon his first overseas visit as the guru, or spiritual leader, of BAPS in 1974. In the following decades, his 27 international spiritual tours spanned over fifty countries in five continents.
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There is 1 Greek Orthodox Church in Columbia. There are 2 Hindu Temples in the City, Hindu Temple of South Carolina and BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Columbia.
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Multi-color lasers, video projections, underwater flames, water jets and surround sound in symphony with lights and live actors produce a captivating and inspiring presentation. International experts contributed their expertise with BAPS volunteers and swamis to produce this one-of-a-kind presentation. The fountain is named after the founder of the Hindu organisation BAPS, Shastriji Maharaj. The fountain measures by with 2,870 steps and 108 small shrines.
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"BAPS" was co-written by Trina, Nicki Minaj, Birdman, B.G. (Baby Gangsta), Mannie Fresh, Juvenile and Lil Wayne with additional production by Audio Jones and co-production by Trina herself. Lyrically, the song samples "Project Bitch" by Cash Money Millionaires. "BAPS" is a backronym for "Bad Ass Pretty Sagittarius". The lyrics of the song reference famous people previously associated with Trina such as French Montana, Tory Lanez, and James Harden.
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His administrative roles include service on the managing committee of the BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute at Akshardham in New Delhi. He is currently writing commentaries on the Vedas.
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He was elected President in 1962, the first specialist paediatric surgeon to hold this office. Soon after becoming President of the RCSEd he was elected President of BAPS.
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Shastriji Maharaj (left) with his successor Yogiji Maharaj (right) An important meeting that would have a significant impact on the future of BAPS occurred on 12 August 1910 when Shastriji Maharaj met his eventual spiritual successor, Jhina Bhagat (Yogiji Maharaj). This meeting in Rajkot ultimately resulted in several swamis from the Vadtal diocese including Yogiji Maharaj and Krishnacharandas Swami, leaving to join Shastriji Maharaj. Shastriji Maharaj continued to nurture the fledgling BAPS organization and facilitated its growth by consecrating the murtis of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami in four further mandirs in the towns of Sarangpur, Gondal, Atladra and Gadhada. Furthermore, Shastriji Maharaj’s captivating discourses and determination enabled BAPS to establish itself in Africa.
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The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) was formed in 1907, by Shastriji Maharaj (Shastri Yagnapurushdas). Shastriji Maharaj's primary reason for separation from the Vadtal diocese and creation of BAPS had been due to doctrinal differences in the interpretation of Akshar (Aksharbrahma) and Purushottam. As articulated in the theology of Akshar- Purushottam Darshan, followers believe Swaminarayan manifests through a lineage of Aksharbrahman Gurus beginning with Gunatitanand Swami and currently Mahant Swami Maharaj.
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BAPS Hindu temple Lilburn's downtown is currently undergoing a revitalization project. The city has already constructed a new city hall/library, having already rerouted Main Street's intersection with US 29. This revitalization includes miles of walking/biking paths referred to as the Greenway Trail and the reconstruction of the historic Prohibition Trail Bridges from the early 1900s. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta is located in Lilburn, approximately two miles southwest of the city center.
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Murtis of Akshar Purushottam, Bochasan Swaminarayan is viewed as God (Purushottam) by BAPS followers. Thus, his writings and discourses form the foundation for BAPS' theological tenets. Regarding Swaminarayan's philosophy, Akshar plays a fundamental role in the overall scheme of ultimate liberation. To that end, Swaminarayan indicated that those who wish to offer pure devotion to God (Purushottam) and are desirous of Moksha should imbibe the qualities of the Gunatit Guru [Satsangijivanam Volume IV/72:1,2].
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On 7 October 2006, the mandir held its 9th annual walkathon at Chino Hills High School. "The event was significantly unique as the American Cancer Society joined together with BAPS Care as beneficiaries in this humanitarian cause. The organization is a testament to community service, said Ed Graham, Mayor of Chino Hills." As a local beneficiary to its annual walkathon, the students of Chino Hills High School received a donation of $5,000.00 from BAPS Charities.
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BBC News, 23 August 2006. Retrieved 28 August 2006. Europe's largest Hindu temple, Neasden Temple. London is also home to 44 Hindu temples, including the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London.
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"BAPS" (a backronym for Bad Ass Pretty Sagittarius) is a song by American rappers Trina and Nicki Minaj, released as a single from Trina's sixth studio album, The One (2019).
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Ahmedabad: Swaminarayan Aksharpith. 2003. 2nd edition. , pg. 31. Followers of BAPS identify various scriptures and documented statements of Swaminarayan as supporting this understanding of Akshar within the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan.
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In the United Kingdom, BAPS Charities has an outreach program in place where children with chaperones regularly visit assisted living facilities and homes in their communities to spend time with the elderly residents. It has used funds raised from its annual sponsored walks to contribute to charities like Barnardo's to help provide disadvantaged children with counseling, adoption services, vocational training, and disability services and charities like Age UK which helps advocate for and provide necessary social services for the elderly. In Tanzania, BAPS Charities regularly provides self-care items, comfort goods, and food to area orphanages. In South Africa, BAPS Charities organizes an annual Winter Warmer Drive where volunteers donate blankets, clothes, toys, and food to underprivileged communities during winter months.
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Consequently, various denominations of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya currently engage in humanitarian service at a global scale. For example, BAPS has been involved with coordinating responses to major natural disasters, building various residential and day schools, organizing blood donation drives and free medical clinics as well as constructing and running seven hospitals and treatment centers through its humanitarian services wing, BAPS Charities. Following the devastating earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, they rebuilt 15 villages and neighborhoods and 39 schools.
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His deadline for completing the Bhashyam, the centenary celebration of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in December 2007, was six months away but his original work was unsalvageable. With the deadline fast approaching, Pramukh Swami Maharaj gave Bhadreshdas Swami blessings to start over. Working approximately 20 hours per day, he completed the Swaminarayan Bhashyam on schedule. On 17 December 2007, at the BAPS Centenary Celebrations in Ahmedabad, Bhadreshdas presented the completed five-volume 2,150-page work to his guru.
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According to BAPS doctrines, followers aim to attain a spiritual state similar to Brahman which is necessary for ultimate liberation. The practices of BAPS Swaminarayans are an idealistic "portrait of Hinduism." To become an ideal Hindu, followers must identify with Brahman, separate from the material body, and offer devotion to godShikshapatri, shloka 116. It is understood that through association with Akshar, in the form of the God-realized guru, one is able to achieve this spiritual state.
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On Sunday, 14 June 1970, the first BAPS temple in England was opened at Islington by Yogiji Maharaj. In this same year he established the Shree Swaminarayan Mission as a formal organization.
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It has a number of Hindu temples and Islamic masjids. The BAPS Swaminarayan temple was built in 2011. sheth T.C kapadia is the only college in Bodeli town. This is the arts and commerce college.
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Shrine erected at the place of cremation, Sarangpur He had been suffering from a chest infection in his last days from which he was gradually recovering. However, due to his longstanding heart problems, he died on 13 August 2016, at 6 pm at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Sarangpur, Botad district, Gujarat, India. On 20 July 2012, Pramukh Swami had declared in the presence of senior swamis that Mahant Swami Maharaj would succeed him as the sixth guru and spiritual head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
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The UAE Government as part of its year of tolerance program, allocated 14 more acres of land to BAPS Hindu Mandir in January 2019. On 20 April 2019, the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the first traditional Hindu mandir in Abu Dhabi was performed in the presence of thousands of Indian community people and officials from India and the UAE. The ceremony was being administered as per Vedic rituals in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha.
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For a devotee of BAPS, he is to be considered the essential spiritual link with God. According to the teachings of Swaminarayan, the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan, devotees consider God (Swaminarayan) to be manifest through Mahant Swami Maharaj, the present form of Akshar on earth. Thus, BAPS followers are to believe that by offering devotion to the guru (the form of Akshar), they offer it to Swaminarayan himself.Brian Hutchinson (1998) The guru-devotee relationship in the experience of the members of the Akshar-Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha..
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The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) was founded by Shastri Yagnapurushdas in 1907. As an extension of their spiritual beliefs and practice, the organization's volunteers participated in charitable activities focused on fighting addiction and helping the poor during this period. BAPS registered a charity wing in 1950 with a goal of engaging in larger social and charitable works. The organization increased the scale of its charitable works in India to a national level and assisted in major disaster relief activities, anti- addiction campaigns, and education drives.
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Haveli (a multi- function cultural centre). Carvings on the Haveli. Adjoining the mandir is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Haveli, a multi-function cultural centre. Whereas the mandir is carved from stone, the haveli is constructed from wood.
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SCSS Swaminarayan Temple in Mombasa. Hare Krishna Temple in Mombasa. Jain Hindu temple, Mombasa. There are more than 100 Hindu temples in Kenya, including Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nairobi (EASS Temple) and BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Nairobi.
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Even, new BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir is built on the birthplace of Shri Yogiji Maharaj which adds glory in the history of the town. In Dhari there are four Nationalized Banks SBI, BOB, Dena Bank and BOI.
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Swaminarayan Bhashyam The philosophy of BAPS is centered on the doctrine of Akshar-Purshottam Darshan, in which followers worship Swaminarayan as God, or Purshottam, and his choicest devotee Gunatitanand Swami, as Akshar. The concept of Akshar has been interpreted differently by various branches of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, and one major reason for the separation of BAPS from the Vadtal diocese has been attributed to doctrinal differences in the interpretation of the concept of Akshar. Both the Vadtal and Ahmedabad dioceses of the Swaminaryan Sampradaya believe Akshar to be the divine abode of the supreme entity Purushottam. The BAPS denomination concurs that Akshar is the divine abode of Purushottam, but they further understand Akshar as "an eternally existing spiritual reality having two forms, the impersonal and the personal"Gadhada I-21 The Vachanamrut: Spiritual Discourses of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
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Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) (IAST: Bocāsaṇvāsī Akṣhar Puruṣottam Swaminarayan Sansthā), is a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. It was formed, by Yagnapurushdas (Shastriji Maharaj), on the principle that Swaminarayan was to remain present on earth through a lineage of gurus dating all the way back to Gunatitanand Swami – one of Swaminarayan's most prominent disciples. Based on the Akshar Purushottam doctrine (also known as Akshar-Purushottam Darshan), followers of BAPS believe Swaminarayan manifests through a lineage of Aksharbrahman Gurus, beginning with Gunatitanand Swami, followed by Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, and presently Mahant Swami Maharaj. 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.
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This group of 51 was initially placed in Mumbai to study Sanskrit, with Swami Keshavjivandas appointed as their group head or Mahant at the mandir in Dadar, Mumbai. Thus, he became known throughout BAPS as Mahant Swami.
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It was during this time that he met his guru, Shastriji Maharaj. When Shastriji Maharaj's identification of Gunatitanand Swami as the personal form of Akshar led to a doctrinal split with the Vadtal diocese, he formed a separate entity, BAPS, as a result. This meeting in Rajkot, where Shastriji Maharaj expounded the principles of the Akshar- Purshottam Darshan, ultimately resulted in several swamis from the Vadtal diocese, including Yogiji Maharaj, leaving to join Shastriji Maharaj. Under Shastriji Maharaj's guidance, Yogiji Maharaj played an integral part in growing the fledgling BAPS organization in India and beyond.
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Increasingly, biodiversity planners are looking through the lens of ecosystem services. Critics of biodiversity are often confusing the need to protect species (their intrinsic value) with the need to maintain ecosystem processes, which ultimately maintain human society and do not compromise economic development. Hence, a core principle of biodiversity management, that traditional BAPs overlook, is the need to incorporate cultural, social and economic values in the process. Modern day BAPs use an analysis of ecosystem services, key ecological process drivers, and use species as one of many indicators of change.
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The founder of BAPS, Shastriji Maharaj, built the first mandir in Bochasan, Gujarat, which led the organization to be known as "Bochasanwasi" (of Bochasan). The organization's second mandir was built in Sarangpur, which also hosts a seminary for BAPS swamis. The mandir in Gondal was constructed around the Akshar Deri, the cremation memorial of Gunatitanand Swami, who is revered as a manifestation of Aksharbrahman. Shastriji Maharaj constructed his last mandir on the banks of the River Ghela in Gadhada, where Swaminarayan resided for the majority of his adult life.
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Vikram Lall is an Indian architect and the principal architect and partner of Lall & Associates. Lall has helped design several landmark buildings, including the Akshardham temple in New Delhi (in collaboration with BAPS and Sompuras, traditional temple architects).
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The BAPS denomination uses an edition of the Swamini Vato that includes the addition of two more chapters compiled by Krishnaji Ada, another disciple of Gunatitanand Swami, based on the latest research and critical study of the original manuscripts.
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He took part in the founding of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS) and later served as its third President. The Guinea Pig Club continued to meet after the war, and McIndoe remained its President until his death.
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BAPS also built the world's largest Hindu temple in Robbinsville, Mercer County, in Central New Jersey. Numerous mosques, churches (geared significantly toward a Keralite membership), Sikh gurudwaras, and Jain temples are also situated in the New York City metropolitan area.
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During the festival, Swaminarayan devotees prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to Hindu deities including Swaminarayan and Krishna, among others. The Annakut festival at BAPS mandirs is often the largest festival of the year. Visitors learn about Hindu spirituality, offer prayers for the new year, partake in the prasad, or sanctified food, and engage in other devotional activities. A devotee at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Leicester, England, which organizes the Annakut festival every year, describes Annakut as being a forum where spiritual aspirants can reaffirm their appreciation for the role God plays in their lives.
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Mahant Swami Maharaj (born Vinu Patel, 13 September 1933; ordained Keshavjivandas Swami) is the present guru and president of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a major branch of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Hindu denomination. BAPS regards him as the sixth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan, following Gunatitanand Swami, Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj, and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. He is believed by his followers to be in constant communion with Bhagwan Swaminarayan, and ontologically, the manifestation of Akshar, the perfect devotee of God. Mahant Swami Maharaj received initiation as a Hindu swami from Yogiji Maharaj in 1961.
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BAPS teaches that the entity of Akshar remains on earth through a lineage of "perfect devotees", the gurus or spiritual teachers of the organization, who provide "authentication of office through Gunatitanand Swami and back to Swaminarayan himself." Followers hold Mahant Swami Maharaj as the personified form of Akshar and the spiritual leader of BAPS. The Swaminarayan-Bhashyam is a published commentary written by Bhadreshdas Swami in 2007 that explicates the roots of Akshar-Purushottam Darshan in the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras.. This is further corroborated in a classical Sanskrit treatise, also authored by Bhadreshdas Swami, called Swaminarayan-Siddhanta-Sudha.
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The offering of bhakti, or devotion to God, remains at the center of mandir activities. In all BAPS Swaminarayan mandirs, murtis, or sacred images of Swaminarayan, Gunatitanand Swami, BAPS gurus and other deities, are enshrined in the inner sanctum. After completion of prana pratishta or life- force installation ceremonies, the deities are believed to reside in the murtis, and are thus subjects of direct worship through sacred daily rituals. In many mandirs, murtis are adorned with clothes and ornaments and devotees come to perform darshan, the act of worshiping the deity by viewing the sacred image.
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The BAPS sect has published a new edition of the Vatos which includes the addition of two more prakrans compiled by Krishnaji Ada, another disciple of Gunatitanand Swami, based on claims of the latest research and critical study of the original text.
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Bochasan is a small town in Gujarat, western India. It is known primarily as the origin of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), so named because its first formal center was established in Bochasan in 1907 by its guru Shastriji Maharaj.
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Bob pursued her—despite her apparent lack of interest and his allergy to bread products, which eventually led to the dissolution of his marriage and a drawer full of odd-flavoured baps. During the third series, he and Stella became a couple.
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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston, a Swaminarayan sect Hindu temple, is along Brand Lane in unincorporated Fort Bend County, \- Linked from this page on the Stafford website - Based on the location, BAPS is in the extraterritorial jurisdiction but not the city limits \- Despite the "Stafford, TX" city name, it is outside of the Stafford city limits near Stafford and Sugar Land. It consists of a , tall open-air temple and a surrounding deck. By July 2004 the cost to build the temple was $7 million at that time. The temple materials were carved out of Italian marble and Turkish limestone by 3,000 craftsmen in various parts of India.
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In a hitherto unheard of practice, he installed Bhagatji Maharaj, a common householder of a so- called lower caste, as his spiritual successor and transcended the caste system that was prevalent during that time in India. Inspired by the teachings of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami, Shastriji Maharaj reluctantly left the Vadtal diocese due to differences in philosophy to form BAPS as a separate entity and was later expelled by the Vadtal diocese after a hastily called meeting of temple trustees. Gunatitanand Swami's murti is always seen in the central shrine alongside Swaminarayan in all BAPS mandirs, as they embody the central principle of Akshar and Purushottam.
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Biodiversity and wildlife are not the same thing. The traditional focus on threatened species in BAPs is at odds with the principles of biodiversity management because, by the time species become threatened, the processes that maintain biodiversity are already compromised. Individual species are also regarded as generally poor indicators of biodiversity when it comes to actual planning.Lindenmayer, D. B., Manning, A. D., Smith, P. L., Possingham, Hugh P., Fischer, J., Oliver, I., McCarthy, M. A., (2002) The Focal-Species Approach and Landscape Restoration: A Conservation Biology 16(2) 338–345 A species approach to BAPs only serves to identify and at best, apply a patch to existing problems.
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The Akshar-Purushottam Darshan refers to two separate entities within the Swaminarayan ontology. These two entities are worshipped in conjunction by followers of BAPS in accordance with the instructions laid down in the Vachanamrut. According to BAPS, Swaminarayan refers to Akshar in the Vachanamrut, with numerous appellations such as Sant, Satpurush, Bhakta and Swami, as having an august status that makes it an entity worth worshipping alongside God. For example, in Vachanamrut Gadhada I-37, Swaminarayan states: "In fact, the darshan of such a true Bhakta of God is equivalent to the darshan of God Himself"Vachanamrut, Gadhada I-37, The Vachanamrut: Spiritual Discourses of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
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The mandir, known as a Hindu place of worship, serves as a hub for the spiritual, cultural, and humanitarian activities of BAPS. As of 2019, the organization has 44 shikharbaddha mandirs and more than 1,200 other mandirs spanning five continents. In the tradition of the Bhakti Movement, Swaminarayan and his spiritual successors began erecting mandirs to provide a means to uphold proper devotion to God on the path towards moksha, or ultimate liberation. BAPS mandirs thus facilitate devotional commitment to the Akshar- Purushottam Darshan, in which followers strive to reach the spiritually perfect state of Aksharbrahman, or the ideal devotee, thereby gaining the ability to properly worship Purushottam, the Supreme Godhead.
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Mahant Swami Maharaj performing the arti In addition to being focal points of religious activity, BAPS mandirs are also centers of culture. Many forms of traditional Indian art have their roots in Hindu scriptures and have been preserved and flourished in the setting of mandirs. Many BAPS mandirs outside of India hold Gujarati classes to facilitate scriptural study, instruction in traditional dance forms in preparation for performances in festival assemblies, and music classes where students are taught how to play traditional instruments such as tabla. Devotees view the mandir as a place for transmission of knowledge of Hindu values and their incorporation into daily routines, family life, and careers.
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The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi is currently under construction. The new temple, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Abu Dhabi, had its foundation stone laying ceremony in April, 2019. There are two operating cremation facilities for the Hindu community, one in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai.
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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia is a traditional Hindu mandir, or place of worship, inaugurated on 26 August 2007 by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a denomination of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism headed by Mahant Swami Maharaj. The mandir located in the Lilburn suburb of Atlanta, was constructed in accordance with ancient Hindu architectural scriptures, and is the largest mandir of its kind outside of India. The mandir is made of 34,450 pieces of hand-carved Italian marble, Turkish Limestone and Indian pink sandstone, situated on landscaped grounds spread over 30 acres. The mandir complex also includes a large assembly hall, family activity center, classrooms, and an exhibition on the key tenets of Hinduism.
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In 2004, the National Federation of Indian-American Associations (NFIA) awarded its Humanitarian and Social Services Award to BAPS Care International for the lasting impact the organization has made on those in need. This marked the first time that NFIA has awarded this honor to an organization instead of an individual. The Children's Forum of the UK Chapter of BAPS Charities was awarded the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2009 for "nurturing Hindu values, education and talents in children and young people in London" through their voluntary service. The Queen's Award is a prestigious national honor in the UK equivalent to the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).
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To devotees of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, the Yogi Gita is an inspirational text that aims to increase the spiritual purity of believers. Yogiji Maharaj's own virtuous life and esteem in the eyes of BAPS followers give added weight to the teachings present in this work. A theme prevalent throughout the Yogi Gita is the Akshar-Purshottam Darshan and the belief that true spiritual awakening and liberation can be achieved only with the help of a God-realized soul (atpurush). In the Yogi Gita, his Satpurush was Shastriji Maharaj. Devotees within the group often use Yogiji Maharaj’s adherence to his guru’s principles and intense devoutness as prime examples of how an ideal spiritual life should be led.
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A Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (abbreviated BAP) is authorized by 28 U.S.C. § 158(b) to hear, with the consent of all parties, appeals from the decisions of the United States bankruptcy courts in their district that otherwise would be heard by district courts, but only in those districts in which the district judges authorize appeals to BAPs. BAPs typically sit as three-judge panels composed of bankruptcy judges appointed from the circuit's districts, with the restriction that no judge may participate in an appeal arising from that judge's own district. Not all of the federal judicial circuits have convened a BAP. , only the First, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits had convened these panels.
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266x266px On 5 June 1907, Shastriji Maharaj consecrated the murtis of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami in the central shrine of the shikharbaddha mandir he was constructing in the village of Bochasan in the Kheda District of Gujarat. This event was later seen to mark the formal establishment of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, which was later abbreviated as BAPS. The Gujarati word Bochasanwasi implies hailing from Bochasan, since the organization's first mandir was built in this village. Shastriji Maharaj continued to consolidate and spread the Akshar-Purushottam teachings of the nascent BAPS by spending the majority of 1908–15 discoursing throughout Gujarat, while continuing construction work of mandirs in Bochasan and Sarangpur.
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The One is the sixth studio album by American rapper Trina. It was released on June 21, 2019 on her label Rockstarr Music Group. It is her first album since Amazin' (2010). The album was preceded by the singles "If It Ain't Me", "Get Money", "Mama", "On His Face" and "BAPS".
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Sarangpur is a village in the Botad District in the state of Gujarat, India. Sarangpur is known throughout India for the historic Shri Kashtabhanjan Hanumanji temple and BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir located in the village. The village of about 3000 lies at the border of Ahmedabad district. The nearest city is Botad.
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He was particularly effective in attracting the devotion of youths and initiated a large number of them as ascetics. Furthermore, his multiple tours to Britain and East Africa were integral in the overseas expansion of BAPS. He died on 23 January 1971 after appointing Pramukh Swami Maharaj as his successor.
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Followers of BAPS believed him to be a manifestation of "Akshar", the form of the eternal abode of God. As Akshar he was also in constant communion with God. Accordingly, he was considered by devotees to be "the perfect servant of God, …totally filled with God and therefore worthy of reverence and worship".
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The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir of Toronto previously held a gala each year to raise awareness, funds and support for various charities. Beneficiaries have included the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and charities that supported rebuilding efforts in light of natural disasters that occurred in Haiti and Japan.
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The most famous item was the Belfast Bap, more commonly known as Barney's Baps. His bread is recalled in the rhyme: :Barney Hughes' bread :Sticks to your belly like lead. His main mill was located in Divis Street in the lower Falls Road. He was the first Catholic elected to Belfast Corporation.
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Considerable dissent exists among various Swaminarayan groups regarding Gunatitanand Swami's status as Akshar, with BAPS being one of the foremost, though not only, groups propagating this principle as a foundation of their Akshar Purushottam philosophy, or Upasana. The Akshar Purushottam Upasana is the central theological tenet upon which the BAPS denomination of Swaminarayan Hinduism is based. Proponents of this philosophy believe that of the five eternal entities (Jiva, Ishwar, Maya, Brahman and Parabrahman), Akshar (Brahman) and Purushottam (Parabrahman) eternally transcend the illusion of maya. While both BAPS and certain sections of the dioceses of Ahmedabad and Vadtal accept Purushottam as God and the cause of all the avatars, the concept of Akshar has led to much debate and is one of the primary causes of the schism between the denominations. Yājñavalkya Smṛti was authorized as a sacred text by Swaminarayan and it contains the following proof-text of Akshar, explaining that, "If one does not know Akshar, then one’s oblations, sacrifices and austerities for many thousands of years in this world will come to an end; and when one departs from this world without knowing Akshar, one is miserable".
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During this period, Shastriji Maharaj interacted with various Indian freedom fighters such as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Gulzarilal Nanda. In the case of Gandhi, Shastri Yagnapurusdas blessed the efforts of the Mahatma during a meeting that took place at the time of the 1930 Dandi Salt March. Notable devotees of Shastriji Maharaj included Gulzarilal Nanda himself and Dolatram Kripashankar Pandya, a member of the Vadtal temple committee and famous Sanskrit scholar who started supporting Shastriji Maharaj after listening to a discourse on the Akshar-Purushottam upasana by him. In the last few years of his life, Shastriji Maharaj took steps to preserve the growth and future of BAPS by registering BAPS as a charitable trust under India’s new legal code in 1947.
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Swaminarayan Akshardham in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India is a large Hindu temple complex inspired by Yogiji Maharaj (1892-1971) the fourth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan, and created by Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921-2016), the fifth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan according to the BAPS denomination of Swaminarayan Hinduism. Located in the capital of Gujarat, the complex was built over 13 years and is a tribute to Swaminarayan and his life and teachings. At the center of the 23-acre complex is the Akshardham mandir, which is built from 6,000 metric tons of pink sandstone from Rajasthan. The complex's name refers to the divine abode of Swaminarayan in the BAPS philosophy; followers of Swaminarayan believe that the jiva or soul goes to Akshardham after attaining moksha, or liberation.
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The pair are portrayed as a lesbian couple, and it is strongly suggested that Trinny is transgender. They both have an obsession with other women's breasts, calling them "Baps". This often leads to "Pudding Time", in which the pair begin to kiss and is suggested they have intercourse. They are never seen apart either.
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Close to 10,000 people live in Vatadara. It is revered by Hindus because of its many temples such as Ramji Temple, BAPS Swaminarayan temple, Vishnu mandir, Nityanand ashram, etc. Vatadra is a full facility village including an office of the Bank of Baroda. People from different castes live in Vatadara like Patel, Shah, Pandya, etc.
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Similar to other BAPS Swaminarayan mandirs, the Atlanta mandir offers daily darshan worship and Aarti, and is open to visitors of all faiths and backgrounds. In addition, the facility holds weekly satsang sabhas on Sundays serving all age groups. The weekly sabha includes the singing of devotional hymns and spiritual discourses on Hindu scriptures and their teachings.
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BAPS is one of several national paediatric surgical organisations affiliated with the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. The organisation awards the Denis Browne Gold Medal to recognize outstanding achievement in the field. The award is named for Sir Denis Browne, the first president of the association. The first award, given in 1968, went to surgeon Robert Edward Gross.
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Georgia is home to the largest Hindu temple in the United States, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta, located in the suburb city of Lilburn. Georgia is home to several historic synagogues including The Temple (Atlanta), Congregation Beth Jacob (Atlanta), and Congregation Mickve Israel (Savannah). Chabad and the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute are also active in the state.
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London, United Kingdom is the largest Hindu temple in the United Kingdom. In a 2016 survey conducted by BSA (British Social Attitudes) on religious affiliation; 53 per cent of respondents indicated 'no religion', while 41 per cent indicated they were Christians, followed by 6 per cent who affiliated with other religions (e.g.
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In 1907, Shastriji Maharaj consecrated the images of Akshar and Purshottam in a temple's central shrine in the village of Bochasan as sacred, marking the formation of the BAPS fellowship as a formally distinct organization. However, the fundamental beliefs of the sampradaya date back to the time of Swaminarayan.Amrutvijaydas, Sadhu (2006). Shastriji Maharaj Life and Work.
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Gunatitanand Swami (28 September 1784 – 11 October 1867), born Mulji Jani, was a prominent paramhansa of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya who was ordained by Swaminarayan and is accepted as the first spiritual successor of Swaminarayan by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). Born into a religious family in the small farming community of Bhadra in Gujarat, India, he first received religious education under his father's guru, Ramanand Swami before encountering Swaminarayan and becoming a swami under him at the age of 25. He was revered for his spiritual discourses and divine service For BAPS, he embodies an essential element of the doctrine of Akshar and Purushottam. They believe based on interpretation from the Vachanamrut that "Akshar is an eternally-existing spiritual reality having two forms, the impersonal and the personal".
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Swamis of BAPS with Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Sarangpur, Gujarat, India (2016) The personal outreach (vicharan) of the earlier era (1971–81) by Pramukh Swami Maharaj through traveling to villages and towns, writing letters to devotees, and giving discourses contributed to sustaining a global BAPS community. The Gujarati migration patterns in the early 1970s, globalization factors and economic dynamics between India and the West saw the organization transform into a transnational devotional movement. Organizational needs spanned from transmitting cultural identity through spiritual discourses to the newer much alienated generation in the new lands, temple upkeep and traveling to regional and local centers to disseminate spiritual knowledge. As a result, this era saw a significant rise in the number of swamis initiated to maintain the organizational needs of the community – both in India and abroad.
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Harikrishna Maharaj - Vadtal The Swaminarayan Sampradaya is well-known for its mandirs, or Hindu places of worship. From Swaminarayan’s time through the present, mandirs functioned as centers of worship and gathering as well as hubs for cultural and theological education.Kim, Hanna H., "Public Engagement and Personal Desires: BAPS Swaminarayan Temples and their Contribution to the Discourses on Religion" (2010). Anthropology Faculty Publications.
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The BAPS congregation in the greater Atlanta area first started meeting in the 1980s at various devotees’ houses. In 1988, the congregation purchased a skating rink in Clarkston, Georgia and renovated it into a mandir. The twenty-nine acre plot of the current mandir was purchased in February 2000 in Lilburn, Georgia. Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed religious rites to sanctify the land.
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Sarangpur is also known for its BAPS Shri Swaminarayan shikharbaddha mandir, built in 1916 by Shastri Yagnapurushdas which is the second highest temple in Gujarat at exactly 108 feet (108 is an auspicious number within the Swaminarayan Sampraday). It is a headquarters and training hub for newly enrolled monks (sadhus). In Gujarati, 'Sarang' means peacock. "Sarangpur" - a place where peacocks live.
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This service is viewed by contributing members as a form of devotion. BAPS devotees believe that seva, or "selfless service," can be offered physically, monetarily or through prayer. Seva is understood by devotees to be service volunteered to the community while holding God in remembrance. Estimated to be built with a total cost of $40 million the temple is an architectural wonder.
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Kalam's desire to meet spiritual leaders to help create a more prosperous, spiritual, and unified India was what initially led him to meet Pramukh Swami, the Hindu guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, who Kalam would come to consider his ultimate spiritual teacher and guru. The first of eight meetings between Kalam and Pramukh Swami over a fourteen-year period took place on 30 June 2001 in New Delhi, during which Kalam described being immediately drawn to Pramukh Swami's simplicity and spiritual purity. Kalam stated that he was inspired by Pramukh Swami throughout their numerous interactions. One such incident occurred the day following the terrorist attack on BAPS' Akshardham, Gandhinagar complex in September 2002; Pramukh Swami prayed for, and sprinkled holy water upon, the sites of all of the deceased, including the terrorists, demonstrating the view that all human life is sacred.
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The organization has six shikharbaddha mandir's in North America in the metro areas of Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, Los Angeles, and in the New Jersey suburb of Robbinsville Township, near Trenton, New Jersey. BAPS has constructed two large temple complexes dedicated to Swaminarayan called Swaminarayan Akshardham, in New Delhi and Gandhinagar, Gujarat, which in addition to a large stone-carved mandir has exhibitions that explain Hindu traditions and Swaminarayan history and values. BAPS is constructing a Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of United Arab Emirates, on 55,000 square metres of land. Projected to be completed by 2021, and open to people of all religious backgrounds, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the foundation stone-laying ceremony in the UAE, which is home to over three million people of Indian origin.
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She has also been awarded a British Association of Plastic Surgeons European Travelling Scholarship and a Surgical Fellowship from the Worshipful Company of Cutlers. Ali has been awarded a BAPS (British Association of Plastic Surgeons) European scholarship and in 2007 was awarded the Cutler's Surgical Fellowship. Ali is a highly trained and experienced microvascular reconstructive surgeon with a specialist interest in all aspects of breast surgery.
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They become Black American Princesses (BAPs) "livin' large and takin' charge!" amongst the rich and famous. They soon find themselves in the middle of a plot to cash in on the millionaire of his fortune. Realizing that they have acted no better than the plotters, they choose instead to become Mr. Blakemore's primary caregivers. Blakemore eventually passes and his will grants part of his fortune to them.
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The organisation was founded in 1953. The idea for the group came up when a group of four British surgeons - Denis Browne, Robert Zachary, David Waterston and Peter Rickham - attended a meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics the year before. At the time, there were only a few dozen known paediatric surgeons across the world, so they were all invited to join BAPS.
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These teenagers gave up the comforts of home and householder life to perform service, in line with the lifestyle of the swamis they traveled with. One such youth, Vinu Patel, was inspired to join the monastic order, and Yogiji Maharaj ordained him Keshavjivandas Swami in 1961. Popularly known as Mahant Swami Maharaj, in 2016, he became the president and guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
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The complex is the first earthquake-proof Mandir in the world. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a traditional Hindu mandir that was completed in 2012. Situated on a 20-acre site with a 91-foot lotus-shaped pond, the complex has a cultural center, gymnasium and classrooms. Approximately 900 volunteers, including many second- generation Indian-Americans, volunteered approximately 1.3 million man hours to construct the Mandir.
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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills received the City of Chino Hill's unanimous approval to construct a traditional Mandir with spires up to 78 feet in August 2011. Two hundred supporters signed up to speak, but 170 waived their rights in the interest of time. After 33 residents spoke in support of the project, all eyes were on the one resident who spoke in opposition.
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There are many variations on bread rolls, such as baps, barms, breadcakes and so on. The Chorleywood process for mass-producing bread was developed in England in the 1960s before spreading worldwide. Mass-produced sliced white bread brands such as Wonderloaf and Mother's Pride have been criticised on grounds of poor nutritional value and taste of the loaves produced.Chorleywood, the Bread that Changed Britain. Bbc.co.
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More than 26,300 individually numbered stone pieces were shipped back to London,Reader's Digest – November 1996 edition – Neasden's Eighth Wonder of the World – Ian Pindar and the building was assembled like a giant three-dimensional jigsaw. The mandir was inaugurated on 20 August 1995 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS, the organisation behind the temple. The entire mandir complex represents an act of faith and collective effort.
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The Yogi Divine Society (YDS) was established in 1966, by Dadubhai Patel and his brother, Babubhai after they were excommunicated from BAPS by Yogiji Maharaj. The brothers were expelled after it was discovered that Dadubhai illicitly collected and misappropriated funds and, falsely claiming that he was acting on the organization’s behalf, led a number of young women to renounce their families and join his ashram under his leadership.Swaminarayan Prakash. June 1966.
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Upon 21 January 2015, the Swaminarayan School of London sent gifts to the Wings of Hope project school in Chennai, India for the winter holidays. Similar to this the school works to aid the community through volunteer work, alongside partner organisation BAPS charities. Pupils annually take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Silver Award Scheme with many completing their service elements in local Hospices, Charity shops and Local Communities.
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Perceiving it to be his guru's inner wish, Shastri Narayanswarupdas ultimately acquiesced. On 21 May 1950 at Ambli-Vali Pol in Ahmedabad, Shastriji Maharaj appointed Shastri Narayanswarupdas, then merely 28 years of age, as the administrative president ("Pramukh") of BAPS. After that Shastri Narayanswarupdas was widely known as "Pramukh Swami." At the ceremony, Shastriji Maharaj placed his own shawl around Shastri Narayanswarupdas's shoulders, and asked Yogiji Maharaj to bless him.
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The 31-story Oakbrook Terrace Tower in Oakbrook Terrace, designed by Helmut Jahn, is the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. The Elmhurst Art Museum is housed in a Mies Van Der Rohe building. There is a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Elmhurst. Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a conservative Hindu sect, has built BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago, a large, intricately carved, marble temple in Bartlett.
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Many centers also host parenting seminars, marriage counseling, and events for family bonding. BAPS mandirs and cultural centers serve as hubs of several humanitarian activities powered by local volunteers. Mandirs in the US and UK host an annual walkathon to raise funds for local charities such as hospitals or schools. Centers also host annual health fairs where needy members of the community can undergo health screenings and consultations.
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Janet Maslin praised Halle Berry for her comedic performance and described the film as a "watered-down Pretty Woman". Maslin concluded "It's good for a half-hour of humor before the fun starts to dissolve." Esther Iverem of The Washington Post wrote "Despite its idiotic promotional trailers, 'BAPS' is a very funny movie." Lisa Alspector of the Chicago Reader called it "absurdly broad comedy infused with classic emotions and set in sumptuously detailed environments".
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The main attraction of the Swaminarayan Akshardham complex is the Akshardham Mandir. It rises high, spans wide, and extends long. It is intricately carved with flora, fauna, dancers, musicians, and deities. A collaborative effort by Vikram Lall,International Conference on India and Central Asia, 2018 BAPS, and Sompuras (traditional temple architects), the Akshardham Mandir was designed in accordance with the standards of Maharishi Vastu Architecture and features a blend of architectural styles across India.
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The building had been planned since 1968 as a vision of Yogiji Maharaj. Yogiji Maharaj, the spiritual head of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha at the time, expressed his desire for wanting a grand temple built on the banks of the Yamuna river to two or three devotee families of Swaminarayan that resided in New Delhi at the time. Attempts were made to start the project, however little progress was made. In 1971, Yogiji Maharaj died.
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Hanuman temple, Sarangpur is a Hindu temple (mandir) located in Sarangpur, Gujarat and comes under the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday. It is the only Swaminarayan temple which has the murtis of neither Swaminarayan nor Krishna as the primary object of worship. It is dedicated to Hanuman in the form of Kastbhanjan (Crusher of sorrows). Smruti temples of Shastri Yagnapurushdas and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who succeeded Yagnapurushdas are also located near BAPS mandir.
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In 2007, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto opened in Toronto, making it the largest Hindu temple in Canada. The Aga Khan Museum is also currently under construction by Ismaili Muslims hailing from Pakistan. Several other notable places of worship have been built by Canadians from South Asia including the Khalsa Darbar Gurdwara and Baitul Islam mosque. South Asian Canadian culture also began to move into the Canadian mainstream in the 21st century.
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The village of Seokjeok is peppered with HOF (beer) bars, takeout shops, and a few traditional restaurants. In addition, bakeries often sell sandwiches and sweet baps filled with custard for a light snack. Woobang terminal can be accessed using the 10 bus service, and a short walk to Woobang Station provides access to Daegu, approximately 15 minutes away. Gumi can be accessed using the 55 or 555 service in the opposite direction.
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Kag is known for publishing Kagvani, an eight-volume work consisting of devotional songs (episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata), as well as songs based on Gandhian philosophy and the Bhoodan movement. He wrote eulogies for Mahatma Gandhi and Bhave. He also wrote many poems on Sonal Aai and Yogiji Maharaj the 4th spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. He was also known as Bhagat Bapu and Kag Bapu.
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The Christ Church School had its beginnings in the vestry of Christ Church in 1870, and was then known as Christ Church School. The school was founded on 1 November 1876 by Rev. Drawbridge. The school started with three students and now there are over 3,000 students at the school, and 101 members on the teaching and office staff. Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current president and the spiritual guru of BAPS is an alumnus.
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As a charismatic and determined leader, he "overcame obstructions to land acquisition, temple construction, and the dissemination of his teachings and acquired a loyal and growing group of devotees, admirers, and political supporters, many of whom were formerly associated with the original Vadtal Swaminarayan Sampradaya." Having laid the foundations of BAPS, he secured the spiritual and administrative future of the organization through the appointments of Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, respectively.
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Biodiversity is not singularly definable but may be understood via a series of management principles under BAPs, such as: 1\. that biodiversity is conserved across all levels and scales – structure, function and composition are conserved at site, regional, state and national scales. 2\. that examples of all ecological communities are adequately managed for conservation. 3\. ecological communities are managed to support and enhance viable populations of animals, fungi, micro-organisms and plants and ecological functions.
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They would seek to maintain structure and function by addressing habitat connectivity and resilience and may look at communities of species (threatened or otherwise) as one method of monitoring outcomes. Ultimately, species are the litmus test for biodiversity – viable populations of species can only be expected to exist in relatively intact habitats. However, the rationale behind BAPs is to "conserve and restore" biodiversity. One of the fastest developing areas of management is biodiversity offsets.
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However, when Shastriji Maharaj began openly discoursing about this doctrine, hereafter the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine, he was met with opposition from some quarters within the Vadtal diocese. As the opposition against him grew violent, Shastriji Maharaj was left with no choice but to leave Vadtal to escape violent physical assaults. Thus, Williams notes, the very basis for separation from the Vadtal diocese and raison d’être for the formation of BAPS was this doctrinal issue.
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While individual discourses were untitled in early manuscripts, with individual Vachanamruts referred to only by their section and number, Gunatitanand Swami and the swamis of the Junagadh mandir created titles for individual discourses to serve as mnemonic tools. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha uses these titles in its version of the text, which is an exact printed version of the Vachanamrut text published in 1928 under the auspices of Acharya Shripatiprasad of the Vartal diocese.
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Major Hindu temples include: Pushtimarg temples of Madanmohanlalji temple and Dwarkadhishji temple, Toranvali Mata temple, Brahmani Mata temple, Hinglaj Mata temple, Bahuchar Mata temple, Kalupur Gadi Swaminarayan temple, BAPS Swaminarayan temple, Gayatri temple, Ambika Mata temple and Somnath Mahadev temple. There is a temple dedicated to Ayyappa established by the South Indian community and a Gurdwara Sahib established by the Sikh community near Radhanpur crossroads on State Highway 41. Christian churches include Mar Gregorious Orthodox Syrian Church.
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The murtis of Purushottam Paramatma Bhagwan Swaminarayan (left) and Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami (right) are worshipped together as Akshar Purushottam Maharaj at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bochasan, Gujarat. Gunatitanand Swami was instrumental in the early administration of the Swaminarayan fellowship after the death of Swaminarayan. Devotees and swamis alike looked up to him for leadership and direction. He encouraged Raghuvirji Maharaj to give up the pomp and splendor of his position and nurtured both his spiritual and administrative traits.
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The Vadtal and Ahmedabad dioceses believe this Akshar to be the divine abode of the supreme entity Purushottam. The BAPS denomination concurs that Akshar is the divine abode of Purushottam, but they further understand Akshar as "an eternally existing spiritual reality having two forms, the impersonal and the personal". The impersonal form is the divine abode of Purushottam while the personal form is described as the perfect devotee of Purushottam through whom this ultimate reality can be reached.
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The theatre houses Delhi's first and only large format screen, measuring by . The theatre shows a 40-minute film specially commissioned for the complex, Neelkanth Yatra, to recount a seven-year pilgrimage made by Swaminarayan made during his teenage years throughout India. Mystic India, an international version of the film produced by BAPS Charities, was released in 2005 at IMAX theatres and giant screen cinemas worldwide. A tall bronze murti of Neelkanth Varni is located outside the theatre.
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In his speeches and correspondences, he emphasized engaging youth to develop a spiritual inclination. He organized the first meetings for youth during weekly assemblies and initiated the weekly Swaminarayan Satsang Patrika featuring news of Satsang events and an agenda for weekly assemblies. This provided a forum for youth to grow spiritually, academically and personally by creating specialized activities suited to their needs. Before these efforts, the youths in BAPS normally sat with adults during weekly congregations.
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Before the arrival of Christianity, Animism was the prevailing belief system of the country. Later the Dikgosi converted in the belief that the Christian missionaries would help them source guns to resist Afrikaner trekkers from south as well as help resist imperialist white foreigners. Some scholars place the initial contacts between Christian missionaries and Bechuanaland (the old name of Botswana) a few decades earlier. Beating boys as a part of the Bogwera ceremony (1870s) BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mission, Gaborone.
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As staunch proponent of this philosophy, he consecrated the sacred images of Swaminarayan (as a manifestation of Purushottam) and Gunatitanand Swami (as a manifestation of Akshar) in the central shrines of major mandirs in the towns of Bochasan, Sarangpur, Atladra, Gondal, and Gadhada in Gujarat, India. In the early 1950s, having successfully laid the foundations of BAPS, he appointed Pramukh Swami Maharaj as its administrative head to serve under Yogiji Maharaj, whom he appointed as his spiritual successor.
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10, Sarangpur 9 Sahajānanda, Swami (2015). The Vachanāmrut: spiritual discourses of Bhagwān Swāminārāyan. (3rd ed.) Ahmedabad: Bochasanvasi Shri Aksharpurushottama Sanstha . This is possible by earning the grace of Parabrahman and Aksharbrahman through ekantik dharma. In this highest state, the jiva or ishwar never becomes Aksharbrahman but transcends maya and experiences God’s bliss through eternally serving Parabrahman. In BAPS, followers point to Swaminarayan’s teachings in the Vachanamrut and other scriptures emphasizing the role of God manifest through the Aksharbrahman guru to attain moksha.
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After the Second World War, the Jewish community recentred upon the Bathurst Street corridor. During the late 20th century and the early 21st century, a wide number of other religious groups have grown to considerable numbers in Toronto and constructed traditional religious structures in the city. Several mosques, as well as Buddhist and Hindu temples, have been built. One of the most notable is the Hindu BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto, which opened in the northwest of the city in 2007.
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Followers believed that by associating with him, they might rid themselves of their vices, baser instincts, and worldly attachments. Earning the grace of the guru, devotees believed, would enable them to achieve liberation in which they would escape the cycle of births and deaths and attain "Akshardham" (God's divine abode). For a devotee of BAPS, he was considered the essential spiritual link with God. According to the teachings of Swaminarayan, devotees consider God (Swaminarayan) to be manifest through Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston in unincorporated Fort Bend County The original Hindu places of worship in the Houston area were private residences; at a later period dedicated buildings opened in the area. Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland had its property purchased in 1978 and was established in 1979. Pat Turner of the Houston Chronicle wrote that the initial facility "was barely big enough for one person to stand in while performing worship services (pooja)." New facilities were established circa 1995.
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A cottage loaf is made of two balls of dough, one on top of the other, to form a figure-of-eight shape. There are many variations on bread rolls, such as baps, barms, breadcakes and so on. The Chorleywood process for mass- producing bread was developed in England in the 1960s before spreading worldwide. Mass-produced sliced white bread brands such as Wonderloaf and Mother's Pride have been criticized on grounds of poor nutritional value and taste of the loaves produced.
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The alt=309x309px Within Toronto, the largest Hindu temple in Canada is located on Claireville Drive, which is called the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto. The entire Mandir is and hosts numerous events on the Hindu religious calendar. The Hindu Heritage Centre is another very large temple and perhaps the second biggest temple at serving the Hindu community of Brampton and Mississauga. The Hindu Heritage Centre is a very liberal Sanatan temple which caters to the need of all different types of Hindus.
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The records of the 16th and 39th BAPs of the Western Front Air Force note that the Pe-2's crews had the greatest success in repelling the attacks of enemy fighters in June and July 1941. On 1 July, for example, six Pe-2s fended off attacks by four Messerschmitt Bf 109s, shooting down two of them. A week later a group of Pe-2s was attacked by four Bf 109 and again brought down two of the attackers.
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303x303px On 20 July 2012, in the presence of senior swamis in Ahmedabad, Pramukh Swami Maharaj revealed Keshavjivandas Swami (Mahant Swami) as his spiritual successor. Following the death of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 13 August 2016, Mahant Swami Maharaj became the 6th guru and president of BAPS. In 1961, he was ordained as a swami by Yogiji Maharaj and named Keshavjivandas Swami. Due to his appointment as the head (mahant) of the mandir in Mumbai, he became known as Mahant Swami.
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Yogiji Maharaj constructed the mandir in the Shahibaug section of Ahmedabad, which remains the site of the international headquarters of the organization. Under the leadership of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, over 25 additional shikharbaddha mandirs have been built across Gujarat and other regions of India and abroad. As a consequence of the Indian emigration patterns, mandirs have been constructed in Africa, Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. The BAPS mandir in Neasden, London was the first traditional Hindu mandir built in Europe.
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In February 2000, with the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a 29-acre plot of land was purchased in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn. The Shilanyas Vidhi, a Vedic ceremony that dates approximately 8,000 years, was performed on June 13, 2004, where stones were placed in the foundation of the future temple. Led by Pramukh Swami and senior BAPS sadhus, several thousand people participated in the ceremony. The spiritual significance of the Shilanyas Vidhi is to purify the land and bless those working on the temple's construction.
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For its work, BAPS has been granted consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. ISSO Seva, a subsidiary of the Ahmedabad diocese, is involved in disaster relief, food and blood donation drives in the United States and providing accessible healthcare in Africa. The Gunatit Samaj also hosts medical camps, provides educational services, healthcare, and other social services in India. The Swaminarayan Gadi (Maninagar) diocese primarily hosts health camps and other social services in the UK, Africa and North America.
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BAPS swamis with Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Sarangpur, Gujarat, India (2016) Beginning with his first swami initiation ceremony in January 1971, during his lifetime he initiated 1,000 youth into the swami fold. Hutchinson observes that his "selfless love…was his most frequently and enthusiastically reported characteristic that had influenced persons to become devotees and swamis".Brian Hutchinson (1996) The Divine- Human Figure in the Transmission of Religious Transition. Published in Raymond Williams’ A Sacred Thread: Modern Transmission of Hindu Traditions in India and Abroad.
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For example, 250 kilograms of food were offered to Lord Krishna at the ISKCON temple in Mysore, India in 2009. Although Annakut is most often associated with Lord Krishna, other deities are also focal points. At the Shree Mahalakshmi Mandir in Mumbai, India, 56 sweets and food items are offered to Mataji and then distributed as Prasad to more than 500 devotees. The Annakut festival is also celebrated annually at approximately 3,850 BAPS Mandirs and centers throughout the world in a day-long event.
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Swaminarayan Akshardham (New Delhi) is a Hindu temple, and a spiritual- cultural campus in New Delhi, India. Also referred to as Akshardham Temple or Delhi Akshardham, the complex displays millennia of traditional and modern Hindu culture, spirituality, and architecture. Inspired by Yogiji Maharaj and created by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, it was constructed by BAPS. The temple was officially opened on 6 November 2005 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in the presence of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh, L.K Advani and B.L Joshi.
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As the first BAPS guru to travel outside of India, he added to the cultural migration that further augmented the physical migration of Indians outside of India. The first mandir that he consecrated was in Mombasa, Kenya during his tour of East Africa in 1955. Despite his age, he went on a third overseas tour in 1970 during which he installed the image of Akshar- Purushottam in hari mandirs in Nairobi, Kenya. On the same tour, he also established the first Swaminarayan mandir in London, England.
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In 2000 there were over 41 mosques and storefront religious centers, with the largest being the Al-Noor Mosque (Mosque of Light) of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. The Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist communities form a growing sector of the religious demographic after Judaism and Islam. One of the largest Hindu temples in the metropolitan area is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston, affiliated with the Swaminarayan Sampradaya denomination. Of the irreligious community 16% practiced nothing in particular, 3% were agnostic, and 2% were atheist.
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The mandir is a type of ‘Shikarbaddha’ mandir, built according to principles laid out in the Shilpa Shastras, Hindu texts prescribing standards of sacred architecture. Within the mandir, murtis (sacred images of the deities) have been ritually installed. The central shrine holds the murti of Swaminarayan, with Gunatitanand Swami to his left, together worshipped as Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj. Similarly, different shrines hold murtis of other Hindu deities, such as Radha Krishna, Shiva Parvati, Sita Ram, Hanuman, Ganapati and the lineage of BAPS gurus, who are Swaminarayan's spiritual successors.
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Depiction of the ceremony at Ambli Vali Pol in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where Pramukh Swami Maharaj was appointed president of BAPS in 1951. In the early part of 1950, Shastriji Maharaj wrote several letters to 28-year-old Shastri Narayanswarupdas expressing his wish to appoint him the president of the organization. Twice Shastri Narayanswarupdas wrote back respectfully declining, citing his young age and inexperience, and the presence of many senior swamis who would be more suited to the responsibility. Shastriji Maharaj continued to insist, sending several senior devotees to convince Shastri Narayanswarupdas.
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Cultural Festival of India in Edison, NJ (1991) He led BAPS’ efforts in conducting a number of large-scale cultural festivals, with the aim of fostering better understanding and appreciation of Hindu traditions and promoting moral and spiritual living. The month-long Cultural Festival of India held in Edison, New Jersey during the summer of 1991, for instance, showcased traditional Indian arts, architecture, dance, and music as well as Hindu culture and spirituality, aiming to foster deeper intercultural and interfaith understanding to the over one million visitors who attended.
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James Johnston Mason Brown OBE, FRCSEd (28 February 1908 – 9 June 1964) was a Scottish paediatric surgeon. During World War II he served as a surgical specialist with the 8th Army in North Africa and Italy and was awarded the OBE for this service. As surgeon-in-chief at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, he edited the major textbook The Surgery of Childhood. He was the joint founder of the Scottish Surgical Paediatric Society and a founder member of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS), of which he became president.
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Commenting on Browne's reputation for brash behavior, surgeon E. Durham Smith wrote, "He certainly had a prickly personality and a particular venom reserved for orthopaedic surgeons and anatomists, but his achievements may have been possible only by one possessed of such a strong and towering character." Browne was an honorary fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons. He was the first president of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS). He and a few other paediatric surgeons had founded the organization in 1954.
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The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in London A shikharbaddha mandir is a traditional Hindu or Jain place of worship, typically featuring architecture characterized by superstructures with towers pinnacles and domes and often built of carved marble, sandstone, or other stone. While such mandirs are common in many branches of Hinduism, the use of the term shikharbaddha mandir to describe such mandirs is most common in the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism as well as Jainism. The opposite of the shikharbaddha temple is one without a shikhara tower, i.e. with a flat roof.
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Martin Christopher Kennedy was born on 17 June 1962 to Lily and Jim Kennedy. He was the brother of Brian Kennedy. The family grew up on the Falls Road, Belfast, in the 1970s, where he got his nickname of Bap, as a childhood reference to the rolls (or "baps") of bread sold by local firm Kennedy's Bakery. Kennedy grew up in West Belfast at the height of the Troubles, and his close friend and 10 Past 7 manager Mark Kelly, lost both legs in a no-warning bomb in Belfast in 1976.
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Yogi Gita Literally meaning "yogi's song" (from the Sanskrit root geet), it refers to a collection of Yogiji Maharaj's spiritual teachings and prayers. The Yogi Gita encapsulates the necessary attributes one must imbibe to progress spiritually and become brahmarup or attain the highest level of spiritual enlightenment. The Yogi Gita also provides an expansive view of the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan, the doctrinal foundation of BAPS philosophy. The Yogi Gita begins with Yogiji Maharaj's letter to a devout follower and also includes Yogiji Maharaj's prayer (Prarthana) offered to his guru Shastriji Maharaj in Mahelav, Gujarat.
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Initially, Shastri Narayanswarupdas was reluctant to accept the position, citing his young age and lack of experience and suggesting that an elderly, experienced swami should take the responsibility. However, Shastriji Maharaj insisted over several months, until, seeing the wish and insistence of his guru, Shastri Narayanswarupdas accepted the responsibility. On 21 May 1950 at Ambli-Vali Pol in Amdavad, Shastriji Maharaj appointed Shastri Narayanswarupdas as the administrative president (Pramukh) of BAPS. He instructed Shastri Narayanswarupdas, who now began to be referred to as Pramukh Swami, to ennoble Satsang under the guidance of Yogiji Maharaj.
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This period of BAPS history saw an important expansion in youth activities. Yogiji Maharaj believed that in a time of profound and rapid social ferment, there was an imminent need to save the young from 'degeneration of moral, cultural and religious values'. To fill a void in spiritual activities for youths, Yogiji Maharaj started a regular Sunday gathering (Yuvak Mandal) of young men in Bombay in 1952. Brear notes, "His flair, dynamism and concern led within ten years to the establishment of many yuvak mandals of dedicated young men in Gujarat and East Africa".
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Members of BAPS point to numerous historical anecdotes and scriptural references, particularly from the central Swaminarayan text known as the Vachanamrut, as veritable evidence that Gunatitanand Swami was the manifest form of Akshar. Swaminarayan refers to this concept specifically in Vachnamrut Gadhada I-21, Gadhada I-71, Gadhada III-26, Vadtal 5. Following Gunatitanand Swami, the lineage continued on through Bhagatji Maharaj (1829–1897), Shastriji Maharaj (1865–1951), Yogiji Maharaj (1892–1971), and Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921–2016). Today Mahant Swami Maharaj is said to be the manifest form of Akshar.
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Mahuva, Gujarat When Pragji was ten years old, Acharya Raghuvirji Maharaj and Sadguru Gopalanand Swami visited the nearby village of Pithvadi. Due to his devotional nature, the young Pragji was chosen to perform the welcoming pujan rites of the two eminent spiritual leaders. This initial contact with Gopalanand Swami whetted Pragji's appetite for Satsang and he made a dedicated effort to remain in the company of Gopalanand Swami in Vadtal as often as possible. As Pragji's devotion and love for Gopalanand Swami increased, he expressed a wish to be initiated into the swami fold.
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Bhagatji Maharaj (20 March 1829 – 7 November 1897), born as Pragji Bhakta, was a householder devotee in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Hindu denomination. He is regarded as the second spiritual successor of Swaminarayan in the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). Through his discourses he was instrumental in propagating the belief that Swaminarayan was Purushottam, the Supreme Being, and that his own guru, Gunatitanand Swami, was Akshar, the divine abode of God. His spiritual realization and practice as a low-caste (Sat Shudra) householder set new precedents and acted as a bulwark against the idea that spiritual elevation was confined to upper castes.
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In August 2015, the UAE government announced the decision to provide land for building a Hindu mandir in Abu Dhabi, during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first official visit to the country. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Force gifted the land for the mandir. On 10 February 2018, BAPS representatives met Sheikh Mohamed and the Indian Prime Minister in the Presidential Palace. A memorandum of understanding was signed by India and the UAE in the presence of the entire royal family and over 250 local leaders.
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Pramukh Swami Maharaj (left) with his Guru Shastriji Maharaj (right) shortly after entering monastic life at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Sarangpur (1939). [Photograph by Shankarprasad Mulshankar Trivedi]. Shantilal was strongly inclined towards spirituality from a young age. Upon completing his schoolwork, he would often rush off to the village's Hanuman temple, where he and a childhood friend would listen to the discourses of a Hindu "holy man" named Haridas. Shantilal's daily “darshan”, or worship, at the Swaminarayan temple in Chansad, and his association with Shastriji Maharaj and his disciple swamis whenever they came to the village, further reflected Shantilal's affinity for spirituality.
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Swaminarayan stated to all the devotees and saints to obey both the Acharyas and Gopalanand Swami who was considered as the main pillar and chief ascetic for the sampradaya. The current acharya of the Ahmedabad Gadi is Koshalendraprasad Pande and Ajendraprasad Pande, of the Vadtal Gadi. Decades after his death, several divisions occurred with different understandings of succession. This included the establishment of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the founder of which left the Vadtal Gadi in 1905, and Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, the founder of which left the Ahmedabad Gadi in the 1940s.
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Three formats, or exponent strategies, are used; these are known as "D15", "D25", and "D45". In D15, each bin has a unique exponent, while in D25 and D45, delta values correspond to either pairs or quads of frequency bins. Audio blocks other than the first in a syncframe may additionally reuse the prior block's exponent set (this is required for channels that use the Adaptive Hybrid Transform). The decoded exponents, along with a set of metadata parameters, is used to derive the bit allocation pointers (BAPs), which specify the number of bits allocated to each mantissa.
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Furthermore, BAPS claims that Gunatitanand Swami was believed to be the first personal manifestation of Akshar in the Guru Parampara, an unbroken line of "perfect devotees" who provide "authentication of office through Gunatitanand Swami and back to Swaminarayan himself". The Vadtal and Ahmedabad dioceses of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya do not subscribe to this theory. Gunatitanand Swami held various administrative roles, most notably as the mahant of Junagadh mandir, a position he held for forty years. In addition, he was a prominent speaker and was held in high regard as an authority on religious matters in general.
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhadra, Gujarat. Gunatitanand Swami was born on 28 September 1784 (Aso Sud Punam, Ashadhi Vikram Samvat 1841) to Bholanath and Sakarba Jani in the village of Bhadra, situated near the river Und in what is now Gujarat, India. His father's guru, Ramanand Swami, named him Mulji. Even from a young age, it was evident that Mulji had a "disinclination towards material objects" and would exhibit a perspicacity that was rare for a child of his age, often claiming while playing with his younger brother Sundarji that he would become a swami and inspire Sundarji to become one.
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To explain their understanding that this Akshar first incarnated on earth as Gunatitanand Swami, they point to evidence from other scriptures and authoritative sources in which Swaminarayan and others revealed Gunatitanand Swami as Akshar. In addition to sources within their oral tradition, followers of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, point to several references of Gunatitanand Swami as Akshar occurring in scriptures and texts published by the acharyas of the Vadtal or Ahmedabad dioceses. One revelation of Gunatitanand Swami as Akshar occurred in 1810 at the conclusion of the grand yagna of Dabhan where Swaminarayan initiated Gunatitanand Swami as a swami.
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Furthermore, he explained that those who wish to come close to Purushottam should imbibe the qualities of his ideal devotee, i.e. Akshar, in order to achieve liberation. Thus according to Swaminarayan's statements in the Vachanamrut, there is an Akshar present on earth with Purushottam and as described previously, Gunatitanand Swami is believed by BAPS followers to be the first personal manifestation of Akshar in the Guru Parampara, an unbroken line of "perfect devotees" who provide "authentication of office through Gunatitanand Swami and back to Swaminarayan himself." As a consequence, the prefix Aksharbrahma is often added to his name.
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In support of the National Institutes of Health's "We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition)" initiative to promote healthy habits in children, they organized Health and Safety Days for Children at centers across North America with the aim of giving parents, caretakers, and children knowledge about hygiene, healthy living, diet, and physical activity. BAPS Charities also runs a health awareness initiative in the United States focused on educating parents and children on benefits of a vegetarian diet. It organizes annual walkathons in cities across North America to help a wide range of community, health and humanitarian organizations.
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Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, weekly observance is low within that denomination, although in recent years church attendance, particularly at evangelical Anglican churches in London, has started to increase. London is home to sizeable Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Jewish communities. Many Muslims live in Tower Hamlets and Newham; the most important Muslim buildings are the East London Mosque in Whitechapel and the London Central Mosque on the edge of Regent's Park. London's large Hindu community is in the north-western boroughs of Harrow and Brent, the latter containing one of Europe's largest Hindu temples, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London.
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In the original chronology of the post-soul era, the event that sparked George's curiosity and development of the term was the release of Melvin Van Peebles' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. The 1971 film told the story of a Watts-based hustler whose goal was to obtain freedom and combat police brutality. The unwillingness to conform to the white narrative in the early 1970s created a trickle-down effect that influenced filmmakers such as Spike Lee and rappers such as Ice Cube. After publishing the chronology in 1992, George published Buppies, B-boys, BAPS, and Bohos: Notes on Post-Soul Black Culture.
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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto Beginning in the 21st century the makeup of Canadians from South Asia had changed greatly. Sikhs had gone from making up nearly 90% of Canadian South Asians during much of the early 20th century to just 28% in 2001. This is as a result of a more diverse background of South Asians immigrating to Canada as opposed to the primarily Sikh and Punjabi immigrants of the early 20th century. In 2006 total South Asian Canadians outnumbered the specific numbers of Chinese Canadians as the largest visible minority group in Canada with 25% of visible minorities.
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The temple is a type of 'Shikarbaddha' mandir, built according to principles laid out in the Shilpa Shastras, Hindu texts prescribing standards of sacred architecture. Within the mandir, murtis (sacred images of the deities) have been installed in different shrines. The central shrine holds the murti of Swaminarayan, with Gunatitanand Swami to his left, together worshipped as Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj. Similarly, different shrines hold murtis of major ancient Hindu deities such as Radha and Krishna, Sita and Rama, Shiva and Parvati, Vishnu and Lakshmi, Ganesha, Hunuman as well as the lineage of BAPS gurus who are Swaminarayan's spiritual successors.
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Some developing countries criticize the emphasis of BAPs, because these plans inherently favour consideration of wildlife protection above food and industrial production, and in some cases may represent an obstacle to population growth. The plans are costly to produce, a fact which makes it difficult for many smaller countries and poorer countries to comply. In terms of the plans themselves, many countries have adopted pro-forma plans including little research and even less in the way of natural resource management. Almost universally, this has resulted in plans which emphasize plants and vertebrate animals, and which overlook fungi, invertebrate animals and micro-organisms.
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Aarti, which is a ritual of waving lit lamps in circular motions to illuminate the different parts of the murti while singing a song of praise, is performed five times daily in shikharbaddha mandirs and twice daily in smaller mandirs. Additionally, food is offered to the murtis amidst the singing of devotional songs three times a day as part of the ritual of thaal, and the sanctified food is then distributed to devotees. Daily readings of and discourses on various Hindu scriptures also take place in the mandir. Many mandirs are also home to BAPS swamis, or monks.
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Followers of BAPS believe that the Ekantik dharma that Swaminarayan desired to establish is embodied and propagated by the Ekantik Satpurush – the Gunatit Guru. The first such guru in the lineage was Gunatitanand Swami. Shastriji Maharaj had understood from his own guru, Bhagatji Maharaj, that Gunatitanand Swami was the first Gunatit Guru in the lineage. Historically, each Gunatit Guru in the lineage has continued to reveal his successor; Gunatitanand Swami revealed Pragji Bhakta (Bhagatji Maharaj), who in turn revealed Shastriji Maharaj, who pointed to Yogiji Maharaj, who revealed Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the Guru, thus continuing the lineage of Akshar.
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James Shears was born in about 1750, the son of Thomas Shears (1709–1778) and Sarah Towers (? – 1766). He was baptised at All Saint's Church, Ockham, Surrey on 2 September 1750.Ockham Parish Records (Baps, Marr, Bur 1568–1812), held at the Surrey History Centre, Woking Surrey James Shears was married to Ann Pitcher on 16 June 1772 at St Giles, Cripplegate, London.Guildhall, St Giles Cripplegate, Marriages, 1754 – 1781, P69/GIS/A/01/Ms 6421/1 His death on 25 June 1820 at the age of 70 is recorded in the Morning Chronicle, 26 June 1820.
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In 1977, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the former spiritual leader of BAPS (Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha), visited California. During his first visit, he encouraged a small group of individuals to hold regular assemblies. He, and other senior swamis, returned nearly every year, nurturing and inspiring devotees. In 1984, Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated a small center in Whittier, Los Angeles County. Nineteen years later, in 1996, the local group made a proposal to build a larger facility, including a traditional stone mandir, to fulfill Pramukh Swami's vision that he had shared with them almost two decades earlier and to accommodate their growing congregation.
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Constructed from 35,000 pieces of meticulously hand carved Italian Carrara marble and Indian Pink sandstone, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, encompasses five pinnacles, two large domes, four balconies, 122 pillars and 129 archways. From the external walls and domes to the inside pillars and ceilings, the Mandir is completely etched with intricate carvings in marble and sandstone. The 6,600 hand-carved motifs depict a mosaic of tales of inspiration, devotion and dedication, along with historical figures from Hinduism. Artisans created the carvings in India with great love, skill and patience before the pieces were shipped to Chino Hills.
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Front view of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden. The mandir is the focal point of the complex. Designed according to the Shilpa- Shastras,Hindu Temple (Shri Swaminarayan Mandir) – Places to Go in London – Visit London a Vedic text that develops Hindu architecture to metaphorically represent the different attributes of God, it was constructed almost entirely from Indian marble, Italian marble, Sardinian granite and Bulgarian limestone. No iron or steel was used in the construction, a unique feature for a modern building in the UK. From the conceptual design and vision of Pramukh Swami, the architect C. B. Sompura and his team only used stone for its construction.
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The earliest Vedanta commentarial literature in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya reflects a heavy dependence on the Vedanta systems of Ramanuja and Vallabha. Although authorship of these nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century texts are attributed to two of Swaminarayan’s eminent disciples, Muktanand Swami and Gopalanand Swami, textual evidence indicates that they were composed by Vishishtadvaita scholars from southern India, who were called to Gujarat to head the Vadtal Sanskrit Pathshala. The most comprehensive commentarial work on Vedanta in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya is the Swaminarayan Bhashyam authored by Bhadreshdas Swami, an ordained monk of BAPS. It is a five-volume work written in Sanskrit and published between 2009 and 2012.
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A hallmark of Bhagatji maharaj's life was his resoluteness in obeying Gunatitanand Swami's commands. When Gunatitanand Swami asked Pragji to go fetch the nearby Mt. Girnar, Pragji immediately rose to carry out this seemingly impossible task, explaining to others that since it was his guru's wish, he was duty bound to carry it out. Despite a simple background and minimal formal education, Bhagatji Maharaj attained a spiritually elevated state that was widely recognized amongst both his followers and his antagonists. For the followers of BAPS, Bhagatji Maharaj serves as an ideal for attaining a heightened spiritual state, which was possible due to his devoted service to please his guru Gunatitanand Swami.
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This idea of a Vedic essence was taken over by Hindu reform movements as the Brahmo Samaj, which was supported for a while by the Unitarian Church, together with the ideas of Universalism and Perennialism, the idea that all religions share a common mystic ground. This "Hindu modernism", with proponents like Vivekananda, Aurobindo and Radhakrishnan, became central in the popular understanding of Hinduism. Yet, while Hindu modernists attracted attention from westerners, there were also developments in traditional Hinduism, such as the establishment of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya in 1801. As of 2020, BAPS, a charismatic offshoot established in 1907, is one of the fastest growing Hindu organisations, both in India and worldwide.
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Matters came to a head when a majority of the swami in Vadtal opposed Shastriji Maharaj's propagation of this teaching, and after numerous attempts on his life had failed, eventually forced him to leave. Shastriji Maharaj subsequently established BAPS as a separate entity from the Vadtal and Ahmedabad dioceses of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Shastriji Maharaj, a devotee of Gunatitanand Swami and revered as a manifestation of Akshar, explained that Swaminarayan's teaching in the Vachanamrut and other scriptures showed that there exists at all times a perfect devotee, Akshar Brahman, through whom Swaminarayan manifests on earth. He identified Gunatitanand Swami and Bhagatji Maharaj as the first two embodiments of Akshar.
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Bhadreshdas Swami is a Sanskrit scholar and an ordained monk of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). In 2017 he completed the Swaminarayan Bhashyam, a five-volume classical Sanskrit commentary on the Prasthanatrayi. This commentary on Hinduism's three canonical texts: the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma sutras, forms the interpretive foundation of the philosophy of Akshar Purushottam darshana, also known as Swaminarayan darshana, illuminating the Vedic roots of the Akshar Purushottama philosophy, which was propagated by the 19th-century Hindu leader, Swaminarayan and later by Shastriji Maharaj. The commentary discusses the basis of the five "eternal entities" - Jiva, Ishwar, Maya, Brahma and Parabrahman - as expounded by Swaminarayan.
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Bhadreshdas Swami has conducted extensive research on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. He was a project committee member of the Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Ved-vidya Pratishthan (MSRVVP). He also serves as an advisor to students of Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy in his roles as a professor at the BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute in New Delhi, and Shree Somnath Sanskrit University in Veraval, Gujarat. Bhadreshdas Swami also serves as the head scholar at the Yagnapurush Sanskrit Pathshala in Sarangpur, Gujarat, where he instructs students in philosophy, Nyaya Darshana, Vedas, the Paninian grammar of Sanskrit and Indian classical music composed for the tabla, flute and violin.
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Bhadreshdas Swami presenting the Swaminarayan Bhashyam to Pramukh Swami Maharaj After earning his doctorate in Sanskrit, Bhadreshdas Swami was asked by his guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 2005 to write a Sanskrit commentary on the Prasthanatrayi. Bhadreshdas worked on the commentary in a small room located in the basement of the BAPS seminary of Sarangpur, Gujarat, India. In June 2007, the village of Sarangpur was struck by a flash flood, inundating his workspace and resulting in the loss of approximately 2500 pages of his original work and notes. These notes contained information regarding the acharyas' arguments and definitions of philosophical components and the initial chapters of the Brahmasutra Bhashyam.
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In 1982, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj's successor as the spiritual head of BAPS, started to continue fulfilling the dream of his guru Yogiji Maharaj and prompted devotees to look into the possibility of building the temple in Delhi. A request for the plan was put forward to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and several different places were suggested, including Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and Faridabad. Pramukh Swami Maharaj stood firm in following the wishes of Yogiji Maharaj to build a temple on the Yamuna. In April 2000, after 18 years, the Delhi Development Authority offered of land, and the Uttar Pradesh Government offered for the project.
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On 5 June 1907, Shastri Yagnapurushdas consecrated the murtis of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami in the newly constructed mandir in the village of Bochasan. This marked the beginning of BAPS as an organization since it was the first mandir to have both murtis of Akshar and Purushottam in the central shrine. Shastriji Maharaj continued to propagate the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine and build mandirs, while the coterie of his detractors in the Vadtal diocese continued to attempt to validate his excommunication. Years after the event, they attempted to pressure Gordhanbhai Kothari, then 90 years old and blind, to sign the order of excommunication, but he bluntly refused.
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He continues the legacy of the Aksharbrahma Gurus by visiting BAPS mandirs worldwide, guiding spiritual aspirants, initiating devotees, ordaining swamis, creating and sustaining mandirs, and encouraging the development of scriptures. In his discourses, he mainly speaks on how one can attain God and peace through ridding one’s ego (nirmani), seeing divinity in all (divyabhav), not seeing, talking, or adapting any negative nature or behavior of others (no abhav-avgun), and keeping unity (samp). In 2017, he performed the ground-breaking ceremony for shikharbaddha mandirs in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Sydney, Australia, and in April 2019, he performed the ground-breaking ceremony for a traditional stone temple in Abu Dhabi.
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Parallelling India's religious constituency, most Indians in the New York City metropolitan region practice Hinduism, followed by Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zorastrianism, Atheism, and irreligion. The Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, Queens, is the oldest Hindu temple in the United States, and its canteen feeds 4,000 people a week, with as many as 10,000 during the Diwali (Deepavali) holiday. Further east on Long Island, in Melville, one of the world's largest BAPS temples opened in October 2016. Central New Jersey has large temples of Venkateswara and Guruvayurappan in Bridgewater and Morganville, respectively, and Sai Baba mandirs abound throughout the metropolitan area.
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The murti rests upon a three-foot pedestal and weighs 1.2 tons. It is flanked by the murtis of the ideal devotee, Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami and Aksharmukta Goplanand Swami, both in postures of loving devotion toward Swaminarayan. In each of the four corners of the mandir sits a life-sized marble murti of the lineages of gurus or successors of Swaminarayan revered by BAPS. The first floor of the mandir is known as the Vibhuti Mandapam and features lotus-shaped displays describing the spiritual character of Swaminarayan, while the basement of the mandir, called the Prasadi Mandapam, houses a historical display of various sacred relics from Swaminarayan's life.
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In the days preceding the mandir inauguration, large scale festivals were held for devotees and the broader community to participate in the opening of the complex. On 24 August 2007, the congregation held a Vishvashanti Mahayagna for world peace and family unity in the presence of over ten thousand people. A festival to mark the centenary anniversary of BAPS’ establishment as a formal organization was also celebrated on 25 August 2007. On 26 August 2007, Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated the mandir through a traditional Vedic ritual called the murti pratishtha, wherein divinity is infused into the idols inside the mandir. On this occasion, Pramukh Swami Maharaj noted that “this mandir is open to all.
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Bimal Krishnadas (edited by), Directory of Hindu Temples in the UK, 2004-2006, page 7, published by the National Council of Hindu Trmples (UK), Leicester. In 2020, Historic England (HE) published A Survey of Hindu Buildings in England with the aim of providing information about buildings that Hindus use in England so that HE can work with communities to enhance and protect those buildings now and in the future. The scoping survey identified 187 Hindu temples in England. There is a diversity of Hindu-based organisations in the UK including the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Swaminarayan (BAPS) in Neasden (Greater London), the Chinmaya Mission, Ramakrishna Mission and Sai Organisation, each having large followings.
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Nikki Haley and other Indian Americans participated in the Diwali celebrations at the White House, 2017 Some have claimed that as of 2008, the American Hindu population was around 2.2 million, but this estimation is based on the flawed assumption that percentage of Hindus among Indian Americans is the same as in India. Regardless, Hindus are the majority of Indian Americans. Many organizations such as ISKCON, Swaminarayan Sampraday, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Chinmaya Mission, and Swadhyay Pariwar are well-established in the U.S. Hindu Americans have formed the Hindu American Foundation which represents American Hindus and aim to educate people about Hinduism. Swami Vivekananda brought Hinduism to the West at the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions.
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Indian Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area have an average household income of $86,425, which is higher than the Canadian average of $79,102 but lower than the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area's average of $95,326. Indian Canadian students are also well-represented in Toronto-area universities; despite Indo-Canadians making up 10% of the Toronto area's population, students of Indian origin make up over 35% of Ryerson University, 30% of York University, and 20% of the University of Toronto's student bodies, respectively. Canada's largest Hindu temple, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto, as well as Canada's largest Sikh gurdwara, the Ontario Khalsa Darbar, are both located in the Greater Toronto Area. Both have been built by Canada's Indian community.
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Dadar has plenty of religious places including BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir (opp. Dadar east railway station), Rustom Foramina Agiary (Parsi colony), N C Narielwala Dadar Agiary (Naigam cross road), Kali Temple (Shivaji Park), Ganesh temple (Shivaji Park), Siddhivinayak Temple (Dadar), Jakhadevi Mandhir (Saitan Chowki) Sri Guru Singh Sabha Bombay (Ambedkar road), Shri Krishna Mandir Sabhagruh, Shri Mahaveer Digambar Jain Mandir, Hanuman Mandir (outside Dadar east railway station), Peer Bagdadi Dargah and mosque, Portuguese church (Dadar west), St. Marys Orthodox Cathedral (first Malankara Orthodox Syrian church in Mumbai) and Indian Pentecostal church. Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai – Samadhi place of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Dadar is also home to Chaitya Bhoomi, memorial and place where B. R. Ambedkar, Chief architect of Indian Constitution was cremated.
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As Akshar, embodied as the Gunatit Guru, epitomizes ideal devotion transcending maya. Swaminarayan's philosophical stand that liberation is unattainable unless one "identifies oneself with Akshar (a synonym of Brahman) and offers the highest devotion to Purushottam" is also found in various Hindu scriptures [Mundaka Upanishad 3/2:9, Shrimad Bhagavatam I/1:1, Bhagvad Gita XVIII/54]. It follows that the doctrine that Shastriji Maharaj propagated, as Kim observes, "did not result in the rejection of any scriptures; instead, it was the beginning of a distinctive theology which added a single but powerful qualification, [that Akshar plays] in the form of the living guru". BAPS devotees also believe that Swaminarayan propagated the same doctrine through the mandirs he built.
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This document has been produced in the Indian Courts of Justice, time and again when individuals have challenged the Acharyas’ rightful place as Spiritual Leaders and Trustees of Swaminarayan’s Sampraday and all its assets. Some organisations have been instructed by the Indian judiciary to remove the word Swaminarayan from their name, because they cannot justify their philosophies to be the same as Sahajanand Swami’s. To further protect Swaminarayan’s Sampraday, the Indian courts of justice have devised management schemes, appointing the Acharyas as Trustees of their respective Gadi, further recognising the position of the Acharyas, as bona fide successors to Sahajanand Swami. The BAPS sect does not accept this document in literal interpretation yet does not rejects its validity.
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In the Lekh, Swaminarayan established two "administrative dioceses," the Vadtal diocese (Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi) and Ahmedabad diocese (Nar Narayan Dev Gadi), and appointed two acharyas to "administer his temple properties" which are distributed among them, establishing a hereditary line of succession. The first acharyas of the two dioceses were Swaminarayan's two nephews, Raghuvir (Vadtal) and Ayodhyaprasad (Ahmedabad), whose descendants continue the hereditary line of succesion. According to a number of traditions, Swaminarayan introduced a spiritual lineage of Aksharbrahman Gurus through which he manifests. BAPS adherents believe Swaminarayan introduced Gunatitanand Swami as his ideal devotee, from which a spiritual lineage of gurus began, reflecting the principle that a form of God who lives “before one’s eyes” is necessary for aspirants to attain moksha (liberation).
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Mahant Swami Maharaj discoursing on the Vachanamrut BAPS teaches followers that the living guru is considered to be the ideal swami, the perfect devotee, and the principal exemplar for emulation by spiritual aspirants. He is described to followers as a personification of the scriptures:94. He is viewed as "fully brahmanized", or having achieved the ultimate level of spiritual development. Devotees are to consider him the example of all the ideals of the religion; he is to be viewed as the first disciple, most faithful in his observance of the commandments, most active in propagation of the religion, the best interpreter of the meaning of the scriptures, and the most effective in eradicating the ignorance that separates man from God.
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British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis tend to be religiously homogeneous, with Muslims accounting for 92% of each group while their counterparts of Indian and Sri Lankan origin are more religiously diverse, with 55% Hindus, 29% Sikhs, and 15% Muslims. British Gujaratis are predominantly Hindu, belonging to various caste organizations, with large minorities of Muslims, Jains, and smaller numbers of Christians and Zoroastrians. Notable religious buildings are the East London Mosque, London Central Mosque, Birmingham Central Mosque, Baitul Futuh Mosque, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London, Bradford Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple, Shikharbandi Jain Derasar in Potters Bar, Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall and Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend. The publication of Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses in 1988 caused major controversy.
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The term post-soul was coined by Nelson George in a 1992 Village Voice feature article, "Buppies, B-boys, BAPS, and Bohos." The article contained a chronology of significant shifts in African-American culture since the 1970s, exemplified by Melvin Van Peebles, Muhammad Ali, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown. In 2005, George reworked his chronology in a book entitled Post Soul Nation: The Explosive, Contradictory, Triumphant, and Tragic 1980s as Experienced by African Americans (Previously Known as Blacks and Before That Negroes). Unlike the wider scope of George's original Village Voice article, Post-Soul Nation focuses on the 1980s to describe a series of political, social, and cultural shifts which helped reshape the African-American experience in the United States after the civil-rights era.
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However, Gunatitanand Swami's most important contributions were in the propagation of the spiritual metaphysics revealed by Swaminarayan. Williams explains that "Gunatitanand Swami established a line of spiritual authorities…who have continued in a line of succession from Gunatitanand Swami" himself. While this identification of Akshar as having both a personal and impersonal form, and an incarnation on earth as specified by Swaminarayan in Vachanamruts Gadhada I-21 and Gadhada I-71 was not accepted by certain sections of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, it was this principle that would lead to the eventual formation of the BAPS branch of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Similar to Swaminarayan before him, Gunatitanand Swami also instituted various social projects, from building wells and educating villagers to establishing guidelines for social behavior and preventing practices such as sati and infanticide.
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The memorial shrine, known as the Akshar Deri, erected at the spot of Gunatitanand Swami's final rites in Gondal, Gujarat. On 16 September 1867, Gunatitanand Swami paid homage to the murti of Swaminarayan in Junagadh mandir for the last time and departed for a tour of neighboring towns and villages having served as the mahant for 40 years 4 months and 4 days. As he was leaving, he declared, "I will now reside in Mahuva", assumed by BAPS followers to means as his passing of the spiritual torch to Bhagatji Maharaj who lived in Mahuva and not a reference to his physical destination. He traveled through the villages of Ganod, Upleta, Bhayavadar and Vanthali before finally arriving at Gondal to celebrate a religious festival at the behest of Madhavji Dave, the town administrator.
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In 1948, together with Matthew White, a Glasgow paediatric surgeon, Mason Brown founded the Scottish Surgical Paediatric Society and in 1953 he was one of those responsible for the foundation of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS). At the first meeting he was made a member of the founding executive together with Denis Browne (the first president), David Waterston, Peter Paul Rickham, and Harold Nixon. He was chosen as the first "James IV surgical traveller" by the James IV Association of Surgeons in 1961 and in this capacity toured surgical centres in North America. Mason Brown was appointed Secretary and Treasurer of the RCSEd in 1949 and continued as Secretary until 1962, which gave him an in- depth knowledge of the College's history and laws and administrative procedures.
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The foundations for the establishment of BAPS were laid in 1905 when a combination of factors caused Shastri Yagnapurushdas to leave the Vadtal temple. The major reason for Shastri Yagnapurushdas’ departure was his belief in the doctrine of Akshar- Purushottam, regarding Gunatitanand as "the true spiritual successor of Swaminarayan." His identification of Gunatitanand Swami as the personal form of Akshar was a paradigm shift that led to "opposition and hostility" from many within the Vadtal diocese. A major incident that exacerbated the hostility was Shastriji Maharaj’s stipulation that Acharya Kunjvihariprasadji consecrate the murtis of Akshar (Gunatitanand Swami) and Purushottam (Swaminarayan) in the Vadhwan mandir if Shastriji Maharaj assisted in providing the land for the temple. Gordhanbhai Kothari’s benevolent attitude towards Shastriji Maharaj led to further hostility from a section of the Vadtal swamis.
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The history of BAPS as an organization begins with Shastriji Maharaj's desire to propagate the mode of worship from Swaminarayan's teachings. During Swaminarayan's own time, his group's spread had been curbed by opposition from Vaishnava sampradayas and others hostile to Swaminarayan's bhakti teachings. Due to the hostility of those who found Swaminarayan's growing popularity and teachings unacceptable, swamis and devotees during Swaminarayan's time tempered some of the public presentation of his doctrine, despite their own convictions, to mitigate violence towards their newly formed devotional community. The original doctrine taught by Swaminarayan continued to be conveyed in less public fora, but with the passage of time, Shastriji Maharaj sought to publicly reveal this doctrine, which asserted that Swaminarayan and his choicest devotee, Gunatitanand Swami, were ontologically, Purushottam and Akshar, respectively.
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A. P. J. Abdul Kalam delivering a speech In his book India 2020, Kalam strongly advocated an action plan to develop India into a "knowledge superpower" and a developed nation by the year 2020. He regarded his work on India's nuclear weapons programme as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower. Kalam describes a "transformative moment" in his life when he asked Pramukh Swami, the guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, how India might realise this five-pronged vision of development. Pramukh Swami's answer—to add a sixth area developing faith in God and spirituality to overcome the current climate of crime and corruption—became the spiritual vision for the next 15 years Kalam's life, which he describes in his final book, Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji, published just a month before his death.
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On 17 December 2007, Michael Whitty, an official world record adjudicator for Guinness World Record, travelled to Ahmedabad, India to present a new world record to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, for the Akshardham complex. The record was presented for Akshardham as the World's Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple (certificate). The certificate states, Upon presentation of the award, Michael Whitty stated, "It took us three months of research, poring over the extensive architectural plans of the Akshardham and also those of other temples of comparable size, visiting and inspecting the site, before we were convinced that Akshardham deserved the title..." There are three temples, the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, and the Annamalaiyar Temple in Thiruvannamalai, all located in Tamil Nadu, India, which claim to be larger than Akshardham. The trustees of these temples have reportedly disputed the Guinness World Record.
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From 1822 to 1828, Swaminarayan constructed a total of six shikharbaddha mandirs in Gujarat; in each he installed the murtis of a principal deity coupled with their ideal devotee in the central shrine: Nar-Narayan-Dev in Ahmedabad (1822) and Bhuj (1823), Lakshmi-Narayan-Dev in Vadtal (1824), Madan-Mohan-Dev in Dholera (1826), Radha-Raman-Dev in Junagadh (1828), and Gopi-Nathji in Gadhada (1828). As Kim notes, "For BAPS devotees, the dual murtis in the original Swaminarayan temples imply that Swaminarayan did install a murti of himself alongside the murti of his ideal bhakta or Guru". Thus, Shastriji Maharaj, was simply extending that idea by enshrining the murti of Swaminarayan along with Gunatitanand Swami, his ideal devotee, in the central sanctum. However, many within the Vadtal and Ahmedabad dioceses did not subscribe to this view, and this became one of the main points of disagreement that led to the schism.
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