Shri Hari Jayanti Festival

Bhagwan Swaminarayan incarnated in Chhapiya, near Ayodhya at 10.10 p.m. on Chaitra sud 9, Samvat 1837 – 2nd April 1781 CE.

In His own words spoken in Hindi, He revealed His reason for incarnating:

Doosra avatar hai so karya-karan avatar huwa hai,Or mera yaha avatar hai so to jivoku Brahmarup karkeAtyantik mukti dene ke vaste Aksharatit PurushottamJo ham vaha manushya jaisa banya hoon.

i.e. The earlier avatars incarnated to serve a specific purpose, however, My present incarnation is to Brahmanise the Jivas and grant them ultimate salvation. For this mission, I, the Purushottam, transcending Aksharbrahman, have assumed a human form.
His life history and work is detailed elsewhere on this website. However a Gujarati scholar, Kishorelal Mashruwala in his ‘Swami Sahajanand athawa

Birthday of Lord Swaminarayan

Swaminarayan Jayanti, the birthday of Lord Swaminarayan, is celebrated on the ninth dayin bright half of Chaitra month (Chaitra Sud Nom). Swaminarayan Jayanti 2011 date is 12 April.

On this occasion I want to recall the history of the Lord Swaminarayan to dedicate pramukh swami & all saints.

Early Days, Leaving Home

Bharatvarsha – India has been graced since time immemorial by incarnations, rishis and sadhus. Whenever evil elements stifle Dharma – righteousness, God incarnates on earth to re-establish Dharma. Lord Ramchandra in the age of Treta and Lord Krishna, at the end of Dwapar, are the two most notable.

Five thousand years after Lord Krishna passed away, into the age of Kali – darkness, the ogre of evil defiantly arose out of its banishment, once again darkening the minds and hearts of the people, its grip suffocating eighteenth century India. Severing vital nerves and arteries, it deprived the land of life-giving moral and spiritual nourishment; hindering healthy growth of the eternal values of Dharma, Satya – truth, Ahimsa – non-violence and Brahmacharya – celibacy.

Thus He incarnated as Ghanshyam on 2nd April 1781 (Chaitra Sud 9, Samvat 1837), in the rustic village of Chhapaiya, in northern India, to a Sarvaria