1933
Birth
His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj was born on Wednesday 13 September 1933 in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. His parents, Manibhai and Dahiben Patel, named him ‘Vinu’.
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The sixth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and guru of the worldwide socio-spiritual Hindu fellowship known as BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and guru of the worldwide socio-spiritual Hindu fellowship known as BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). For over six decades, he served under the guidance of his gurus Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, tirelessly visiting villages, towns and cities throughout India and the world.
His striking humility, serene spirituality, and profoundly insightful discourses continue to inspire and strengthen higher living in countless people of all ages around the world.
He is widely respected as one of the leading Hindu gurus in the world today, serving as an inspirer of personal faith, community service, and global harmony.
Meeting him leaves one filled with peace, love, joy, and inspiration.
From his birth in Jabalpur in 1933 to inaugurating France’s first traditional Hindu mandir, the moments that shaped more than nine decades of service.
1933
His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj was born on Wednesday 13 September 1933 in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. His parents, Manibhai and Dahiben Patel, named him ‘Vinu’.
1934
A few months later, His Holiness Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS, visited Jabalpur, where he blessed the young child and affectionately named him ‘Keshav’. Manibhai’s family, however, continued to address him as ‘Vinu’.
1951
Vinubhai came into contact with His Holiness Yogiji Maharaj, the spiritual successor of Shastriji Maharaj, as a teenager.
Impressed by Yogiji Maharaj’s spiritual charisma and selfless love, he travelled with Yogiji Maharaj during his summer vacations. Yogiji Maharaj’s spiritual aura and affection drew the young Vinubhai closer towards him.
1956
Vinubhai studied until the 10th grade at Christ Church Boys’ Senior Secondary School in Jabalpur, before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture at the Bansilal Amrutlal College of Agriculture in Anand.
1961
Vinubhai was ordained as a swami by His Holiness Yogiji Maharaj in 1961 and named ‘Sadhu Keshavjivandas’.
1961-70
Yogiji Maharaj appointed Sadhu Keshavjivandas as the ‘mahant’ (head) of the BAPS mandir in Dadar, Mumbai, entrusting him with the responsibility of overseeing the young swamis studying there. He soon came to be known as ‘Mahant Swami’.
1970
Mahant Swami accompanied His Holiness Yogiji Maharaj to the UK in 1970.
During the visit, Yogiji Maharaj inaugurated one of the first Hindu mandirs in the UK and the first Swaminarayan mandir in the Western hemisphere, in Islington, north London.
1971
Following the passing of His Holiness Yogiji Maharaj in 1971, Mahant Swami continued to serve under the spiritual leadership of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
His humility and dedication to service inspired youths who had recently joined the monastic order.
1977
Mahant Swami accompanied His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj on a spiritual tour of East Africa, UK, North America, and South Africa in 1977. He travelled extensively and willingly accepted various hardships to nurture and guide devotees and well-wishers.
1981
Mahant Swami led the landscaping across a 200-acre campus in Gujarat, India, during an international festival that was held to commemorate the bicentennial celebrations of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Over 8 million visitors attended over 37 days.
1985
Mahant Swami continued to visit the UK and Europe on numerous occasions.
In 1985, he served at the 33-day ‘Cultural Festival of India’ held on the grounds of Alexandra Palace in London, which was attended by over one million people.
1986
Mahant Swami led a group of swamis and volunteers on a research trip around the world for the upcoming Swaminarayan Akshardham in Gandhinagar.
1992
Mahant Swami accompanied His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj at the inauguration ceremony of Swaminarayan Akshardham in Gandhinagar, during the centennial birth anniversary celebrations of His Holiness Yogiji Maharaj.
1995
Mahant Swami accompanied His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 1995 during the inauguration of Neasden Temple in London, the first traditional Hindu mandir outside of India.
2005
Mahant Swami participated in the inauguration ceremony of Swaminarayan Akshardham in Delhi, created by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj and later recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest comprehensive temple in the world.
2015
Mahant Swami visited the UK again in 2015, on behalf of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, to preside over the festivities commemorating the 20th anniversary of Neasden Temple.
2016
Following the passing of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Mahant Swami Maharaj was revealed as the present guru and administrative head of BAPS.
His continuing devotion, reverence, and service to Pramukh Swami Maharaj are an inspiration to countless devotees across the world.
2017
In 2017, Mahant Swami Maharaj embarked upon a world tour, including to the UK – his first religious tour as the spiritual leader of BAPS.
During this visit, Mahant Swami Maharaj ceremoniously dispersed the sacred ashes of Pramukh Swami Maharaj across the River Thames, in commemoration of his longstanding and sacred ties with the British capital.
2018
Mahant Swami Maharaj continued his tireless travels around the world, nourishing spiritual aspirants with his universal Vedic wisdom. In 2018, he visited several countries, including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
2019
As a part of his travels to the UAE in April 2019, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, where he shared a special prayer for peace and harmony.
2020
Mahant Swami Maharaj continued Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s mandir-building legacy by inaugurating several mandirs around the world, including in Navsari in 2020.
2022-23
Mahant Swami Maharaj presided over the month-long celebrations marking the centennial birth anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. He inspired more than 80,000 volunteers to create a 600-acre cultural wonderland that received over 12 million visitors from around the world, including several religious, community, and national leaders.
He says little, whereas his pure and spiritually elevated life speaks volumes, teaching us some of life’s most valuable lessons.
Choose a thumbnail below to watch a short video narrating an inspiring incident from the life of Mahant Swami Maharaj.
Mahant Prasangam
Mandirs and swamis, scripture and research, the environment, interfaith dialogue, and the daily post – the many strands of a guru’s working life.
One of Mahant Swami Maharaj’s most enduring contributions is the creation of mandirs (Hindu temples) that Hindu heritage, devotion, and learning. Since assuming the guruship of BAPS in August 2016, he has inaugurated more than 600 new mandirs around the world – with many more in progress.
Mahant Swami Maharaj has ordained more than 400 educated youths, inspiring them to renounce worldly ambitions and focus entirely on devotion to God and selfless service to humanity. These dedicated swamis offer their spiritual and social services in centres worldwide.
By inaugurating research institutes in London (UK), Robbinsville (USA), Toronto (Canada), Nairobi (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and Johannesburg (South Africa), joining existing centres in Sarangpur, Gandhinagar and New Delhi in India, Mahant Swami Maharaj helped advance the global study of Hindu texts and Indian languages.
In 2020, Mahant Swami Maharaj authored Satsang Diksha, a 315-verse shastra that encapsulates all the core beliefs and key practices of a BAPS devotee. It serves as a perfect distillation of all the scriptures of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya from the time of Bhagwan Swaminarayan to today.
Mahant Swami Maharaj is a global torchbearer of Hinduism, fostering Hindu faith and principles in millions around the world through his discourses, mandirs and cultural centres, research institutes, ordained swamis, meetings with Hindu leaders and groups, and large-scale festivals.
Mahant Swami Maharaj’s love, compassion and benevolence reach everyone, irrespective of race, rank, or religion. As a keen proponent of interfaith dialogue, he meets and engages with leaders of various faiths to foster human solidarity, peace, and mutual respect.
Championing Hinduism’s renowned reverence for nature, Mahant Swami Maharaj has enthused devotees of all ages to raise awareness about the environment among all strata of society, as well as pioneering environmental projects such as tree-planting drives across the world.
Mahant Swami Maharaj travels to villages, towns and cities around the world for the benefit of society, establishing a meaningful, direct, and universal connection with individuals from all walks of life – be it humble villagers or global leaders.
Despite his hectic schedule and unrelenting responsibilities, Mahant Swami Maharaj reads and replies to hundreds of letters every day. Through these letters, he provides guidance, comfort, love, and assurance to innumerable individuals and families near and far.
Amidst the endless demands and activities that he shoulders, Mahant Swami Maharaj is meticulous and tenacious in his attention to detail during every meeting. For him, each discussion is an opportunity to serve and better another life.
Mahant Swami Maharaj has met many world leaders to share his message of faith, service, and global harmony. His fruitful, enriching dialogues have inspired many to seek a spiritual perspective and enhance their work for social and humanitarian causes.
Mahant Swami Maharaj also counsels through personal meetings, offering practical advice to real-life problems. Through these interactions, thousands of individuals and families have experienced his personal care and been helped by his spiritual wisdom during the most difficult times in their lives.
Mahant Swami Maharaj believes that the true prosperity of our world lies in our children and youth. He builds bonds of lasting friendship with the younger generation, inspiring them to channel their energy and creativity to better their own lives and build a better future for everyone.
Mahant Swami Maharaj inspires numerous international initiatives for the education, empowerment, and all-round development of women of all ages, even while diligently observing the Hindu monastic vows of brahmacharya (celibacy).
Mahant Swami Maharaj inspires volunteers to serve for the greater good – whether during natural disasters, such as the Covid pandemic, or humanitarian crises, such as the war in Ukraine. In the UK, every winter, BAPS partners with local charities to support families impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.
Mahant Swami Maharaj inspired the month-long festival celebrating the centennial birth anniversary of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Spread over 600 acres of a cultural wonderland created by 80,000 volunteers, the festival drew more than 12 million people from around the world.
His innate spirituality, purity, and other-worldly intelligence, coupled with his real-world experience, make his discourses particularly insightful and incisive.
Here are a few succinct pearls of wisdom from these profound teachings.
“Water is measured in litres. Cloth is measured in metres. Devotees are measured by their humility.”
“One who harbours ego cannot enjoy the bliss of God.”
“Nothing great was ever achieved without unity.”
“True greatness and strength lie in being humble.”
“To serve his devotees is to serve God.”
“Introspection is applying scriptural truths unto oneself. ‘Outer-spection’ is insisting others change instead.”
“One who sees divinity in all is wise.”
“One experiences joy in everything when the mind becomes pure.”
“Seeing good in all is the highest service to God.”
“The root of all inner unrest is self-importance.”
“Spiritual knowledge helps to keep the mind stable amid the challenges of life.”
Political leaders, scholars, faith leaders, and public figures on meeting Mahant Swami Maharaj.
“Neasden Temple is much more than an icon on our London skyline, but the embodiment of selfless service to the community. Your presence here reflected this.”
“I know that there will be many who follow your inspirational values, which contribute positively to any community, and BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha exudes them to those it serves, in abundance.”
Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Prime Minister, United Kingdom
“I am here as the leader of London to pay my respects to you and also to thank you because this community does so much good for Hindus and non-Hindus. The ripples of goodness [from your community] are felt by everyone in the city.”
Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London
“When you’re in the presence of a holy person [such as His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj] and a leader with a powerful commitment to unity and bringing people together, it’s a very remarkable experience.”
Harriet Crabtree
Executive Director, Interfaith Network for the UK
“It was a wonderful experience [to be in the presence of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj]. I was so impressed when he came onto the stage. He is a very humble man… a deeply spiritual, deeply peaceful man. His eyes are very penetrating. He seemed like a bright, intelligent person, and a compassionate human being.”
Professor Gavin Flood
Professor of Hindu Studies and Comparative Religion, University of Oxford
“To be in the presence of His Holiness [Mahant Swami Maharaj] is something that I did not anticipate feeling quite so moved by, because to be in the presence of somebody so special and so wise and for them to share their wisdom with us is something I was not expecting. Although I am not Hindu, what His Holiness said resonates with everybody – whether you have faith or no faith. We should all follow those wise words.”
David Gold
Director External Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, UK
“There were thousands of people in the room, but he actually had an aura about him as though he was talking to you, or me, as an individual – and the message was quite universal.”
Debbie Hewitt MBE
Chair, The Football Association, UK Vice-President, FIFA
“I think normally of spiritual people as other-worldly, as disconnected somehow. His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj was so connected.”
Dr S Jaishankar
Minister of External Affairs, Government of India
“A man who can lead so many from all walks of life – that tells me that he is one man who knows God and he has God in the centre.”
Pastor Dr Dorcas Rigathi
Second Lady, Republic of Kenya
“It was so wonderful to see so many members of the community come together and have such a great leader [His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj] who brought such power and calmness with him.”
Charlotte Hill
Chief Executive, The Felix Project, UK
“The way youths identify with him helps that [spiritual power] manifest in a way that I don’t think you see anywhere else.”
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
Spiritual Leader, Kauai Aadheenam, USA
“That is the most glorious thing about him, that he has never imposed a sense of leadership; that he has brought to us a sense of giving.”
Smriti Irani
Union Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of India
“He appears akin to a form of God who has come to show the world the meaning of life.”
Harbhajan Singh
Former Indian Cricketer, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, India
“And that’s what I see in him – being in peace means executing peace, manifesting peace, sharing peace.”
HH Swami Chidanand Saraswati Ji
President & Spiritual Head, Parmarth Niketan Ashram, India
“Any of your problems, tensions, stresses, just dissolve [in the presence of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj].”
Bawa Jain
Secretary General, World Council of Religious Leaders
“As a person who loves human beings, he is a person who respects others, a person who also respects other religions.”
Most Revd Thomas Ignatius Macwan
Archbishop, Archdiocese of Gandhinagar, India
“The meeting with His Holiness is more than meeting with a person; it’s meeting with a connection, between him and God.”
Chan Santokhi
President, Republic of Suriname
“He is divinity personified.”
S. Sivakumar
Chairman Executive Committee, BCCL (Times of India)
“I felt that this man is something different. He is a real saint.”
Dr Sudhansu Bhattacharya
Renowned Cardiac Surgeon, India
“He held my hands very tightly and I just feel an emotional connection to Bapa [His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj] – a man who puts everyone else before himself.”
Craig Ondarchie
Former Shadow Minister, Victoria State Government, Australia
“I felt unadulterated and unconditional pure love.”
Tejasvi Surya
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, India & President, Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha, India
His spiritual wisdom has inspired countless people to find peace and stability, even amid life’s direst challenges.
Choose a thumbnail below to watch a short video of these profound words, with English subtitles.
Moments in devotion, with people, at work, and in stillness. Choose any photograph to view it larger.