What is "swaminarayan"

Swaminarayan ( IAST: , 3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, is the central figure in a modern sect of Hinduism known as the Swaminarayan Hinduism.

Swaminarayan was born Ghanshyam Pande in Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1781. In 1792, he began a seven-year pilgrimage across India at the age of 11 years, adopting the name Nilkanth Varni. During this journey, he did welfare activities and after 9 years and 11 months of this journey, he settled in the state of Gujarat around 1799. In 1800, he was initiated into the Uddhav sampradaya by his guru, Swami Ramanand, and was given the name Sahajanand Swami. In 1802, his guru handed over the leadership of the Uddhav Sampraday to him before his death. Sahajanand Swami held a gathering and taught the Swaminarayan Mantra. From this point onwards, he was known as Swaminarayan. The Uddhav Sampraday became known as the Swaminarayan Sampraday.

Swaminarayan developed a good relationship with the British Raj. He had followers not only from Hindu denominations but also from Islam and Zoroastrianism. He built six temples in his lifetime and appointed 500 paramahamsas to spread his philosophy. In 1826, Swaminarayan wrote the Shikshapatri, a book of social principles. He died on 1 June 1830 and was cremated according to Hindu rites in Gadhada, Gujarat. Before his death, Swaminarayan appointed his adopted nephews as acharyas to head the two dioceses of Swaminarayan Sampraday. Swaminarayan is also remembered within the sect for undertaking reforms for women and the poor, performing yajñas (fire sacrifices) on a large scale as well as performing miracles.

Swaminarayan had been criticized by Mahatma Gandhi & Dayananda Saraswati for spreading Swaminarayan cult in Gujarat

The word Swaminarayan or Svaminarayan may refer to:

• Swaminarayan - is the manifestation of god and the founder of the Swaminarayan Sampraday previously known as under his guru as the Uddhav Sampraday.
• Swaminarayan Hinduism - name of the tradition that offers worship and devotion to Swaminarayan.
  • Swaminarayan Sampraday
    • Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi - Southern diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampraday
      • International Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal - An organization under the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi
      • Swaminarayan Gurukul - An organization under the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi
    • Nar Narayan Dev Gadi - Northern diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampraday
      • International Swaminarayan Satsang Organisation - An organization under the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi
  • Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
• Satsangi (also Swaminarayan or Swaminarayani) - a follower of Swaminarayan
• Swaminarayan Arti- ceremonial song in the Swaminarayan tradition.
• Swaminarayan Jayanti - The birthday of Swaminarayan
• Jai Swaminarayan - A greeting used by followers of Swaminarayan
• Swaminarayano Vijayateteram - Words commonly used in the Swaminarayan sect

Swaminarayan Hinduism, also known as the Swaminarayan faith or the Swaminarayan sect, is a modern spiritual tradition, as a subsect of Vaishnava Hinduism, originating in the state of Gujarat, in which followers offer devotion to and worship Swaminarayan as a form of Parbhrama. The Swaminarayan faith has a large percentage of Gujarati Hindus who are followers of Swaminarayan.