Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Vadtal

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Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Vadtal
Vadtaltemple.jpg
The headquarters of the Shri Laxminarayan Dev Gaadi
Geography
Country India
State Gujarat
District kheda
Location Vadtal
Culture
Sanctum Laxminarayan Dev, Shri Ranchodraiji, Harikrishna Maharaj, Radhakrishna Dev, Shri Dharmadev, Bhaktimata and Vasudevji
Major festivalssamaiyaa(twice in a year)
History
Date built3 November 1824
Creator Sahajanand Swami
Website vadtalmandir.org

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Vadtal (Devnagari: श्री स्वामिनारायण मन्दिर, वडताल) headquarters of the Shri LaxmiNarayan Dev Gadi are located in this temple in Vadtal. [1] [2] There are three main shrines in the temple the central shirne of this temple is that of Lakshmi Narayan and RanchodRaiji. On the right there is an image of Radha Krishna with Swaminarayan in the form of Hari Krishna and the left has Vasudev, Dharma and Bhakti. [3] The wooden pillars of the temple bear colourful wood carvings. There is a dharamsala within the temple premises. Gnyanbaug is a garden to the northwest of the temple gate that has four memorials dedicated to Swaminarayan. [4] vadtal swaminarayan temple now declared as a pilgrim center by government of Gujarat and to be part of shrines recognized by Gujarat's Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board, announced by Gujarat's Chief Minister Vijay Rupaniji.

Hindu temple house of worship in Hinduism

A Hindu temple is a symbolic house, seat and body of god. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together, using symbolism to express the ideas and beliefs of Hinduism. The symbolism and structure of a Hindu temple are rooted in Vedic traditions, deploying circles and squares. It also represents recursion and equivalence of the macrocosm and the microcosm by astronomical numbers, and by "specific alignments related to the geography of the place and the presumed linkages of the deity and the patron". A temple incorporates all elements of Hindu cosmos—presenting the good, the evil and the human, as well as the elements of Hindu sense of cyclic time and the essence of life—symbolically presenting dharma, kama, artha, moksa, and karma.

Vadtal village in Gujarat, India

Vadtal is in the Kheda district of Gujarat, India. It is the pilgrim centre of Swaminarayan Sampraday and the location of Swaminarayan's temple. Gomati is a holy lake in Vadtal.

Lakshmi Narayan Depiction in Hindu art

Lakshmi Narayan or Lakshmi-Narayana, also sometimes spelled Lakshminarayan, Lakshminarayana, Laxminarayana, is a manifestation of Vishnu in the Hindu religion. It is usually referring to Vishnu, also known as Narayan, when he is with his consort, Lakshmi, in his abode, Vaikuntha. The goddess of beauty Lakshmi is depicted as standing next to a dark-skinned Vishnu, who is holding a conch, mace, lotus and the Sudarshana Chakra. Another depiction of Lakshminarayan portrays Lakshmi in the service of Narayan, who is reclining on the cosmic serpent Sesha, floating in Kshīrsagār, the Ocean of Milk.

Contents

History

Shree LaxmiNarayan Dev with Ranchhodrai, Embraced & Installed by God Swaminarayan himself at this temple Laxminarayan Dev Vadtal Mandir.jpg
Shree LaxmiNarayan Dev with Ranchhodrai, Embraced & Installed by God Swaminarayan himself at this temple
The temple lit up for a festival Vadtal Temple.jpg
The temple lit up for a festival

The town of Vadtal is also known as Vadtal Swaminarayan. The temple here is in the shape of a lotus, with nine domes in the inner temple. The land for this shrine was donated by Joban Pagi, a dacoit converted into a devotee by Swaminarayan. The temple was ordered by swaminarayan and constructed under the supervision of S.G. Shri.Brahmanand Swami.

Temple structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities

A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. It is typically used for such buildings belonging to all faiths where a more specific term such as church, mosque or synagogue is not generally used in English. These include Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism among religions with many modern followers, as well as other ancient religions such as Ancient Egyptian religion.

Swaminarayan founder of Swaminarayan sect

Swaminarayan, also known as Sahajanand Swami, was a yogi, and an ascetic whose life and teachings brought a revival of central Hindu practices of dharma, ahimsa and brahmacharya. He is believed by followers as a manifestation of God.

Brahmanand Swami Hindu siant

Not to be confused with Brahmanand Swami or Rakhal Maharaj.

Devotees from Vadtal had gone to God Shreeji Maharaj on the day of Nirjala Ekadashi to meet him in Gadhada. On the next day - the twelfth day of the bright half of Jyestha - they requested to Swaminarayan to construct a Shri Krishna Mandir in Vadtal. God Shreeji Maharaj commanded his disciple S.G Shri. Brahmanand Swami to temporarily leave the construction of the Muli temple and proceed with a team of saints to plan and supervise the construction of Vadtal temple. The construction of this temple was completed within 15 months and the idols of Shri Laxminarayan Dev were installed by Swaminarayan himself on 3 November 1824, amidst chants of vedic hymns and devotional fervor of the installation ceremony. In the middle of the temple, he installed the idols of Shri. Laxminarayan dev and Shri. Ranchhodji. To the right, there are the idols of Shri. Dharmdev and Shri. Bhaktimata and Shri. Vasudev. and to the left, Swaminarayan installed the idols of Shri. RadhaKrishna Dev and Shri. Harikrishna Maharaj.

Ekādaśī, also spelled as Ekādaśi, is the eleventh lunar day (tithi) of each of the two lunar phases which occur in a Hindu calendar month - the Sukla Paksha and the Krishna Paksha.

Gadhada city in Gujarat, India

Gadhada is a city and a municipality in Botad District in the state of Gujarat, India. Gadhada is situated at bank of River Ghela.

Krishna Hindu god, incarnation of Vishnu

Krishna is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu and also by some as the supreme God in his own right. He is the god of compassion, tenderness, and love in Hinduism, and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Janmashtami according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar, which falls in late August or early September of the Gregorian calendar.

Besides the Gods sitting in the central temple, in the left wall of the worship-place, were installed the form of Dakshinavart Shankh (Southern-sea conch) and Shaligrama (icon of Vishnu) and in the inner dome, there are the stone-idols of the ten incarnations of god, besides the idols of Vishnu resting on the seat of Sheshnaag (heavenly snake).

Influence

Farmers in and around Vadtal made a fortune by cultivating tobacco. The temple played an important role in influencing these farmers to move to other agricultural options. [4] To benefit pilgrims visiting the temple, a railway terminus was opened in Vadtal in 1929. A 14 mile long broad gauge line was built, connecting it with Anand and Boriavi. [5]

Anand, Gujarat city in Gujarat, India

Anand is the administrative centre of Anand District in the state of Gujarat, India. It is administered by Anand Municipality. It is part of the region known as Charotar, consisting of Anand and Kheda Districts.

Boriavi city in Gujarat, India

Boriavi is a city and industrial+residential part of Anand city and a municipality in Anand district in the state of Gujarat, India.

During the independence movement, national leaders gave speeches at the temple. In January 1921 Mahatma Gandhi gave a speech at the temple, speaking of the relevance of non-cooperation to Hindu Dharma, "At this holy place, I declare, if you want to protect your 'Hindu Dharma', non-cooperation is first as well as the last lesson you must learn up.". [6]

Mahatma Gandhi Pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism during British-ruled India

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian activist who was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā – applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa – is now used worldwide. In India, he is also called Bapu and Gandhi ji, and known as the Father of the Nation.

Vallabhbhai Patel (freedom fighter and first Home Minister of India) was influenced by the Swaminarayan philosophy, since he was brought up in a family of Swaminarayan followers. [7] His father used to visit Vadtal in pilgrimage every full moon day and often used to take young Patel with him. [8] It is claimed that since Gandhi's doctrine was similar to that of the reforms teaching of Swaminarayan, [9] Patel was attracted to him. [7]

Vallabhbhai Patel Indian freedom fighter who forged united India

Vallabhbhai Patel, popularly known as Sardar Patel, was an Indian politician. He served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was an Indian barrister and statesman, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and a founding father of the Republic of India who played a leading role in the country's struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation. In India and elsewhere, he was often called Sardar, meaning "chief" in Hindi, Urdu, and Persian. He acted as Home Minister during the political integration of India and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.

The Swaminarayan temple in Vadtal is a member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and is considered to be part of the inner management circle of the organisation. [10] The VHP held its 11th Dharma Sansad (Religious parliament) in Vadtal at the Swaminarayan Temple in 2006. [11] [12]

Headquarters

The temple is the main temple of swaminarayan sampraday and the Acharya and preceptor of the dakshin desh (Laxminarayan Dev Gadi). On the south end of the main temple, there is a place called the Akshar Bhuvan. Its first floor has standing idols of Ghanshyam Maharaj. On the second floor, there is the idol of Ghanshyam Maharaj in sitting posture. Personal objects of Swaminarayan are kept here. On the west there is a place called the Hari Mandap where Swaminarayan wrote the Shikshapatri.

Town of Vadtal

In the east of the town, there is a mango garden where Swaminarayan ignited Holi and played with colours. A canopy has been constructed at this place. On the south side of this place, Swaminarayan had swung on a swing of twelve doors. A marble seat has been constructed at that place. The Gomati lake which was dug by Swaminarayan is in the north of the town. In the middle of the lake is a shelter and a canopy is built on the west of it. Swaminarayan used to sit there at the place of the present canopy when the lake was being excavated. Swaminarayan had preached Vachanamrit under a mango tree next to the lake.

Notes

  1. ↑ M. G. Chitkara (1997), Hindutva, APH, pp. 227–228, ISBN   978-81-7024-798-2 , retrieved 10 June 2009
  2. ↑ Williams 2001 , p. 29
  3. ↑ M M Rahman (2006), Encyclopaedia of Histography, Anmol Publications PVT. LTD, ISBN   978-81-261-2305-6 , retrieved 10 June 2009 Page 145
  4. 1 2 Desai, Anjali (2006). India Guide Gujarat. India Guide Publications. p. 400. ISBN   0-9789517-0-0.Page 202, 203
  5. ↑ Gujarat State Gazetteers: Kheda. Gujarat, India: Directorate of Govt. Print., Stationery and Publications, Gujarat State. 1977. p. 424.
  6. ↑ Hardiman, David (2003). Gandhi in his time and ours. Orient Blackswan. p. 163. ISBN   81-7824-114-5.
  7. 1 2 Rajat Kanta Ray, D. A. Low (2006). Congress and the Raj: Facets of the Indian Struggle 1917 - 47. Oxford University Press. pp. 60–64. ISBN   0-19-568367-6.
  8. ↑ Krishna, B. (1996). Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's iron man. Indus. p. 567. ISBN   81-7223-211-X.Page 7
  9. ↑ Williams 2001 , p. 173
  10. ↑ McKean, Lise (1996). Divine enterprise: Gurus and the Hindu Nationalist Movement. University of Chicago Press. p. 227. ISBN   0-226-56009-0.
  11. ↑ "VHP issues ultimatum on temple". Deccan Herald . 22 January 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  12. ↑ "VHP's "Dharam Sansad" concludes". The Times of India . 22 January 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2012.

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