AHMEDABAD / AMN
The spiritual guru and head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) of Swaminarayan sect Pramukh Swami Maharaj passed away Saturday evning at his ashram located at Sarangpur. He was 95.
Known as Swami among his disciples, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, after a brief illness of about a month, breathed his last on Saturday at 6 p.m, reports said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over his death. Modi tweeted, “HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a stalwart among humans who embodied compassion & humility. His service to society will always be remembered.”
Modi saw a mentor in Pramukh Swami Maharaj as he wrote in his second tweet, “HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj was a mentor to me. I will never forget my interactions with him. Will miss his presence.”
Pramukh Swami Maharaj was kept in an Intensive Care Unit(ICU) specially set up within the Sarangpur BAPS campus.
Paying tribute, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said he will always be remembered as a “crusader of humanity, religion and spirituality”. His death is a huge loss and he leaves behind a rich legacy, the Congress president said. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said the spiritual guru’s message of compassion and service will remain an “inspiration”.
“Deeply saddened by the passing away of HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj. His message of compassion & service will remain an inspiration,” the Congress vice-president said on Twitter. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, deputy CM Nitin Patel and former chief minister Anandiben Patel too expressed grief over Swami’s demise.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be in Gujarat to pay his tributes to Pramukh Swami Maharaj on August 16. “Pramukh Swamiji was epitome of the great philosophy of uniting theworld with his teachings,” AAP leader Ashutosh tweeted.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual successor of BAPS, was born as Shantilal Patel at Chansad village in Vadodara on December 7, 1921. He left home in 1939 to become a sadhu. He was just 28 when he was appointed as BAPS pramukh (president). He became the spiritual guru of BAPS in 1971 after Yogiji Maharaj, the fourth spiritual successor of BAPS, passed away.
Born on December 7, 1921 to a Patel family of Chansad village near Vadodara, Pramukh Swami Maharaj was named Shantilal Patel and later ordained as Shastri Narayanswarupdas. He received initiation as a Hindu Swami in 1940 from Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS.
He was made President of BAPS in 1950. Former head and spiritual guru, Yogiji Maharaj declared Pramukh Swami Maharaj as his spiritual successor and guru of BAPS in 1971.
Under Pramukh Swami’s leadership, the BAPS grew from an organisation mainly restricted within Gujarat, to become one of the most widely spread Hindu institution having its presence across the globe.
His last rites, which is likely to be attended by hundreds of thousands of his disciples from across the globe, will be conducted after two days, thereby giving his believers an opportunity of his ‘last darshan’.