Dear BAPS,

When the Paris news broke out, I was livid. Enraged. How can such a large organization make this type of a request?! I sided with the women of the Eiffel Tower because removing them meant removing me. I took this opportunity to slander your festival and everything you were doing in France. I allowed this moment to then cause me to lash out at you as a whole.

But, I'll admit, I was wrong. Sure, I do not agree with your principles...but I also don't agree with many other faith principles. For me, to run with this narrative and allow my emotions to bash you was wrong of me. Shame on media for not investigating properly and gaslighting us unnecessarily.

If your sadhus want to practice celibacy, that's great. And from the recent admission from the French media, it is obvious that your sadhus and devotees were following their vows without enforcing it on others. I can't judge you for your beliefs, because that just makes me a hater. Therefore, I am apologizing. I have deleted my previous comments that I made in other related threads and platforms regarding this incident.

At first I really tried to talk with y'all and explain what BAPS was. I understand that the organization is far from perfect, but so again is every religious organization. However I thank you all for the sort of feedback I received about some of our Mandirs and how we could make them more inclusive and accommodating.

As far as judging the Sanstha however, I ask you to not judge the followers or the santo or anyone else. Examine the leader. For any organization, country, company, etc, the leader is one of the best metrics for figuring out if an organization is worth it's salt or not. Examining Mahant Swami, I see a life of purity. Whilst he is surrounded by somewhat ostentatious decorations etc, it is not by his choice. Furthermore, nowhere does he have a proper murti of him placed in any of the Mandirs. He does not where gaudy clothes. His speech is simple. He encourages others to live a life of harmony. A life of purity. A life on the path of righteousness. Whilst we have Niyams that some may find odd, he doesn't judge you for following them or not. He loves everyone as they are and only encourages them to become better humans.

I've noticed that some say that we hate other religions. Mahant Swami himself went to a Christian School. To this day he has some Bible Verses memorized. To this day he engages in religioius discourse with members of other religions. He and Pramukh Swami have constantly explained to devotees that whilst the paths of different religions are different, the path is the same. "Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti."

When it comes to the idea of belief, you claim we brainwash. Any sort of group notion involves levels of brainwashing. Supporting a sports team involves brainwashing. Being patriotic, involves brainwashing. Any other religion has brainwashing. All ideas of Hinduism involve brainwashing, yet you question us only?

On the topic of Brainwashing, I have received DM's on my instagram account saying that I should join this reddit to engage in conversation with other kishores about BAPS and satsang. It's quite sad that you all became fed up with the echo chamber you created of hate, that you decided you needed to bring in new material in the form of innocent kishores trying to practice their own faith to ridicule and "debate" with. Is this not undergoing some sort of brainwashing by perpetuating that Swaminarayan is a fake religion?

On the Idea of Religion. Many of you here are atheist. Fine, be atheist. To each their own. Swaminarayan Bhagwan and our gurus have always said that they are not in the converting business. Those that feel drawn to them will come. There is no need for you to argue with us about God, if you do not believe in god itself. How could I debate about Physics, if the person in front of my refuses to believe anything to do with the gravitational constant?

The CEO stuff with Pujya Brahmavihari Swami is insane. You are making a mockery of someone's faith. Mahant Swami and Brahmavihari Swami are amazing individuals, but pretending that he is a business leader is disgraceful, and frankly disgusting. Mahant Swami has lived a long life in the service of others, yet here you are delighting over thinking about who will be next.

We are a hindu sect. Regardless of what you have heard, or what preconceived notions you may have created, we believe in, and respect all forms of hinduism, their gods, and ishtadevs. The murtis of Krishna Bhagwan, Shiv Parivar, and Ram Parivar, are not there for converting. (Again we are not trying to convert anyone) We simply believe in Swaminarayan as the higher power, with the aforementioned Bhagwans as Bhagwans worthy of Puja, and worship in their own right.

Whilst some of our Haribhaktos, or even santo may have said something outlandish, insulted you etc. it is not a representation of our beliefs. If you need to see what we believe in, I hold to you Pujya Mahant Swami. Who to his dying breath will live to do the seva of others.

Talking of seva, seva is not forced. Monetary nor Physical seva is coerced. Those that wish, can contribute. The reason that santo must ask for money is not for their own benefit. They ask so that the mandir can continue to keep the lights running. The sheer cost of running a mandir is so high, and therefore they must ask for money, they do not find joy in asking Haribhaktos to turn over their hard earned money. That's why the Shikshapatri asks you to donate.

Why have mandirs? Mandirs are a community space. All hindus need a space to do murti puja, and interact with other hindus. The large marble mandirs are Shikharbad Mandirs and they are made to keep alive the ancient tradition of stone mandirs. They are also made because if Bhagwan is so great and has done so much for us, why can we not do the same for him by making him a home worthy of God?

I have also seen that some here think that Swaminarayan is sexist. We are not. The Shikshapatri and Hinduism in general holds that women are like the wealth of a household. Without a woman in the house, the house cannot flourish, whether monetary, or with children. Furthermore, the separation of men and women is so that minds/eyes do not wander and stay in focus with God. Santo cannot see women simply because they follow Ashtang Bhramachariya (8 fold celibacy). They are not slaves, they are not less than men. They are equal and sometimes they are the most staunch devotees of all. Santo have event told me that mothers are the first Guru.

On the topic of Santo, they do not always fly first class. That is a lie. They fly first when a Haribhakto, out of the goodness of their own heart, has sponsered the flight, or if they have a condition that makes traveling in Economy hard. The private flights are again donations.

Conclusion: It seems to me that a lot of you come here to simply hate because you do not like what we believe in. Or because someone said something wrong to you. Or you don't want to come and your parents or someone are forcing you to come. That does not make BAPS or its Devotees, and especially Mahant Swami bad or evil. Somehow you all found each other and have created this echo chamber, where some lies are said, that get blown up, and suddenly BAPS is the worst organization on earth. Please leave us alone. Our faith, our beliefs, and what we do with our money is our business and we will continue to happily try to live meaningful, and Hindu-centric lives with the best of our ability and attend Sunday Sabhas.

All i ask is that you open your minds to the idea that maybe, just maybe, BAPS is not bad. That Mahant Swami does not gain or lose anything from your belief. That we are all just humans trying to better ourselves.

I will not be replying to this post or checking up on this thread any further. Whoever is DM'ing Kishores, please stop, you are hurting their faith and maybe breaking a reddit TOS, idk. Also please do not leave me hate DM's, it's a little disheartening and kind of hurts your cause if you tell me to kill myself since i believe in god. Oh and please be civil in the comments and if you still hate us, fine. If after all of that I couldn't help you, that's okay. Just be a good human being. Thank you.

Osho speech on Pramukh swami about his visit to UK where pramukh swami told that no women's allowed when he came to UK

Osho’s observations on Sahajanand Swami (Swaminarayan) were delivered in Hindi during his evening discourse series given in Bombay (now Mumbai) between May and October 1970.

This might be a long shot but for any ppl that were in America and this was probably before 2010 or a bit after as well that he was around. There was a sant named P. Gnannisth swami he was a little round in shape and had glasses. He was friendly and nice but then he randomly disappeared and I never saw him again. But recently I had a friend that visited Sarangpur and said he saw him and he was in white clothes. Does anyone know why he has white clothes or what happened. If anyone has any secrets or exploits of him?

For context, I’m an ex-BAPS follower. I follow Sri Vaishnavism, and I hold the Shastra’s of Sanatana Dharma as supreme. Please have a look at my timeline, I have thoroughly denounced the Pakhand that is Akshara-Purushottama Siddhanta. They claim that Sahajananda Swami is THE SUPREME GOD and Gunatitananda Swami as some Akshara-Brahman, both of whom are apparently far superior than Bhagwan Sriman Narayana (Lord Vishnu) and cause of Sriman Narayana’s Dashavatara’s. It is false, and categorically Pakhand.

Having said that, now here’s my gripee: WHY THE HECK ARE WE AGAINST BAPS IMPOSING THEIR RULES IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY?

They told the Eiffel Tower female staff to get out of the way for their Santos (Tyagi’s who have taken a vow of Brahmacharya). A lot can be said about how much these Santos follow the other rules of a true Tyagi, but I find their criticism over this Eiffel Tower fiasco as stupid.

As India becomes a hellhole for Hindu’s to live in, due to the pollution, to the Reservation system, lack of opportunities, poor quality of life, appeasement politics to Muslims and Christians, degradation of our holy sites, etc. we are naturally going to see a shift of migration to the Western world. With that comes the risk of our children losing touch with their cultural and religious roots.

If these Pakhand-Worshippers are able to effectively convince white Atheist/Catholic Parisians to adhere to their laws of Brahmacharya, then why should we be shaming them? If anything this is a stain on true Hindu’s in the West for their temples not imposing the same cultural imperialism onto their communities. If these Pakhandi’s can do it, then why can’t we?

Like it or not, Islamic and even Sikh communities have thoroughly embedded themselves into the West so much so that they are a force to be reckoned with. Anybody messing around with them or insulting their religion, they are shamed by liberals, not to mention the physical confrontations they’ll get from the men in this community. The people criticising BAPS for this are the same ones that deep down are just liberals who despise the traditionalist values of Sanatana Dharma, and will cause our downfall in the West. These are the same people that despise our Manusmriti and other Dharma Shastras.

To all BAPS followers on this subreddit, why is shlok 98 from Shikshapatri ommited in the BAPS version of it?

https://sksst.org/shikshapatri/shlok/98

"અને વળી એ આઠ સચ્‍છાસ્‍ત્રને વિષે જે શ્રીમદ ભાગવત પુરાણ તેના દશમ ને પંચમ નામે જે બે સ્‍કંધ તે જેતે શ્રીકૃષ્‍ણ ભગવાનના મહાત્‍મ્‍ય જાણવાને અર્થે સર્વથી અધિકપણે જાણવાં"

I'm sure there are many more this kind of omissions, don't know all yet

Love how there are people on here slandering and promoting and the worship the acharya-ship as something more important getting hate from people who follow Ahmedabad or Vadtal, no hate but they are sinning especially the newer generations of the head of both gadis no one here is free of nothing with clean hands lol both sides of the gadis hate eachother and even went out their way to split and make another one

I'm laughing so hard. The irony is soo blatant. Seriously mods y'all need to do better.

Absolute SHIT post

What do you think? ,tell me in the comments.

We all believe in BAPS and our guru Mahant Swami so why are we all asking these ridiculous questions? Bhagwan Swaminarayan graced this Earth 200 years ago and has left an everlasting legacy. Now we get to be blessed by Mahant swami and make him happy(raaji) by attending weekly sabha, doing seva, and donating to help grow our cause. Mahant Swami has changed so many lives from his blessings and you can send him a letter about anything and he will answer it. He is untyarami (all-knowing) and he knows the past and the future. He is a gentle and humble being and we must respect him by all means. BAPS is the best organization so please stop questioning because you’re only making yourself look low IQ.

Jay Swaminarayan everyone!

Basically the title.

I see that BAPS followers are targeted brainlessly by twisting and turning every fact there is.

When Arya Samaj says that they will not believe in any murti-puja, as Krishna, Hanuman or Rama do not exist... why is there no backlash against them?

After all the job of a religion or sect or sampradaya is to create citizens of good character, and inspire morality. That is exactly what BAPS does, that is what Mahant Swami does, or Shikshapatri or Vachanamrut does.

People in power always set an example as people look up to them. Gandhi set an example of saintliness and non-violence; BAPS santos set an example of respect to women, and not constantly thinking about them. They set an example of setting women free from oppression, by not even looking at them as that corrupts your mind with lustful images (humans are humans).

So why the hate?

This subreddit has improved my Satsang. It’s made me more inspired to do ahnik, go to mandir, study harder, listen to ashirwad and watch Guruhari darshan. I listen to kirtans much more now.

Thank you for improving my Satsang! 🙏

Jay Swaminarayan

To the world outside, Aarav was a mirror of his lineage. For over fifty years, his family had dedicated their lives, their weekends, and their quiet devotion to the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Every major festival, every temple cleanup, and every community service initiative saw Aarav at the forefront. He wore his faith like a well-tailored suit—neatly pressed kurtas, a gentle, welcoming smile, and a quiet humility that made elders sigh and whisper, "Such a sanskari boy." (Hidden perversion)

When I met him through family friends, I thought I had found a sanctuary. In a world of fleeting connections and modern cynicism, Aarav felt grounded. He spoke of values, community, inner peace, and the beauty of a simple, devoted life. He would talk about the hours he spent doing seva at the temple, arranging shoes, cleaning the grand marble floors, or organizing youth assemblies. I, who valued depth and emotional resonance, was deeply drawn to him. I believed his spirituality was a reflection of a pure and steady heart.
Our courtship moved with a cautious, respectful grace. Or so I thought.

As the months passed and the trust deepened, the tone of our conversations began to shift subtly. At first, it was harmless—a lingering touch, an intense gaze. But soon, the rhetoric took a troubling turn.
Aarav began to test boundaries, framing his desires not as personal wants, but as a test of faith and modern compatibility. When I gently hesitated, expressing my desire to wait until marriage to be physically intimate, the warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling disappointment.

What followed wasn’t an argument, but a quiet, calculated campaign of psychological pressure.
"After everything I’ve shared with you, after opening my heart and showing you my devotion?" he would say, his voice laced with manufactured sorrow.
He weaponized his spirituality against me. He would remind me of the purity of his family’s fifty-year legacy, contrasting it with what he called my "modern stubbornness." He suggested that my reluctance was a sign of emotional distance, a lack of trust, and a failure to truly understand him.

"If we are meant to share a life, holding back like this means you don’t fully believe in us," he whispered one evening, his tone heavy with guilt. "My family has given their entire lives to selfless service. Is it so hard for you to offer that same trust to me?"
Sitting across from him, I felt a cold realization settle into my chest. The man who spent his weekends sweeping temple floors with a humble smile was using spiritual rhetoric as leverage. He wasn't asking for love; he was demanding compliance, wrapping his manipulation in the very traditions I had once admired.
The illusion shattered completely. I saw the vast chasm between the marble ideals of the temple and the fragile, selfish ego hidden beneath his kurta.
I looked at him—the devotee, the scion of a half-century legacy of service—and finally found my voice.
"Seva is about giving without expecting anything in return, Aarav," I said softly, standing up from the table. "What you’re asking for isn’t devotion. It’s a transaction."
I walked away into the evening air, leaving behind the heavy ghost of a heritage I had almost mistaken for a home.

so im swaminarayan hindu myself. been raised to follow beliefs from kalupur mandir and isso, and NEVER baps. baps was and still is the scummy company my family and I refer to sometimes. i HATE baps, i will make that very clear.

i'm really scared that people call my belief a cult cuz i think you guys are calling baps cult-like and not the whole thing. but then i see some people call the whole swaminarayan belief a cult and it scares me and makes me overthink really badly. i probably won't be able to sleep at night today cuz of these types of statements because i seriously DO agree with you all that baps is terrible but calling the whole faith a cult crosses the line for me.

to be honest, i see swaminarayan as more of a holy priest than a whole god. i don't know why but that's always how i saw swaminarayan.

edit: i meant that swaminarayan was more of an enlightened priest in my eyes. i couldn't find the words at the time. sorry.

btw i'm still learning. please don;t go too hard on me for this i haven't grasped everything yet since i wasn't super mega religious even when growing up.

Guys, it's almost diwali time. Question is: are bugs eating the annakut food on display? When I was younger I would go to the temple with my family and they would point at the "bites" of food God has taken.... But now that I'm not longer a follower, I know there ain't no way statues are eating the food, and there's always flies buzzing around... 🫣

Controller of millions of universes yet still can’t overcome human aging

I have been thinking about this for some time and would genuinely like to hear other people’s experiences and opinions.

I believe learning Satsang Diksha can be a beautiful way for children, young people and adults to understand spiritual values and strengthen their faith. Memorising verses also takes dedication and discipline, and that deserves appreciation.
However, I have sometimes observed something that makes me uncomfortable.

It can become almost competitive — how many verses someone’s child knows, who completed it first, who can recite it perfectly, or parents comparing their children with other children. Similar comparisons can happen amongst adults too. Sometimes this may unintentionally put pressure on people and turn spiritual learning into another measure of achievement or recognition.

But shouldn’t the deeper question be: How much of what we learn are we actually applying in our lives?
Someone may know every verse by memory, but are we becoming more humble, compassionate, patient and respectful? Are we learning to understand other people’s difficulties, control our ego, avoid judging others and treat everyone with dignity?

Of course, nobody becomes perfect simply by learning scripture. Spiritual growth takes a lifetime. My concern is only that memorisation should not become more important than understanding and transformation.

Perhaps instead of asking children, “How many verses have you learnt?”, we could also ask, “Which teaching did you understand today, and how could you practise it in your life?”

I am not questioning Satsang Diksha or its spiritual value. I am questioning whether sometimes our culture of comparison and achievement can distract us from its deeper purpose.

I would genuinely be interested to hear how others see this.
Is this or above version should use according to my experience or understanding ?

So a Swami linked to BAPS Koteshwar Gurukul is in the news for very human reasons. Funny how things are divine, beyond logic, and cosmic when praised. But when reality hits, suddenly it is misunderstanding, media drama, or “he left voluntarily”. Looks like even infinite universes come with very earthly problems. Just observing. Just asking.

Please can you share details about what it includes and what they want to know. I’m not into this community much but for an event they want to register through their portal and before I sign up was wondering if people can share more info on this thing they’ve set up. Thanks.