Upcoming Events

BAPS Charities Walk Green 2018 in Chicago, IL is an event to raise funds for The Nature Conservancy and other charitable activities organized by BAPS Charities. This year, BAPS Charities will support The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to plant and restore over 1.6 million acres of land by planting one billion trees by 2025 through their Plant a Billion Trees initiative. Join over 17,000 walkers in over 50 cities in North America and help us support the planting of 100,000 trees in 2018.

Event website: http://www.bapscharities.org/usa/chicago/walk18chicago/

The event will be at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, IL. 

“Rath” means chariot, and “Yatra” is a pilgrimage or procession. Join us to celebrate Rath Yatra, the festival of chariots, with devotional bhajans and spiritual discourses.

Guru Purnima (Vyas Purnima), is celebrated on Ashadh Sud Poonam, the day of the full moon in the month of Ashadh. On this day, Hindus remember Ved Vyas, the eternal guru of Hindu Sanatan Dharma, as he classified the 4 Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva) and wrote the Mahabharata and 18 Puranas. Guru, a Sanskrit word, comes from the root words ‘gu’ meaning darkness or ignorance, and ‘ru’ meaning remover of that darkness. A guru is one who removes our darkness in the form of ignorance, helps us overcome maya, and guides us on the path to realizing Bhagwan. Join us in offering guru bhakti, our devotion, and earnest prayers, to His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, with bhajans, video presentations and spiritual discourses by swamis and youth.

The month of Shravan in the Hindu calendar is considered among the holiest of the year. It brings many different festivals, one of the most significant is known as Janmashtami, or the birth of Bhagwan Shri Krishna. Join us in celebrating Janmashtami.

he festival signifies Bhagwan’s role at the helm of the ship that is our lives, and his compassion in navigating devotees across the vast ocean of life. On this day, devotees carry a small murti of Bhagwan and a clay murti of Ganeshji to a river bank or lake shore. Here, both are offered pujan, arti and thaal five times. After each pujan, both are taken for a short boat ride. During these boating rituals, devotees sing bhajans which express sentiments of "sharnaagati" – surrendering oneself to the will of Bhagwan and one’s guru.

Birthday Celebrations of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the sixth and present spiritual guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha will be celebrated on October 3, 2018.

At the BAPS Kid’s Diwali Celebration, the traditional rituals are combined with patient explanations and hands-on learning to engage a younger audience. Children participate in events ranging games to making small oil lamps which symbolize the triumph of light over darkness.

Sharad Purnima is celebrated on the full moon of the Hindu lunar month Ashwin, and honors the significant role of the moon in Hinduism. It is the birth anniversary of Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami, the first successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, and is a spiritually significant day for BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Join us in a celebration that includes special discourses and bhajans

Diwali – one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar will be celebrated with great devotion and splendor. On this day, business-owners close existing account books and open new ones in preparation for the year ahead. Devotees also take stock of their spiritual relationship with Bhagwan, and consider any progress or regress they have made in the year past. The ceremony, known as Chopda Pujan, will take place in the evening. Hundreds of new account books – in a variety of paper and electronic forms – are sanctified through the showering of flowers petals and rice grains amid the chanting of Vedic hymns and prayers.

The day following Diwali is the beginning of the Hindu New Year. The Hindu New Year is traditionally celebrated with the Annakut – literally meaning, a mountain of food. Every year over 1,000 unique thals (vegetarian delicacies) are offered in devotional gratitude for the past year and to seek blessings for the New Year ahead.  The Annakut offering includes hundreds of items of food, snacks, sweets, pickles, spicy dishes, salads, fruit drinks and other items devotionally prepared by devotees. We cordially invite you for darshan of the Grand Annakut with family and friends.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj is an inspiration for countless people around the globe. During the course of his lifetime, he has personally counseled countless people, having read and replied to over half a million letters from individuals of all walks of life.  He inspired thousands to lead lives grounded in spiritually and selfless service.