Bhagwan Swaminarayan manifested on this earth and revealed the eternal Vedic philosophy of Akshar-Purushottam Darshan, thus establishing the pathway of eternal happiness and liberation for all souls. To ensure this pathway towards liberation remained for eternity, he also brought Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami with him upon this earth. He remains present today through this lineage of the Aksharbrahma Guru Parampara.
A three-day festival commemorating the pratishtha ceremony of a new murti of Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami was celebrated in the UK and Europe as well as around the world.
The historic occasion, marking the joining of Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami to the murti of Harikrishna Maharaj – the small metallic form of Bhagwan Swaminarayan which was previously worshipped by Gunatitanand Swami and subsequently by his spiritual successors – was enjoyed by thousands through a series of online webcasts.
Swamis from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, began the festivities with a special musical tribute honouring the Gunatit lineage on the evening of Friday 30 October 2020. Their performance represented the 55th in the series of 100 musical tributes celebrating the centennial birth anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
The murti pratishtha ceremony was held in the presence of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj from Nenpur in India on Saturday 31 October 2020 – the auspicious day of Sharad Purnima, the birthdate of Gunatitanand Swami. The programme began with a special online mahapuja at 3am GMT (repeated later at 8am GMT to allow families with younger children to participate). The consecration rituals were joyously performed thereafter by Mahant Swami Maharaj. Thousands around the world joined these rituals and performed the ceremonial arti from their homes.
Festivities celebrating the divine manifestation of Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami continued later in the afternoon with a live assembly from India. The programme included a series of video presentations and discourses from senior and learned swamis who elaborated upon the divine life and noble works of Gunatitanand Swami. Mahant Swami Maharaj also addressed the assembly and further underlined the spiritual significance of the Vedic Akshar-Purushottam philosophy.
On Sunday 1 November 2020, children participated in a special online assembly in the morning that further introduced Gunatitanand Swami as the embodied form of Aksharbrahma and the gateway to ultimate liberation. In the evening, devotees enjoyed kirtans extolling the glory of Gunatitanand Swami as performed by swamis from India as well as an enlightening discourse by Sadguru Pujya Ishwarcharandas Swami.