BAPS Swaminarayan celebrated 92nd birth anniversary of Mahant Swami Maharaj with grandeur and devotion in Vadodara
The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) has celebrated the grand 92nd birthday of Mahant Swami Maharaj on February 2 in Vadodara, Gujarat. On this auspicious occasion the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, and the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Mohan Yadav, were present as special guests. His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj was presented with a certificate of recognition by Guinness World Records for "the largest group recitation of a Hindu scripture."
Official sources said on Wednesday that on this occasion, Guinness World Records will present a 'Certificate of Recognition' to Param Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj. Preparations are underway in full swing at the 350-acre celebration site with the help of approximately 14,000 volunteers. From 5 pm to 8 pm on February 2, 2026, the 92nd birthday of Param Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual head of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, will be celebrated on a grand scale at the APMC Market area near National Highway 48 in Vadodara.
As the spiritual successor of Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Mahant Swami Maharaj continues to guide the vast global activities of BAPS.
Under his leadership, the spiritual values of Sanatan Vedic Dharma are being nurtured through more than 1,800 temples worldwide. From the Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey, the largest Hindu temple in the Western Hemisphere, to the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi, the first traditional Hindu temple in the Middle East, these monumental projects stand as enduring symbols of the flourishing Sanatan tradition on a global scale.
During the program, officials from Guinness World Records, who have arrived from England, will present the Certificate of Recognition to Mahant Swami Maharaj. Inspired by Mahant Swami Maharaj, more than 15,000 children of BAPS have completed the full Sanskrit recitation of the 'Satsang Diksha' scripture.
This 'Satsang Diksha' text, composed by Mahant Swami Maharaj and containing 315 verses, provides profound guidance for an elevated and disciplined lifestyle. Swami Maharaj oversaw the construction of 1,200 Hindu temples during his lifetime.
This achievement will be formally recognized by Guinness World Records and accepted on his behalf by Mahant Swami Maharaj. Guinness World Records has so far awarded five records to Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj and the BAPS organization for their outstanding cultural achievements. As part of the 92nd birth anniversary celebrations, BAPS organized several special events in Vadodara, including: a Mahapuja performed by BAPS child scholars at 140 industrial units on Labh Panchami; a Vishwashanti Mahayagna at Sursagar Lake, where 1,292 BAPS children performed rituals in 292 yagna kunds; a torch relay by 92 youths, which traveled from Jabalpur, the birthplace of Mahant Swami Maharaj, to Vadodara; a massive blood donation camp; and more than 7,200 inspirational assemblies organized by the BAPS Women's Wing.
In Vadodara city, devotees personally visited over one lakh homes and invited families to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations. Approximately two lakh devotees are expected to attend the festivities at the main venue. Additionally, millions of devotees in India and abroad will be able to watch the live broadcast of the event through the Aastha Bhajan channel and other broadcasting platforms.
