A temple shows the spiritual and social path and so it is an important aspect of the Swaminarayan sect. A temple provides many benefits to society. Thus, by speeding up temple construction projects, Guruvarya HDH Bapji is not only helping the betterment of society but also, is playing an important role in spreading the principles and values of the Swaminarayan sect.
Saints are the only part of society that spends their entire lives leaving their aspirations, hopes, and desires for the noble purpose of their spiritual advancement as well as the upliftment of society.
HDH Bapji has set sail on the path of asceticism, inspiring many youths. HDH Bapji has given a gift to the society of 100 saints and parshads. Though saints are inseparable from society, they are separate from worldly desires. But, enhancing the society, like the incense stick, they burn themselves and spread the aroma of the Lord in the society.
To teach the deepest secrets of the supreme principles of Lord Swaminarayan, the divine saintliness that adorns the saints, ideals, values, and limitations set for the saints by Bhagwan Swaminarayan; HDH Bapji has started a 'Samarpit Training Center' (STK) at Swaminarayan Dham, Gandhinagar, the headquarters of the organization.
Bhagwan Swaminarayan has given rise to a celebration of many occasions for the ultimate salvation of millions of embodied soul so that countless aspirants can become his followers and understand his supreme form. One such superior medium through which Bhagwan Swaminarayan has opened the doors of the ultimate salvation to thousands of people, is the celebration of grand festivals. Following the footsteps of Bhagwan Swaminarayan,
HDH Bapji has held Grand Festivals and Celebrations:
1. Bhagwan Swaminarayan Dwishatabdi Mahotsav - 1981
The number of people visited is estimated to be more than 4,500.
2. Ghanshyamnagar Dashabdi Utsav - 1984
The number of people visited is estimated to be more than 9,000.
3. Jivanpran Abjibapashree Sardh Shatabdi Mahotsav - 1993
The number of people visited is estimated to be more than 390,000.
4. Bapashree Mahotsav - 1995
The number of people visited is estimated to be more than 1,800,000.
5. Swaminarayan Mahamantra Dwishatabdi Mahotsav - 2001
The number of people visited is estimated to be more than 550,000.
6. Vachanamrut Rahasyarth Bapashree Vani Shatabdi Mahotsav - 2006
The number of people visited is estimated to be more than 300,000.
7. SMVS Rajat Gaurav Utsav - 2010 - 2012
The number of people visited is estimated to be more than 600,000.
8. SMVS Rajat Jayanti Mahotsav - 2012
The number of people visited is estimated to be more than 358,950.
With the inspiration of Guruvarya HDH Bapji, SMVS's Swaminarayan Digvijay group has initiated children activities since 1987, in which the all-round development of children is taken care of. These activities help to instill religious culture, traditional culture, and basic values. It also helps to develop life skills, education, creative skills and so many other aspects for the all-round development of children. Under the guidance of Satsang Pravruti Karyalaya (The Children's Activity Board of SMVS), there are currently 633 active (Boys) bal assemblies around the world for children between the ages of 7-14 years. More than 15,000 children from these groups attend children assembly (bal sabha) every week.
Guruvarya HDH Bapji has initiated Kishor-Yuvak Mandal (youth groups) from 1987 under the Swaminarayan Digvijay Mandal, who are engaged in instilling all-rounded development, giving guidance, and transforming the youth. These youth groups cultivate, spiritual values such as simple living, observing basic conduct of religion, worshipping supreme Bhagwan Swaminarayan, learning to lead an austere life, etc. Social values like character, honesty, ethics, and politeness are also being taught. Overall, more than 226 youth and elder groups are active in the different states, regions, and cities across India. Globally there are more than 30 youth groups maintained across the world. Overall, more than 10,000 youths attend youth assembly (Yuvak Sabha) every week.
To fill the society with continuous spiritualism, HDH Bapji's foremost contribution is Satsang Sabha. As a result of HDH Bapji's tireless efforts, today more than 20,000 spiritual assemblies are conducted every year by saints of SMVS in which thousands of followers acquire religious knowledge. Apart from this, saints arrange personal preaching by more than 50,000 in-home visits (Padhramni) and Maha puja ceremonies.
Just as iron turns into gold being in the association of an enchanted gem, similarly HDH Bapji is also an enchanted gem-like divine Satpurush. In his association, many have changed their lives. In today's debauched environment, he has inspired many youths by His nectar-like words who are engaged in worldly pleasures, addiction, and embroilment.
On the other hand, HDH Bapji has shed a ray of light in the life of the people living in the hills of Panchamahal and has made a radical change in their lifestyle. Even at the age of 87 He had visited many villages and conducted the personal house visits at the homes of devotees. His continuous religious travels have spread a unique spiritual aroma everywhere. HDH Bapji is a divine man who has changed others lives by eliminating their natures and faults by taking an interest in each individual's personal life to keep families united. As a result, thousands of families live happily today.
HDH Bapji's volunteer force is built upon the altar of service and dedication. This volunteer force has been altruistically serving as a troop in mass relief work and at major festivals. By the inspiration of HDH Bapji, the volunteers of SMVS have been doing laudable service under the leadership of the saints. The force of 10,000 volunteers is always ready and equipped on the command of HDH Bapji for relief programs and upliftment of society. This force desires to help society in every way possible.
HDH Bapji is an extraordinary and visionary Satpurush. He had built such divine gurukul to take care of education and culture.
In June 2002, this gurukul was inaugurated. With the divine atmosphere of this gurukul and due to the proximity of HH Swamishree, thousands of students bring laurel to SMVS and the fame of this gurukul with their divine lives. Similarly, in 2011, He inaugurated ‘Swaminarayan Dham Girls Gurukul'. Moreover, He established three educational institutes in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
Today, the rapid rise in the fees of educational institutions; the SMVS organization has lent them a helping hand and provided funding for education to such students in desperate need. For the past five years, the educational aid service program has made immense contributions to the education of students in desperate need. The SMVS organization is donating aids of more than twenty-five lakhs towards the educational sector and for necessary stationery needs.
To provide High-class medical services to every individual of the society, HDH Bapji launched the 'SMVS Swaminarayan Hospital' on the 87th years since his manifestation in the presence of thousands of followers. The hospital has been prepared at a cost of more than eight hundred million rupees.
Due to his inspiration, the hospital's infrastructure, management, doctors, machinery, etc. are all designed at par with corporate hospitals. Nevertheless, the services are provided at a lower cost than the prevailing hospitals. The organization operates a competent hospital system on the loss of millions of rupees for public service. In the first 6 months of the hospital, more than 40,472 patients have taken advantage of its service.
On the other hand, By the command of HDH Bapji, SMVS had opened the 'Shriji-Bapa Medical Centre' which was opened for social service at Vasna, Ahmedabad in 1996. With its laudable service, more than 5 such medical centers have been opened in different places of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat. So far, more than 150,000 patients have taken advantage of it to achieve wellness.
Millions of rupees have been allocated under 'Medical-Aid' to provide timely medical care to financially backward families by his mercy.
The land of Panchmahal has been overshadowed with poverty for many decades. Due to the lack of literacy, innocent tribal people are entrapped in evil deeds like addiction, delusion, superstition, burglary, and robbery. Upliftment of this community was and remains to be a very difficult task.
Indulging in unethical traditions, superstitions, black magic, spreading the terror of ghosts and witches, alcohol consumption, ritualistic sacrifices of goats and dogs, etc. had become a part of their routine lives. Furthermore, stealing, robbery, beating and harassing people had become their life's passion. HDH Bapji serves to rescue these communities from their inhumane ways and inspires them to live moralistic lives with virtues such as honesty and sacredness.
HDH Bapji also relentlessly performed travels throughout the land of Panchmahal in 1985 and purged the land by his lotus feet. In 2005, a large temple was constructed under His guidance in Godhar and thus deep-rooted the base of pure supreme upasana in this region.
Currently, SMVS is conducting many social and spiritual activities in more than 200 villages of the Panchmahal district for tribal upliftment.
In today's era, science has progressed a lot and has provided many facilities for mankind. However, when nature shows its devastating form, most of the scientific inventions become useless. These natural calamities like earthquakes, droughts, excessive rainfall, tsunamis, and thunderstorms create disasters which render many helpless. HDH Bapji provides a great human service to bring society out of this helplessness. The saints and volunteers of the organization are always keen and available to help villages, cities and the human society affected by these natural calamities.
HDH Bapji has inspired de-addiction awareness by actively conducting de-addiction campaigns for almost the last three decades. As a part of this campaign, selected children and youth from the SMVS organization conduct various activities from time to time, under the guidance of saints and volunteers to make the society addiction-free. More than 500,000 individuals have become addiction-free due to this major effort undertaken by the organization.
With the spiritual inspiration of HDH Bapji, the tasks of uplifting spirituality and social services for the benefit of society are being carried out relentlessly. HDH Bapji is always worried about the security of the environment. They have maintained the best of the environment by promoting various campaigns organized by the government and by the organization itself.
In the famine of 2001, HDH Bapji inspired the organization to care more than 120 taluka centers of Panchmahal and Sabarkantha district of Gujarat. SMVS cared more than 6,971 livestock animals by distributing 232,175-kilogram of fodder and over 194,000 kilograms of cattle food and saved them from famine. Thereafter, by HDH Bapji's inspiration, SMVS joined the ‘Clean India' campaign organized by the Central Indian Government. Saints and more than 5,916 volunteers helped to clean more than 114 public places. On the other hand, by the inspiration of HDH Bapji, the organization has been working on environmental protection through launching plantation campaigns and maintenance of more than 175,000 trees. Similarly, to reduce the ecological footprint of SMVS, many temples have converted to solar power.
According to the system of Swaminarayan sect, the proper limits between men and women should be maintained. Keeping this point in mind, HDH Bapji has also taken special care for the female society. By the help of women ascetics, SMVS conducts the spiritual activities of all-female dhun mandals, VCD Satsang centers, etc. To impart spiritual qualities in women's society, there are 339 (girl) balika assemblies, 23 (female youth) kishori assemblies and 50 (women) mahila assemblies running in centers across the country and abroad. In which more than 1500 women and youth volunteers are vigorously pursuing this service. At these Digvijay Mandal assemblies, more than 15,000 women and girls are leading spiritual pursuits in their lives.
Bhagwan Swaminarayan initiated a new tradition in which women could also lead an ascetic life and worship God, just like men. For this purpose, Bhagwan Swaminarayan started a new custom of "Sankhya Yogi Behno" (women ascetics).
Following the footsteps of Lord Swaminarayan and taking into account of gender equality, the SMVS organization has established a separate women wing in which women can become ascetics just like men. This special unit is called ‘Bhaktiniwas'. Currently, around 83 women ascetics are serving in Bhaktiniwas who have accepted Bhagwan Swaminarayan's favorite white colored clothes. They lead a strictly pious life refraining from any worldly pleasures, and propagating the principles of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
Moreover, there is an active 'Samarpit Training Center' (STK) for those young women aspiring to become a woman ascetic.