Pramukh Swami, head of BAPS passes away in Sarangpur.
Sarangpur/Ahmedabad: Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha(BAPS) head Pramukh Swami passed away today at 6.00 pm following chest infection. He was ailing since over a month. He was 95. He had refused to leave Sarangpur campus which has memories attached to his Guru. An Intensive Care Unit(ICU) was created within Sarangpur BAPS campus for treatment of Pramukh Swami. For last few days Pramukh Swami was giving darshan on alternate days.
BAPS bulletin today evening said: His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head and president of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, inspirer of countless and a great servant of society, passed away today, 13 Aug 2016, at 6 pm in Sarangpur. We deeply mourn the departure of our revered guruji. The arrangements for final darshan will be announced later today.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj (born Shantilal Patel, 7 December 1921; ordained Shastri Narayanswarupdas) received initiation as a Hindu Swami in 1940 from Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS, who later appointed him as President of BAPS in 1950. Yogiji Maharaj declared Pramukh Swami Maharaj to be his spiritual successor and guru of BAPS, a role he commenced in 1971.
As president of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj had overseen the growth of BAPS from an organization centered in Gujarat, India, to one maintaining Hindu Mandirs and centers outside of India. He had also spearheaded the efforts of BAPS Charities, which is the charitable service organization affiliated.
Pramukh Swami had given his last public appearance yesterday August 12th.
