BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bochasan

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bochasan, Anand district, Gujarat, is the first temple of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), inaugurated in 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj. Located in the village of Bochasan, it enshrines Akshar-Purushottam murtis and serves as the foundational pilgrimage site for BAPS followers worldwide. The temple features traditional stone architecture, daily worship rituals, and associated memorial shrines, attracting devotees and visitors year-round.

Visitors can expect a traditional Swaminarayan temple complex in a quiet village setting with ornate stone and marble shrines, central sanctum with Akshar-Purushottam murtis, daily arti and darshan, prayer halls, and memorial shrines dedicated to Shastriji Maharaj and early BAPS history. The premises include open courtyards, exhibition displays on BAPS history, prasad facilities, and landscaped surroundings. The atmosphere is devotional and orderly, with areas for circumambulation, seating, and viewing temple architecture.

Inaugurated on 5 June 1907 by Shastri Yagnapurushdas (Shastriji Maharaj), the Bochasan Mandir is the first temple built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) after its founding in 1907. It established the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine with murtis of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami (as Aksharbrahma) in the central shrine, marking the institutional beginning of BAPS.

The temple is the foundational pilgrimage centre for BAPS followers worldwide and a major Swaminarayan devotional site in Gujarat. It hosts daily worship, festivals such as Diwali, Annakut and Swaminarayan Jayanti, and serves as a centre for religious education, community gatherings and cultural preservation of Swaminarayan traditions.