BAPS Swaminarayan Temple

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Gadhada, Botad district, Gujarat, is a prominent Swaminarayan Hindu temple on the banks of the Ghela River. Built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, it enshrines murtis of Swaminarayan and Gopinathji Maharaj. Gadhada is significant as the town where Swaminarayan resided for many years. The marble temple with traditional architecture attracts pilgrims and tourists for darshan and cultural visits.

Visitors can expect a white marble temple complex built in traditional Swaminarayan architectural style with carved pillars, domes and shrines. The central shrine houses murtis of Swaminarayan, Gopinathji Maharaj and Gunatitanand Swami. The premises include a spacious courtyard, prayer halls, exhibition areas and gardens along the Ghela River. Visitors can attend darshan and aarti, walk through the peaceful complex, view religious artwork and use guest facilities.

Gadhada is historically significant as the town where Swaminarayan lived for over 27 years and where the original Shri Gopinathji Dev Mandir was built under his supervision in 1828. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was later constructed by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha under Pramukh Swami Maharaj and inaugurated to serve the growing pilgrimage needs, preserving the legacy of Swaminarayan's residence at Dada Khachar's Darbar in Gadhada.

The temple is a major pilgrimage site for followers of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya and an important cultural landmark in Gujarat. It hosts daily worship, aarti, festivals such as Janmashtami, Diwali and Annakut, and spiritual discourses, reflecting Swaminarayan devotional traditions and community service activities organized by BAPS.