New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the 200th-anniversary celebration of the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir at Vadtal in Gujarat Kheda district, at around 11.15 a.m. on Monday, through video conferencing.
Prime Minister Modi will also address the gathering on the occasion.
Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Vadtal has been influencing the social and spiritual life of people for many decades.
Swaminarayan (April 3, 1781- June 1, 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, is the central figure in the Swaminarayan sect.
Swaminarayan Mandir Vadtal, headquarters of the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi, are located in this temple in Vadtal.
The construction of the Shree Swaminarayan temple in Vadtal was completed within 15 months and the idols of Laxminarayan Dev were installed by Swaminarayan himself on November 3, 1824, amid chants of Vedic hymns and devotional fervour of the installation ceremony.
Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Vadtal contains three main shrines among which the central shrine is consecrated by installing the idols of Shri Laxmi Narayan Dev. On the right, the idols of Shri Radha Krishna accompanied by Swaminarayan in the form of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj are installed and on the left, the idols of Shri Vasudev, Shri Dhamapita, and Bhaktimata are installed.
The temple in Vadtal, also known as Vadtal Swaminarayan, having a lotus-shaped plinth is a rare architectural specimen. The nine domes on the temple adore the elevation of the temple. The temple was ordered by Swaminarayan and constructed under the guidance of Sadguru Shree Brahmanand Swami. The pillars of the temple bear colourful stone carvings. The walls of the temple are decorated with colourful representations from the Ramayana.
The town of Vadtal is also known as Vadtal Swaminarayan. The land for this shrine was donated by Joban Pagi, a devotee of Swaminarayan.
