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| Swaminarayan,
Pramukh |
 |
|
| Chino Hills
Hindu Mandir |
|
|
“I will forever reside in the
images installed in the Mandirs.
With this belief, offer worship and serve
the images,
as if you are serving God in
person.”
- Bhagwan Swaminarayan -
Every religion in its
own tradition builds houses of worship.
It is the mandir that fuels our faith in
God, strengthens our society and teaches
us to trust one another and to become
trustworthy.
A Mandir is a center
for learning about man, nature and God.
It is where ethics and values are
reinforced. It is where people celebrate
festivals and seek shelter in sad times.
It is where talents in various arts -
music, literature and sculpture, etc. -
are offered in the service of God.
Within every Mandir,
resides Murtis. The Murti is the soul of
the Mandir. Within it, God will be asked
to manifest and accept the devotion of
worshippers. Thus it is the most sacred
part of all Mandir.
The Mandir
that is being built in Chino Hills will
have such Murtis. It will be a place for
everyone to go for worship which means to
see with reverence and devotion.
Please click on a
thumbnail to get a bigger
preview
|
Bhagwan Swaminarayan (left)
established the Swaminarayan Sampraday
and re-established the correct mode of
worship by promoting personal morality
and molding spiritual character. He
promised to remain ever present on this
earth through a spiritual succession of
Gurus infused with complete spiritual
authority and integrity.
Aksharbrahma
Gunatitanand Swami (right) is the first
spiritual successor of Bhagwan
Swaminarayan. He lived as an ideal sadhu,
the incarnation of Aksharbrahman, Gods
divine adobe. |
Another name for Bhagwan
Swaminarayan, who was known as Ghanshyam
in his childhood. Ghanshyam rencounced
home at the age of eleven to embark on a
seven year spiritual pilgrimage on foot
across the length and breath of
India.
|
Harikrishna Maharaj (left) is
another name for Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
This murti is made from five pure metals:
gold, silver, copper, iron and lead. As
this mandir is dedicated to Bhagwan
Swaminarayan, His murtis have been
consecrated in various shrines under
different names.
Shri Krishna
(center) is the incarnation of Vishnu who
graced the world about 5,000 years ago.
Krishna is the embodiment of love and
divine joy, that destroys all pain and sin.
Beside him stands Radha (right). Radha is
Shri Krisha's closest devotee, who
symbolises unflinching love, total
dedication and acceptance of the divine
Will and virtues of an ideal devotee. |
Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is
the the Sustainer and Shiva (left) would
be the Destroyer. Shiva’s trident
represents the three worlds: celestial,
earthly and infernal. Next to him stands
Parvati, the female power of Shiv,
represented as his inseparable
consort.
|
Shri
Ram is the divine hero of the Ramayan.
His life teaches truth, justice, valour,
compassion and other virtues of the ideal
ruler, citizen and husband. Sita, queen
and devotee of Shri Ram, teaches
fidelity, true love,
‘motherliness’, faith and
other virtues of an ideal wife and
devotee.
|
Bhagwan
Swaminarayan said that he would
continue to be present on this earth
through a succession of spiritual
Gurus. He entrusted Gunatitanand Swami,
His Enlightened Sadhu, with the oars of
the Sampraday.
"Gunatitanand and I
are no different."
"Just as people follow me, people shall
follow Gunatitanand."
Such revelations and
predictions of Bhagwan were truly and
fully realized as Gunatitanand Swami
led the faith. Since then, the
spiritual succession has continued in
all its divinity through Bhagatji
Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji
Maharaj and, at present, Pramukh Swami
Maharaj.
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