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at Akshar Bungalow in Shahibaug. This parayan,based on the 2nd and 3rd chapters of theSatsangijivan, took place during the secondfortnight of the additional Purushottam monthof Ashadh. Yogiji Maharaj was also present onthis occasion (Swaminarayan Prakash, August1950, p. 376).The many divine memories granted byShastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj and PramukhSwami Maharaj have become one with thesanctified land. When Shastriji Maharaj was atAkshar Bungalow in the evenings he would havea cot placed outside his room and have watersprinkled around it. He would sit on the cot andconduct spiritual discourses. The spot he used tosit on is under the shrine where, at present, themurti of Shastriji Maharaj has been consecrated.While Shastriji Maharaj was here, he gaveguidance on how the mandir should be built. Itwas his intense wish to build a mandir and consecratethe murtis of Parabrahman Bhagwan Swaminarayanand Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami.He expressed this on many occasions.Once, standing by the verandah near thegoldsmith’s shop outside Ambli Vali Pol, with hisright hand raised, Shastriji Maharaj said, “I wantto build a mandir in Srinagar and consecrate (themurtis of) Maharaj and Swami in it together.”Once, at Ambli Vali Pol, devotees weresinging bhajans before Shastriji Maharaj. Theysang a prayer requesting him to build a mandir inAhmedabad. So Babubhai Kothari sarcasticallysaid to the devotees, “Swami does not want tobuild a mandir here.”Hearing this, Shastriji Maharaj smiled andsaid, “Why will I not build a mandir here? Icertainly will. Just see, whether it happens ornot! Within six months Shastriji Maharaj boughtthe bungalow in Shahibaug, where the mandirnow stands.Even before commencing the marble mandirin Gadhada, Shastriji Maharaj had written aletter to Kothari Harijivandas Swami in whichhe wrote, “I want to lay the foundations for abig mandir in Ahmedabad.Once, Bhagatji Maharaj gave darshan toAshabhai of Radhu and said, “I want to buildthe sixth shikharbaddh mandir in Ahmedabad.”Shastriji Maharaj made Ashabhai narrate this onmany occasions.When the sanctified mango grove inShahibaug was purchased there were twolarge bungalows on it. One bungalow and itssurrounding land had been acquired, but therewas a delay in acquiring the second plot. ShastrijiMaharaj wished to build a mandir in the middleof the two plots. He instructed Liladhar Mistryto prepare a plan that would preserve the AksharBungalow, with a grand shikharbaddh mandirat the front. Unfortunately, that land was notacquired in Shastriji Maharaj’s presence.However, on Friday, 16 January 1959 (Poshsud 7, V.S. 2015), Yogiji Maharaj performed theshilanyas ceremony in the presence of thousandsof devotees. Yogiji Maharaj descended into the40-ft. deep foundations to lay the first stone.The mandir construction proceeded at a fastpace, and on 10 May 1962, Yogiji Maharaj consecratedthe murtis of Parabrahman BhagwanSwaminarayan and Aksharbrahman GunatitanandSwami in the central shrine. The devoteeswho had contributed significantly to the buildingof this mandir included: Babubhai Kothari,Champakbhai Sheth, Bhogibhai Choksi, KhengarjibhaiChauhan, Rasikbhai Patel, SomeshwarPithwa, Gordhanbhai Brahmabhatt, ManibhaiBrahmabhatt, Purushottamdas Gajjar, RameshbhaiDalal, Prabhashankar Pandya, Ambalal Bhagatand others. Yogiji Maharaj blessed, “Maharajwill come to collect whoever recalls this celebration.This is an assembly in Akshardham. Today,Shastriji Maharaj will be rejoicing.”Just as Ahmedabad is the foremost city ofGujarat, similarly the mandir in Shahibaug is thehub of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, fromwhere countless derive spiritual inspiration. uMay-June 2013 u Swaminarayan Bliss 53