Abstract
The mandir embodies a profound paradox, appearing as an earthly construct while serving as a divine sanctuary. It is built from tangible materials by imperfect individuals in an imperfect world, requiring ongoing restoration and bearing the marks of time and human interaction. Despite this, it is revered as divine, fostering transcendence through its connection to the eternal. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who inspired the creation of countless mandirs worldwide, emphasizes its transformative essence, highlighting how a mandir stabilizes the mind, cultivates virtue, preserves tradition, and establishes a connection with Parabrahman. A mandir’s carefully crafted spaces and practices position it as a place where the individual transcends worldly limitations, stands in humble servitude before God, and strives for personal connection and transformation.
This work explores how mandirs of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) navigate this paradox while sustaining a unified identity amidst their global and transnational presence. With over 1,100 mandirs worldwide, ranging from modest centers to large complexes, BAPS exemplifies diasporic and deterritorialized growth. Despite these mandirs’ architectural diversity, multifunctional uses, and varied cultural contexts, they maintain a shared identity and purpose. By identifying Akṣarabrahman as the abode of Parabrahman, they adhere to the theological and philosophical underpinnings of the Akṣara-Puruṣottama Darśana while creating a sacred space where devotees encounter Parabrahman and transform their perceptions of self and others. Through their intricate architecture and integration of educational, cultural, devotional, and communal practices, these mandirs also reinforce the tradition’s teachings, preserve its spiritual heritage, and cultivate a collective identity.