Ghanshyam Maharaj's Extraordinary Arrival to Maninagar Dhaam

Jeevanpran Swamibapa had decided that the murti pratishtha of Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj in Maninagar Mandir would take place on Vijay Dashmi. The murti for the mandir was being hand crafted in the town of Jaipur in Rajasthan in India.

One day, Jeevanpran Swamibapa was travelling to Karjisan to meet Shree Vrundavandasji Swami. All of a sudden, the sky was filled with tej and a voice said, “Prepare for My arrival with enthusiasm and delight. I will arrive there, on Falgun sud 3.” These were the words of Lord Swaminarayan.

Swamibapa was confused upon hearing this and thought. “Falgun sud 3? But the murti pratishtha is earlier, on Vijya Dashmi! Why did Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj say Falgun sud 3?”

Upon reaching Karjisan, Swamibapa was requested by Shree Vrundavandasji Swami's to postpone the murti pratishtha to Falgun sud 3, the date that Lord Swaminarayan had said.

One day a message arrived from Jaipur. The murti of Ghanshyam Maharaj was ready. The message said, “The murti is in a wooden case and is sitting on the platform of Jaipur Station waiting for a train. However, there are no trains running from here at the moment.” The murti sat on the platform for many days.

Then one day, a senior official was re-locating from Jaipur to Ahmedabad and a special train was arranged to carry the official and his belongings. The large wooden case sitting on the platform was also loaded onto the train with the official's luggage. It was on this train, that Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj arrived in Ahmedabad on a special, first class, luxury train.

At Ahmedabad Station, the guards read the name on the case and then sent a message to Maninagar Temple. They explained a wooden case had arrived from Jaipur that had been transported by mistake.

The case was brought to Maninagar. Jeevanpran Swamibapa opened the wooden casing, and in it, was the beautiful marble divya tejomaya murti of Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj.

In His own extraordinary manner, Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj had finally arrived. That day was Aso sud 10, Vijya Dashmi, the very day that Jeevanpran Swamibapa had first decided to perform the murti pratishtha.

The following Falgun Sud 3 the murti pratishtha of Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj took place in Shree Swaminarayan Temple Maninager.