Gurupoonam

"Guru Guru to sahoo kahe pan Guru ek Sahajanand
Pragat maryaa ne haathaj jaalo teno che aanand"
(Shree Nirgunanandji Brahamchari Maharaj)

"Many may be called a Guru, but the one and only true Guru is Sahajanand (Lord SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa). Only those who have resorted unto Him, will attain immense happiness and eternal bliss."

Ashad sud poonam is the auspicious Gurupoonam, one of the 3 main annual festivals of the Swaminarayan sampradaya. On this day, devotees gather and pay respect to our Gurudev SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa.

Jeevanpran Swamibapa explains the precise meaning of the Sanskrit word guru.

Gu means andhkaar (darkness).
Ru means prakash (light).

Therefore a Guru is one that shines light on those who are in darkness. Those that are in darkness are souls that are ignorant or ill informed about the Lord (Lord Swaminarayan) and his moral and religious teachings. It is only Lord Swaminarayan that can enlighten our souls and by doing so we can achieve the greatest happiness and endless peace of the supreme Lord.

SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa is our Guru. Without a Guru, knowledge about religion and the real meaning of life cannot be achieved. Therefore it is important to respect and honour our Guru SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa.