The ancient Hindu scripture, the Brahmand-Puran, has forecasted:

"In the age of Sat-yug, Lord Dattatreya will manifest. In Treta-yug,
Lord Raghunandan, alias  Ramchandraji, will manifest.
Vasudev, alias Lord Shree Krishna, will manifest in Dwapar-yug,
and in the age of Kali-yug, the son of Dharmadev,
Lord Shree Swaminarayan will manifest."

In the Holy Scripture, the Padma-Puran, it is said:

"When the principles of the elite religion are being destroyed,
Lord Swaminarayan will manifest at the home of the Brahmin Hariprasad.
By the mere utterance of His name, sinners will be purified."

Purna Purushottam Lord Swaminarayan, the incarnator of all incarnations, in His divine lustrous abode, Akshardham resolved to manifest on the earth together with His Muktas

Samvat 1837 Chaitra Sud 9 (Monday 2nd April 1781), just after 10pm, the incarnator of all incarnations (Sarvavtari), Purna Purushottam Lord Shree Swaminarayan gave His divine lustrous darshan.

Dharmadev and Bhaktimata  named the baby Lord 'Ghanshyam'.

Samvat 1837 Ashadh Vad 7, Thursday 12th July 1781 - Markandeya Muni  gave the Lord the names - Hari, Krishna, Hari-Krishna & Nilkanth (possessing the five virtues: renouncement, spiritual knowledge, austerity, religious decree and yoga)

"In His palm, He has the mark of a lotus flower (padma). Consequently, He will be the sovereign Lord of multitudes of souls and will possess innumerable characteristics that are capable of bestowing salvation."

Samvat 1842 Chaitra Sud 12, Monday 10th April 1786 - When He was five years old, the child Lord Ghanshyam commenced His education.

Samvat 1845 Fagan Sud 10, Tuesday 5th February 1789 - When He was eight years old, Lord Ghanshyam's Yagnopavit Ceremony was performed. He then started studying the Vedas and the other holy scriptures.

Samvat 1837 Maha Sud 8 (CE 1781) - Sadguru Shree Gopalanand Swamibapa manifested upon this earth in the same year as Lord Swaminarayan, in the village of Todla.

Shree Dharmadev places a gold coin, a sword and a holy scripture in front of Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj to find out what He would be most interested in when He grew up. The Lord immediately grabbed the scripture and was totally  disinterested in the coin and the sword

Although Dharmadev taught Lord Shree Ghanshyam, there were times when even he became confused. At these times, Lord Shree Ghanshyam Himself would explain the true meanings to His father. Sometimes, Lord Shree Ghanshyam would study subjects and become conversant with them even before His father had taught them.

During the Kashi convention, Lord Shree Swaminarayan advocated the Vishishtadwait philosophy. Even before such great scholars, and at a very young age, Lord Shree Swaminarayan revealed this great prowess in philosophy.

When He was 11 years old, Lord Shree Ghanshyam, enlightened His parents with the knowledge of His true identity. Their physical bodies died and He granted them a divine status. Without the consent of His relatives, He assumed the guise of a brahmachari and left home. He embarked on a forest expedition (van-vicharan) to bestow salvation upon innumerable souls.

Shree Nilkanth Varni left home for His forest expedition at the age of eleven years, three months and one day on Samvat 1849 Ashadh Sud 10 (Friday 29th June 1792).

A map of the route taken by Shree Nilkanth Varni during His forest expedition (van-vicharan). He travelled over 12,000km on foot.

Samvat 1856 Shravan Vad 6 (Thursday 21st August 1799). Shree Nilkanth Varni  arrived in Loj and met Muktanand Swami, marking the end of the forest expedition which lasted seven years one month and eleven days.

Shree Ramanand Swami and Shree Nilkanth Varni met for the first time in Samvat 1856 Jeth Vad 12 (Thursday 18th June 1800).

Lord Shree Swaminarayan, even though He is the supreme almighty God, took Shree Ramanand Swami to be His guru. By this, He explained the importance of a guru. Without a guru, one cannot attain knowledge.

On the auspicious day of Samvat 1857 Kartik Sud 11 (Wednesday 28th October 1800), Shree Ramanand Swami gave initiation (diksha) to Shree Nilkanth Varni as a sant. Shree Ramanand  Swami gave Him two names - Shree Sahajanand Swami and Shree Narayan Muni.

Coronation and initiation ceremony: Samvat 1858 Kartik Sud 11 (Monday 16th November 1801).

"Wherever I have travelled, I have always proclaimed, 'I am merely the drumbeater, awakening and alerting all to the imminent arrival of the God who is truly worthy of worship'. This God is Shree Sahajanand Swami. Finally He has arrived amongst us all."  - Shree Ramanand Swami.

Shree Ramanand Swami handed over the helm of the Sampraday to Shree Sahajanand Swami.

Samvat 1858 Magshar Vad 11, 31st December 1801, Shree Sahajanand Swami called a vast assembly.

Shree Sahajanand Swami gently smiled and said, "No one has managed to discover My eternal name. My parents named Me Ghanshyam. Markandeya Rishi called Me Hari, Krishna, Harikrishna and Nilkanth. Shree Ramanand Swami gave Me the names Narayan Muni and  Sahajanand Swami. However, no one discovered My true and original name."

Shree Sahajanand Swami said, "There are many names for deities, including Narayan, Surya-narayan, Vairat-narayan, Laxmi-narayan, Nar-narayan, Vasudev-narayan, etc. I am the master (swami) of all these deities (narayans). Therefore, My name is 'Swaminarayan'. Dear disciples! My name is 'Swaminarayan'. This is My supreme name. You must all recite this name. Those who chant this name will experience divine ecstasy."

As soon as the devotees chanted the supreme name, Swaminarayan, they immediately fell into a trance.

During the 49 years, 2 months and 1 day that the Lord gave darshan on the earth, He made more than 1.2 million disciples and gave initiation into the ascetic fraternity to over 2500 individuals.

Lord Shree Swaminarayan primarily travelled on His mare, Manki, whom He had brought with Him from Akshardham