Guru Purnima is one of the three main annual festivals in the Swaminarayan Sampraday. His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree, sants, and disciples all take this day to gather and pay respect to our Gurus, Lord Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa and Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa. This year, Guru Purnima fell on Sunday, July 9, 2017.
The celebration at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir New Jersey commenced with a small procession led by an Utsav from the Swamibapa Hall lobby to the temple prayer hall. Disciples carried Jeevanpran Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa, who was seated on a golden palanquin, through the procession. Disciples carried chhaabs with abundant offerings for Lord Shree Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa. Upon arriving inside the prayer hall, disciples performed the gurupoojan ceremony and presented the various offerings as well as a celebration cake. They also performed panchamrut snan to the divine lotus feet of Lord Shree Swaminarayan. Young disciples also shared a few words about the glory of Gurudev Jeevanpran Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa. All disciples then had the chance to perform gurupoojan and offer aarti to Gurudev Jeevanpran Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa and Lord Shree Swaminarayanbapa Swamibapa.