BAPS

[c.smith]

What does anyone know about BAPS? I've been looking at the site swaminarayan.org but most of the material must be viewed/purchased at the temple. I believe (though I may be mistaken) that they fall under the Vaishnava belief umbrella.

[akshar]

I am a BAPS follower. Note that there any many swaminarayan sects, the largest is BAPS (thats me) We stem from the advaita teaching Ramunaj Acarya. We swaminarayan Bhagwan as parmata, purshottam etc. if you go on www.mandir.org (http://www.mandir.org) you can see the mandir that i go to in london.

P.S I am very happy that you want to learn about BAPS.

[Agnideva]

if you go on www.mandir.org (http://www.mandir.org/) you can see the mandir that i go to in london.
Akshar, I’ve been to this mandir when I visited London in ‘04. The temple is truly the eighth wonder of the world. I sat through a puja there, and it was a wonderful experience.

OM Shanti,
A.

[C.K.]

Ashkar;
BAPS does great charitable work as well, with hospitals, education etc. I think the members are supposed to donate 10% of their income to the temple. Really admirable
One question, there is a Swaminarayan temple right near me, but I heard that males & females are separated. Since I'm female, if I visited, would I even be in the temple at all? How would a female learn from the pandits?
C.K.

[Agnideva]

Ashkar;
BAPS does great charitable work as well, with hospitals, education etc. I think the members are supposed to donate 10% of their income to the temple. Really admirable
One question, there is a Swaminarayan temple right near me, but I heard that males & females are separated. Since I'm female, if I visited, would I even be in the temple at all? How would a female learn from the pandits?
C.K.
Namaste CK,

Try this site (http://www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/index.htm). It lists all the BAPS temples worldwide. Both men and women are allowed in the temple. It is true that they separate men and women. Men sit in the front, women in the back. BAPS, as far as I know, does not have married priests. Monks run the temple and the rituals. I think the monks are not allowed to speak to women, but I'm not sure about that.

OM Shanti,
A.