BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta

Within the mandir, murtis (sacred images of the deities) have been ritually installed. The central shrine holds the murti of Swaminarayan, with Gunatitanand Swami to his left, together worshipped as Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj. Similarly, other shrines hold murtis of other Hindu deities, such as Radha Krishna, Shiva Parvati, Sita Ram, Hanuman, Ganapati and the lineage of BAPS gurus, who are Swaminarayan's spiritual successors. == History ==

BAPS followers in the greater Atlanta area began gathering in the 1980s at various devotees’ houses for worship. In 1988, followers purchased a skating rink which was renovated and re-established as a mandir in Clarkston, Georgia. In February 2000, the twenty-nine-acre plot of the current mandir was purchased in Lilburn, Georgia. Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed religious rites to sanctify the land. He visited the site again in 2004 and performed the foundation stone-laying ceremony, and inaugurated the mandir upon completion of construction in 2007. On June 13, 2004, the shilanyas vidhi, a Vedic ceremony to purify the land and bless those working on the temple's construction, was performed when stones were placed at the foundation of the future temple. Pramukh Swami Maharaj led senior BAPS swamis and several thousand people participated in the ceremony. The shilanyas vidhi was commemorated with a four-day celebration which included spiritual programs conducted for senior citizens, children, and youth. Each day, a yajman pujan was performed and discourses on the Taitreya Upanishad were held. In March 2006, a specialty crane was assembled to install the 106,000 cubic feet of Italian carrara marble. Mandir inauguration On August 24, 2007, a Vishvashanti Mahayagna was performed for world peace and family unity in the presence of over ten thousand people. == Spiritual assemblies ==

The mandir holds weekly satsang sabhas on Sundays serving all age groups. The weekly sabha includes the singing of devotional hymns and spiritual discourses on Hindu scriptures and their teachings. == Charitable initiatives ==

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, BAPS Charities has provided relief and assistance worldwide. On March 29, 2020, all six BAPS shikharbaddha mandirs in North America broadcast a special mahapuja performed by the swamis to pray on behalf of all those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 12,000 families in North America participated. On March 28, 2021, BAPS Charities hosted a vaccination drive in conjunction with Kennesaw Clinic and ValueCare Pharmacy at the mandir. A second drive was hosted on April 4, 2021, in conjunction with West End Pharmacy. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy praised BAPS Charities for hosting vaccination clinics at mandirs which increased accessibility for the elderly. ==Gallery==

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