From Kejriwal to Modi, Why Leaders Court the Swaminarayan Sect in Gujarat

How did the Swaminarayan sect become popular among the Patidars in Gujarat over the years? We explain.

With the goal to make inroads in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home turf Gujarat, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal kick-started the party's election campaign in the state, on the first day of Navaratri.

Pertinently, he concluded his two-day visit with a prayer offering at the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha temple in Ahmedabad, where he was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and Gujarat AAP leaders, including Isudan Gadhvi and Gopal Italia.

The Swaminarayan sect, which enjoys a massive following amongst the Patels or the Patidar community, has constantly been courted by various political leaders from different parties.

But how was it able to become a dominant presence in the country? How did it become popular among the Patidars in Gujarat over the years? What is its political relevance? We explain.

The Spread of the Swaminarayan Sect

With more than a thousand temples around the world and an estimated following of a few million, today, the Swaminarayan sect is easily one of the most prominent Vaishnavite sects in the country.

This sect originated under Sahajanand Swami, originally called Ghanshyam Pande, a Sarvaria Brahmin from Uttar Pradesh, in the early 1800s as a reform movement.

As Sahajanand preached about cleansing the Gujarati society and founded an order of sadhus who vowed never to look at a member of the opposite sex, he did face some opposition from the orthodox upper castes.

"But it wasn't a stiff challenge," Gaurang Jani, a professor of Sociology at Gujarat University, told The Quint, adding, "since the Brahmins constituted a negligible 1 percent of Gujarat's population."

With the British gaining power in Gujarat in the 1820s, the sect started swinging into prominence. And Sahajanand, who had proclaimed that he was an incarnation of God, began going by the name Swaminarayan.

Explaining the sect's support base in Gujarat, Jani said, "Initially, the OBC communities were drawn towards the Swaminarayan sect along with people from the service classes, like potters, carpenters, and so on, and of course, the Patidar community, which was not a part of the traditional Hindu upper castes."

In fact, in a paper titled, 'Class Base of Swaminarayan Sect', historian David Hardiman wrote that the Patidar community, which found acceptance in the Swaminarayan fold, was "recognised by the sect as "Sat Shudras" who were distinguished from ordinary Shudras, such as Dalits and Adivasis, who were not welcome in the Swaminarayan temples."

"Caste reform wasn't a part of the Swaminarayan sect agenda," Jani pointed out. "On the contrary, it became the face of Hindutva in Gujarat. Except for denouncing sati and female foeticide, which used to be prevalent in Gujarat around that time, their "reforms" included certain typical upper-caste Hindu ideals, such as practising vegetarianism."

Expansion With the Help of Patidars

Since a little before the Independence, the Patidar community has come to represent both the agricultural class and the emerging industrialists.

"Although religion is traditionally in the hands of the Brahmin, because of this new economical and political power, it fell into the hands of the Patidars," Jani explained.

A strong support base among the Patidars proved to be beneficial for the sect's spread in India and across the world, starting with its temple expansion.

"Some of Gujarat's best-known 'new capitalists', such as Karsanbhai Patel, the founder of the Nirma washing powder company, are of this class. They built their fortunes also through migration, initially to East Africa and now to Britain, the US, and other first-world countries. Lavishly funded Swaminarayan temples will be found wherever these men have made good," Hardiman wrote.

Not just Karsanbhai Patel, according to an article in Business Standard, Gujarat has currently over 6,100 industrial units that have a turnover of more than Rs 10 crore. Of these, nearly 1,700 belong to Patels.

Notably, BAPS, believed to be the wealthiest among the sub-sects of Swaminarayan Sampradaya, has constructed sprawling Akshardham temples in Delhi and Gujarat, and in many other countries, including the UK.

"There are different Swaminarayan sects, which keep on squabbling with each other over prominence and power. But BAPS is the most popular and the richest one because it has a huge following," said Deepal Trivedi, a senior journalist and founder editor of a Gujarat-based news platform.

"Having a Hindu temple in London is not a small deal. I was in the UK in 1997 covering an event. I was wearing a bindi and an orange salwar suit, and I remember Prince Charles had wished me "Jai Swaminarayan". You see, that is how prevalent this sect is."

Deepal Trivedi, Senior Journalist

For context, the BAPS Swaminarayan temple currently being constructed in Dubai is going to be the first Hindu temple in the UAE.

Political Courtship With Parties

Hardly has there been a political visit or a political event in Gujarat without a pit stop at the Swaminarayan temple.

If Kejriwal made a prayer offering at the temple, so did Bhupendra Patel, before he assumed the office of Gujarat Chief Minister in September 2021.

"From the BJP to the Congress and the AAP, they will flirt with all politicians," Trivedi said, adding, "If you want to have an impression among Gujaratis, you have to go to the Swaminarayan temple."

Jani also pointed out that the Swaminarayan sect hadn't aligned with any sides of the several riots in Gujarat or the agitation for reservations.

"That makes it quite convenient for political parties," he weighed in.

Controversies and Human Trafficking Allegations

Yet, at the same time, the sect has also been mired in several controversies with the most damning one being from May 2021, when the BAPS temple of New Jersey was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security, and the US Department of Labor to investigate allegations of forced labour.

A report in The New York Times claimed that workers from mostly Dalit and Adivasi communities were recruited by the temple organisation and confined to their quarters. Their passports were reportedly confiscated and the workers were threatened with consequences if they spoke out about their working conditions.

The report stated, "The New Jersey lawsuit said workers were lured to the United States with the promise of fair pay and good hours, but instead, they had nearly no time off from work, which was gruelling and frequently dangerous – moving stones that weighed several tons and facing health risks from exposure to harmful dust and chemicals."

However, in response to the lawsuit, BAPS had rejected the allegations, claiming that the workers were regularly in contact with their family members and temple visitors.