One of the most famous Swaminarayan sect branches, which broke away from its parent organization in 1906.
- The Swaminarayan movement was founded on the teachings of Sahajananda Swami (1781–1830), an ascetic and Vishnu devotee (bhakta).
- Sahajananda's devotees ultimately saw him as a manifestation of Krishna (a Vishnu incarnation), based on the belief that Vishnu avatars come on Earth in times of great distress.
- The austere successors of Sahajananda Swami, known as Pramukh Swami ("President Swami"), are treated with the same respect.
The Akshar Purushottam Samstha now boasts several million lay followers (bhakta), the majority of whom are Gujarati businessmen, who have contributed to the movement's financial strength.
- The movement's most significant leaders are the Pramukh Swami and a small group of ascetics who act as instructors and spiritual advisors.
Raymond Brady Williams, A New Face of Hinduism, 1984, is a good source of knowledge.
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