The practice of Sahajananda Swami (1781–1830), who was born
near the holy city of Ayodhya in eastern India but lived most of his life in
the western Indian state of Gujarat, is based on the life and teachings of the
deity Vishnu.
Sahajananda became a mahant, or ascetic leader, after
undergoing ascetic initiation.
His devotees saw him as a religious instructor (guru) at
first, and then as a partial manifestation of the divinity Krishna himself
afterwards.
They thought that in times of great distress, avatars of the
deity Vishnu, such as Krishna, are born on Earth.
He was given the name Swaminarayan ("Lord
Narayan") in this later avatar, and his disciples thought he was the
ultimate manifestation of God in human form.
There are many million lay followers (bhakta) in the
Swaminarayan sect, the most of whom are rich Gujarati merchants.
However, in line with the community's austere beginnings,
the ascetics who govern the organization and act as instructors and counselors
to them are the most significant people.
Raymond Brady Williams, A New Face of Hinduism, 1984, is a good
source of knowledge.