“A sadhu is someone that travels for the benefit of society.” Pramukh Swami Maharaj personifies this message narrated in the ancient scriptures of India. He has traveled tirelessly to spread the message of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and has personally counseled millions of people around the world. These travels are not for leisure. These spiritual journeys are called vicharan. Vicharan is the continuous spiritual travel of a sadhu for the benefit of society and for the overall development of aspirants.
Since the time he became a sadhu, Pramukh Swami Maharaj has incessantly done vicharan in more than 50 countries across the world. His constant vicharan is noteworthy not only because of the range of places he has visited but because of the selfless motive behind his travel. He has been received at Buckingham Palace by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, only to be found days later in the Khandesh region of Maharashtra speaking to a modest farmer about his addictions and substance abuse problems. His ailing body and ripe age have not slowed down his passion and desire to serve. He still travels from mandir to mandir, meeting devotees and consoling them.
Beyond the numbers of countries, towns, and homes he has visited, the impact of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s vicharan is found in the lives of the devotees. Establishing a meaningful and direct connection with these devotees is a priority. His personal meeting with a fisherman from the coastal towns of southern Gujarat is as important as his appointments with world dignitaries. He has a heart in which the world can live. His vicharan has exemplified that sentiment for the past 70 years.
The latest updates of his Vicharan are available here.