Bhagwan Swaminarayan, manifested on this earth, together with his divine abode, Akshardham, in the form of Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami. Bhagwan Swaminarayan taught the Vedic tradition of dual worship in the form of Akshar and Purushottam. He taught that the goal of life is to attain the virtues of Akshar and offer devotion to Purushottam. Many witnessed their divine deeds, but the Akshar-Purushottam philosophy was only truly understood by very few individuals. Brahmaswarup Shastriji Maharaj was one of those select few, and in 1907, he founded the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha to help propagate the true philosophy of Akshar Purushottam to widespread acceptance.
In honor of the 150th birth anniversary of Brahmaswarup Shastriji Maharaj, on January 24, 2015 celebrations were held at over 70 BAPS mandirs across North America. Following the theme of Agna, Upasana, Sadbhav and Paksh, the celebrations were a culmination of a year of events and activities held worldwide and focused on Shastriji Maharaj's exemplary life and message. Speeches, skits and video presentations reflected on the absolute determination and profound courage of Shastriji Maharaj to preserve and promote the upasana of Akshar-Purushottam, despite a multitude of hardships and challenges. The celebrations in North America were part of festivities held around the globe, all culminating to a grand celebration held in Vadodara, India. Attendees left with a deeper appreciation of the qualities of Shastriji Maharaj, with a resolve to follow in his footsteps, and determination to imbibe similar characteristics in their own lives.