Ayodyaprasadji (25 May 1809 – 18 Feb 1868), known to devotees as "Sanatan Dharma Dhurandar Acharya Maharaj Shree 1008 Ayodyaprasadji Maharaj", was the first

acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a tit ...

of the north diocese (

NarNarayan Dev Gadi The Naranarāyan Dēv Gadī, named after Nara-Narayana, NarNarayan Dev, is one of the two ''Gadis'' (seats) that together form the Swaminarayan Sampraday. Its headquarter is at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad and controls the Uttar Vib ...

) of the

Swaminarayan Sampraday The Swaminarayan Sampradaya, also known as Swaminarayan Hinduism and Swaminarayan movement, is a Hindu Vaishnava sampradaya rooted in Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita, characterized by the Bhakti, worship of its Charismatic authority, charismati ...

sect of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. He was the son of Rampratapji, Swaminarayan's elder brother. He was the 1st successor of

Swaminarayan Swaminarayan (IAST: ', 3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, was a yogi and Asceticism, ascetic, who is believed by followers to be a manifestation of God Krishna, or as the highest Theophany, manifestation of ...

in the North Diocese,

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

). He was enthroned as Acharya on 10 Nov 1826 and held the post till his death. The bicentennial of his birth was celebrated as the ''Dharmakul Vandana Mahotsav'' in Ahmedabad from 1 to 3 June 2009. The event was attended by an estimated 600,000 people.

References

Swaminarayan Sampradaya 1809 births 1868 deaths {{Hindu-bio-stub