Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Dallas

n the mid 1980’s a group of like-minded individuals met at a social gathering. Through introductions it came to be known to them that they were all followers of Shree SwaminaryanVadtalGadi. That chance meeting was the seed of our current Mandir. As time passed and they continued to meet, that group of Haribhaktos threw around the idea of building the first VadtalGadiMandir in the DFW area. As with any great ambition, the process did not occur overnight. They, at first, started meeting at various homes once a month for sastang. Overtime, an official Chapter was formed and the once a month sastangincreased from being held at homes to being held at rented halls for certain festivals. During these times, the dedicated haribhaktos carried books, instruments, sitting sheets and cooking supplies house to house. These items were stored in the trunks, garages, and homes of these individuals. Through sheer determination, hard work, and the blessing of HariKrishnaMaharaj, they purchased a church in Grand Prairie, Texas in 1988. The church property had roughly 19,000 sq. feet and sat on 1.75 acres. After the initial renovation was complete, the MurtiPratisthaMahostav was held on July 4th, 1991.