Shree Swaminarayan Temple Chapaiya

Getting there

• By air

  Lucknow is about 150 km away.

• By train

  Mankapur station is about 15 km away.

• By road

  Ayodhya is about 35 km away by road via Katra Parsurampur.

Why devotees come here

Shree Swaminarayan Temple stands in Chapaiya village, Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh, about 50 km from Gonda town. It is built on the birthplace of Swaminarayan, who was born Ghanshyam Pande here in 1781.

Swaminarayan was born as Ghanshyam Pande in Chapaiya in 1781, which is why the temple matters. Legend says that in 1792, at the age of 11, he began a seven-year pilgrimage across India and took the name Nilkanth Varni.

Legend also tells of Ghanshyam bringing dead fish back to life at Meen Sarovar, a small lake that dries up in summer. Narayan Sarovar, the sacred pool where he often bathed, lies just outside the temple complex.

A temple on the birthplace was built in 1863 by Acharya Ayodhyaprasadji Maharaj. Another was built in 1910 by Acharya Purushottamprasadji Maharaj, and the temple was renovated, with the work completed by 2016. Ghanshyam Bhavan, a monument, is sited on the birthplace of Swaminarayan. It stands on that exact spot itself. Chhapaiya lies in Gonda district, which is part of Devipatan mandal and covers 4,003 square kilometres. The district page gives travel distances from Lucknow, Mankapur and Ayodhya. Both sacred water sites named here, Meen Sarovar and Narayan Sarovar, are tied to Ghanshyam's early life in Chapaiya.

Tips for your visit

• Meen Sarovar is dry in summer, so it may be empty if you visit then.
• Narayan Sarovar, where Ghanshyam often bathed, lies just outside the temple complex.

Questions people ask