Eiffel Tower row revives questions over practices of Hindu religious organisation BAPS

Ahmedabad: Gujarat-based religious organisation Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is once again at the centre of a controversy after the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris remained closed when workers protested against allegations that female employees were moved away from their workstations during a visit by a BAPS delegation.

BAPS is a powerful religious organisation based in Gujarat but with followers around the world.

BAPS describes itself as a “socio-spiritual” Hindu religious organisation founded in 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj here in Gujarat.

It is a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnavite sect of Hinduism. The Gujarat-based sect has a large following across the world, largely among members of the politically and economically influential Patidar community, which has been known for supporting the ruling BJP for several decades.

'Unacceptable': BAPS temple apologises after Eiffel Tower closes over removal of women staff for Hindu group's visit

The organisation over the years has been hitting headlines for constructing massive temples on foreign lands including the United States and Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi temple, the first in a gulf nation, was inaugurated by the prime minister Narendra Modi in 2024 during his UAE visit.

A year earlier, in 2023, the organisation inaugurated what it described as the largest Hindu temple, outside India, in the United States. Located in New Jersey, the temple features marble sourced from Italy and limestone from Bulgaria and is spread across 126 acres. However, it hit headlines after allegations of forced labour, wage exploitation and other violations emerged in the temple's construction.

BAPS claims to have a "universal work through a worldwide network of over 5025 centers". It claims to have received several national and international awards and affiliation with the United Nations.

BAPS has five vows that its sadhus are supposed to follow. These are Nishkam (non-lust), Nirlobh (non-greed), Nisneh (non-attachment), Niswad (non-taste) and Nirman (non-ego). Among these, Nishkam, or non-lust, requires a sadhu to observe “lifelong celibacy, not to marry or maintain any contact with women, not to physically touch, write to, speak to, intentionally look at, or even think about women; and to overcome all sexual objects and desires."

According to estimates, BAPS has constructed nearly 1,500 temples across India and around the world.

“It thrives primarily on the massive donations it receives from wealthy Gujarati NRIs settled across the globe. I don’t think anyone knows for sure, but it must be one of the wealthiest religious organisations in the world,” said a veteran journalist.

In a statement on Tuesday, the France chapter of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha said “no visitor or member of staff was denied access to the monument at any point during our visit”.