Swami-Narayani

Swami-Narayani, Hindu reform sect with a large popular following in Gujarat state. It arose primarily as a protest against the corrupt practices said to have developed during the 19th century among the Vallabhacharya, a prominent devotional sect renowned for the deference paid to its gurus (spiritual leaders). Swami-Narayani was founded in Ahmedabad about 1804 by Swami Narayana, who emphasized the observance of traditional Hindu law, particularly in matters of caste, diet, and ritual. The sect...