Akram Vignan Movement

The movement was founded by Ambalal Muljibhai Patel who had achieved self-realization in June 1958 as described in his discourses or conversations. He is known as Atmagnani or Dada Bhagwan by his followers though he had differentiated between self and his empirical self as Patel and Dada Bhagwan. Initially he had not revealed his experiences to public but some of his close relatives and friends knew it. In 1962, during conversation with him, a person named Chandrakant Patel from Uganda experienced sudden self-realization. Such experience is described in traditional Jainism as kshayaka samyatva which is only achieved in presence of Tirthankara. Kanubhai K. Patel was the second person, who was also his business partner, who received instant knowledge in 1963 from Dada Bhagwan.[4]

Between 1962 and 1968, very few close people received "knowledge" through Dada Bhagwan. Following 1968, he bestowed "knowledge" who requested to be blessed. This is the foundation of the movement. He said that he was initially reluctant due to fear of public opinion as in case of Shrimad Rajchandra but after his visit to a Rishabha temple in Khambhat he decided to public performance of Gyanvidhi, a practise to transfer of "knowledge" for self-realisation. In 1968, the first Gyanvidhi was held at Bombay (now Mumbai). Over the years, the Gyanvidhi became more elaborate and achieved its present form in 1983. He continued to give religious discourses. He emphasised contact of "knower" (jnani) to gain knowledge over scriptural or ritual knowledge. His followers were initially spread in his hometown Vadodara and Bombay. The movement expanded in 1960s and 1970s to southern Gujarat and Maharashtra and in Gujarati diaspora in East Africa, North America and UK. In 1983, he had reportedly around 50,000 followers. When he died in 1988, his funeral was attended by about 60000. In 1999, their magazine Akram Vignan claimed to have 3,00,000 followers.[4][1]

Jay Sachchidanand Sangh, the major organisation of Akram Vignan movement, was founded under the auspices of Dada Bhagwan in Mumbai. Khetsi Narsi Shah, a head of local Dada Bhagwan Vitarag Trust, was appointed as the first sanghpati, the community leader of it. He was succeeded by G. A. Shah of Ahmedabad. The organisation manages activities and movements of religious leader and his chief followers called Aptaputras and Aptaputris (celibate disciples who are invited around the world). It also manages community funds and supervises building activities along with publication of books and magazine, Akram Vignan (first published in 1979). Now the organisation is led by local sanghpatis in Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, London and US.[4]

Niruben Amin, a gynecologist was one of the followers of Dada Bhagwan. When Dada Bhagwan suffered from fractured leg and required constant medical attention, she joined him to serve him with her medical knowledge and continued to tour with him including his foreign visits from 1982 to 1987. During the same period, Kanubhai had continued to operate a company in which Dada Bhagwan was partner before he attained self realization.[4][1]

Soon after death of Dada Bhagwan, the movement split in two factions. One led by Kanubhai Patel and backed by Jay Sachchidannad Sangh and other led by Niruben Amin. Niruben claimed that she was instructed and trained in Gyanvidhi by Dada Bhagwan. Niruben formed her own organisations; first Dada Bhagwan Foundation Trust of Ajit Patel in Chennai and Ahmedabad, and later Simandhar Swami Aradhana Trust in Ahmedabad and Mahavideh Foundation in Mumbai. She became popular leader of movement and was addressed as Niruma by her followers from 1999.[4][1] After death of Niruben Amin in 2006, she was succeeded by Deepakbhai Desai.

Kanubhai Patel, also known as Kanudada, was close to Dada Bhagwan before 1978. He claims succession and presents a recorded tape in which Dada Bhagwan had instructed about it (succession). He is seen as future Tirthankara by his many followers. His faction refers their teaching of Akram Vignan as Vitrag Vignan.[4][1] He was accused of duping his followers of money. The police case was filed against him and his family members. He was removed as the leader of Jay Sachchidanand Sangh following the case. He moved to US where he died on 9 June 2020.[5][6] His son Bhavesh Patel declared himself the successor.[6]

The Akram Vignan movement teaches Ahimsa (non-violence) and its followers are required to consume a strict lacto-vegetarian diet for ethical and spiritual reasons.[7][8] Eggs are not considered vegetarian as they are said to have life and should not be eaten.[9] Meat is described as a negative food that decreases spiritual awareness.[7]