Gujarat Sampark Kranti Express will now be Akshardham Express

New Delhi, Jan 03: The Sampark Kranti Express train between Ahmedabad and Delhi will be renamed as Akshardham Express as a tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, announced Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in Ahmedabad, Monday.

The announcement was made by Vaishnaw as part of the month-long Pramukh Swami centenary celebrations of the BAPS Swaminarayan sect, which were launched on December 14 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and current BAPS chief Mahant Swami Maharaj.

The railway minister said that, "the train connects both Akshardham temples in Delhi and Ahmedabad. Therefore, it is a small gift to such a large seva which is being made by the Swaminarayan community."

''As a tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the Sampark Kranti Express connecting Delhi and Ahmedabad will soon be renamed as Akshardham Express,'' Vaishnaw told reporters at Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar, which has been set up over 600 acres on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city.

Vaishnaw took the blessings of current BAPS chief Mahant Swami Maharaj and lauded the sect's humanitarian work.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was born on December 7, 1921 and became chief of the BAPS Swaminarayan sect in 1950. He died on August 13, 2016.