Within the Swaminarayan Sampraday, the foundational structure is often understood in terms of distinct branches that share a common devotional heart yet differ in how authority, succession, and emphasis are organized. At the core stand the two original dioceses, or gadis, established by Swaminarayan himself: the NarNarayan Dev Gadi, centered in Ahmedabad, and the LaxmiNarayan Dev Gadi, centered in Vadtal. Both recognize a hereditary Acharya as the spiritual and administrative head, tracing their lineages respectively to Ayodhyaprasadji Maharaj and Raghuvirji Maharaj, who were placed in that role by Swaminarayan. These two branches are closely aligned in doctrine, temple worship, and adherence to key scriptures such as the Shikshapatri, differing mainly in geography, lineage, and certain local ritual styles rather than in core belief.

Alongside these original gadis, a major later development is the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), which arose in the early twentieth century under Shastriji Maharaj. Unlike the hereditary Acharya system of Ahmedabad and Vadtal, BAPS is organized around a succession of realized guru-saints, understood as a lineage of gunatit gurus. This branch places particular emphasis on the Akshar–Purushottam understanding of Swaminarayan’s divinity, teaching that Swaminarayan is the supreme God (Purushottam) and that Akshar, his eternal abode, is present on earth through the living guru. In practice, this has given rise to a highly centralized organization, a uniform style of worship, and a strong focus on strict moral discipline for both renunciants and householders.

Seen together, these branches reveal a tradition that holds fast to a shared vision of Swaminarayan as supreme and of a life shaped by purity, discipline, and bhakti, yet allows for different ways of embodying that vision in community. The original gadis express continuity with the legal and social forms of Swaminarayan’s own time through hereditary Acharyas and regionally rooted temple networks. BAPS, by contrast, interprets the same legacy through the lens of a living, non-hereditary guru lineage and a more explicitly articulated Akshar–Purushottam theology. The differences, therefore, are not merely institutional; they reflect distinct ways of understanding how divine presence, scriptural authority, and spiritual guidance flow into the lives of devotees, while remaining anchored in the same sacred source.