Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj was born on Fagan Vad 4 – Samvat 1868 (C.E. 1812). He was the nephew of Shreeji Maharaj, and was appointed as the first Acharya of the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.
Raghuvirji Maharaj was born in the village of Ambalia in Uttar Pradesh, to Variyali Devi and Ichharamji Maharaj.
After receiving the sacramental rites through his father, Raghuvirji Maharaj became proficient in Ved-Vedanga. Acharya Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj attracted devotees with his speeches and his embodiment of Dharma.
As the time came for Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan to return to Akshardham, He wanted to ensure that the Sampraday would continue to flourish. Therefore, he adopted Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj (aged 14) and Shree Ayodhyaprasadji Maharaj (aged 17) as His own sons and appointed them as the first Acharyas of Shree Laxminarayan Dev – Vadtal Gadi and Shree Narnarayan Dev – Ahmedabad Gadi respectively.
After Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan returned to Akshardham, the Paramhansas followed His agyna by obeying the agyna of Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj. Although he was a grahasth (householder), he forever remained in the service of Shree Harikrishna Maharaj and Shree Laxminarayan Dev. He also remained in the service of Sadhus as he would take care of sick Sadhus in Vadtal Mandir.
Acharya Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj’s reverence for his santo was unprecedented. One day in Vadtal, he got up late at night for a sick sadhu and made food to help with his fever.
Raghuvirji Maharaj had also hosted a grand Satsang Chhavni (shibir) in Vadtal for 4 consecutive months.
Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj did pran pratishtha of Shree Ranchodrai in Vadtal along with Shree Harikrishna Maharaj in Gadhada, Junagadh, and Dholera. In Gadhada, he also installed Charnarvind in the Smruti Mandir and Shree Revti-Baldevji in the main mandir. In Rampura (Surat), he installed the murti of Shree Narayanmuni Dev. He also established mandirs in Burhanpur, Manavadar, Una, among other places.
Acharya Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj also performed scriptural Vedic rituals and also gave Dakshina to Santo and Guru Mantra to male devotees.
He also composed important texts of the Sampraday such as Shree Hari Lila Kalpatru making them easy to understand the original lilas and teachings of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.
Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj, who renounced his Acharyapad, handed the Gadi to his nephew Shree Bhagavatprasadji Maharaj as Acharya following all the rituals and will of Maharaj.
After 37 years as Acharya, Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj went to Akshardham on Maha Sud 2 V.S. 1919 (1863 C.E.) and appointed his nephew, H.H. 1008 Acharya Shree Bhagwatprasadji Maharaj, as the 2nd Acharya of the Vadtal Gadi. Under the leadership of Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj, the Sampraday flourished in ways that can still be seen today.