It was the year V. S. 1990. Most of the construction work of the Gondal temple (also called 'Akshar Mandir') had been completed. In the same year, on the 10th day of the bright half of the month of Vaishakh, Shastriji Maharaj installed the images of Akshar-Purushottam in the temple with all religious ceremonials. After the function, a meeting of all the devotees was held in the compound of the temple. Here in the presence of thousands of devotees Shastriji Maharaj appointed Yogiji Maharaj as the Mahant (head) of the Akshar Mandir and garlanded him. The whole assembly greeted the choice with joy and acclaim.
To Yogiji Maharaj, this Akshar Mandir and Akshar Deri meant everything in life. The Akshar Deri was dearer to him than his soul. He was never tired of performing Pradakshinas of the Deri. He would get up early in the morning at 3.30 and sweep the floor in the Deri. After performing the pooja of the Charanaarvinda with sandle-wood paste and flowers, he would perform arti. Then he gave spiritual discourses to the devotees. He also performed mahapooja in the Deri regularly. During the mahapooja he prayed whole-heartedly that he might have the opportunity to spread the influence of the faith far and wide. During his free hours he kept the accounts of the temple himself, and maintained the ledger. Yogiji Maharaj looked after the maintenance of the temple and himself attended to the needs and the comforts of any guests. He was extremely gratified by the increase in the flow of visitors to the temple. He never allowed any visitors (satsangi or pilgrim) to leave without entertaining them fully.
Rana Daji Bapu assisted him in many of his duties. One day, Daji Bapu wanted to consult Yogiji Maharaj on matters pertaining to the temple accounts. He searched for him in the kothar (godown), but did not find him there. Thinking that he might be in the Deri or upstairs in the temple, he went there to look for him. But he was not there either. After searching for him everywhere, he finally went to the kitchen where he found him cooking, all by himself.
Seeing the head of such a big temple working like an ordinary cook in the kitchen, he said : "I have been searching for you for a long time. You work so hard, why must you also cook ? Where is the saint who cooks daily ?" Yogiji Maharaj quietly replied : "The cook is ill. By the grace of God, today I have got the rare chance of cooking and serving God in this way. For a long time I have been thinking of preparing food to serve the Lord. Only today have I got the opportunity. It is very precious to me."
Hearing these noble sentiments, Bapu could not but admire the saint more than ever before. But he went and enquired of the sadhu in charge of the kitchen, and found that the man was not ill at all. He and some other sadhus were loitering around and not doing their duty. He scolded them : "Yogiji Maharaj works day and night. Do you want to add still further to his duties ?" he asked. He then ordered them to go back to the kitchen immediately. Along with Yogiji Maharaj, Bapu went to the temple office to finish the accounts.