Akshardham – Swaminarayan Temple – New Delhi

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The Location of the temple is situated at Delhi, Near Noida Mode, NH24. The Area coverd by that Temple is 100 acres. And the Akshardham Temple complex was opened to the public on November 8, 2005. Timings of Akshardham Temple is Tuesday – Sunday 9 AM-7 PM (The entire complex is closed on Mondays). This Temple Founded By the Bochasanwasi Akshar-Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. The Temple inaugurated By the Pramukhswami Maharaj and it is Dedicated To Lord Swaminarayan.

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The Akshardham Temple is one of the most recently built temples in Delhi. Constructed by the Bochasanvasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), it is situated on the banks of the River Yamuna. Delhi Akshar Dham Mandir was inaugurated in Novenmber’05 in the presence of President APJ Abdul Kalam. It is spread over an area of 100 acres and took about two years to complete. Akshardhaam Temple of New Delhi is built in an architectural style similar to that of the Akshardham temple of Gandhinagar in Gujarat, India. Its construction is based on the ancient Sthaapatya shastras of India and it is built without steel, entirely out of sandstone and marble.

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Approximately 234 ornate pillars, floral motif s, arches, exquisitely carved pavilions, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangle shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants), adorn this architectural wonder. There are 20,000 statues inside Akshar Dham Mandir of Delhi of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personas. Other features of the Akshardham Temple are an IMAX theatre, a Swaminarayan temple, and an elaborate musical fountain. The area around the temple building has been converted into manicured lawns with beautiful water fountains.

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The main shrine of the New Delhi Akshardhaam temple houses the statue of Lord Swaminarayan. There is an Akshardham Temple Monument to World Peace inside the temple complex. Along with that, there is also a restaurant modeled on the Ajanta and Ellora caves and an Ayurvedic bazaar. Combining Rajasthani, Orrisan, Gujarati, Mughal and Jain temple architecture, the mandir presents a magnificent sight. This temple is a major tourist attraction and counts amongst the wonders of modern India. The main building inside the complex rises to a height of 141-ft and enshrines a magnificent statue of Lord Swaminarayan. One can see a marvelous amalgamation of pink stone and pure white marble in the construction of the Akshardham Temple of Delhi. The pink stone symbolizes endless Bhakti (devotion), while the white marble stands for absolute purity & eternal peace.

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There are three halls inside the premises of the Akshardham Temple, where exhibitions are organized on a regular basis.

Hall 1 (Sahajanad Pradarshan)
Sahajanad Pradarshan exhibition is organized in hall number one and showcases life like robotics and panoramas. Scenes from Swaminarayan’s life, conveying his message of peace and harmony, also form a part of the exhibition.

Hall 2 (Nilkanth Kalyan Yatra)
Hall number 2 has Delhi’s first format screen and showcases Nilkanth Kalyan Yatra, the journey of Lord Swaminarayan during his teenage years.

Hall 3 (Sanskruti Vihar)
The Sanskruti Vihar exhibition of hall number three provides you a peek into the 10,000 years of Indian history in just 10 minutes.

One of the major attractions of the Akshardham Temple of New Delhi is the light show at Yagnapurush Kund, India’s largest step well. The visitors can enjoy the musical fountain and light show at night only. The temple complex also has a garden called Bharat Upavan (Garden of India), with brilliantly laid-out lawns. It also houses bronze sculptures of some great Indian personalities. Yogi Harday Kamal, a lotus-shaped sunken garden inside the complex, is engraved with quotes from famous personalities, like Shakespeare and Martin Luther King.