Akshardham Swaminarayan Temple ( Gandhinagar, Gujarat )

Akshardham Temple is situated in the Gandhinagar district ( Capital ) of Gujarat, which stands bounded by Ahmedabad city in the southwest. One of the largest temples of Gujarat, Akshardham is a place where you can find a rare amalgamation of devotion, art, architecture, education, exhibitions and research. The temple has been constructed under the aegis of Bochasanwasi Akshar-Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) of India, which was and is headed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Akshardham Swaminarayan Temple of Gujarat was inaugurated on 2nd November 1992. The inauguration ceremony of the temple coincided with the centenary celebrations of Yogiji Maharaj and was conducted by Pramukh Swami Maharaj only. Akshardham Temple enshrines a seven-foot high, gold-leafed, idol of Lord Swaminarayan. It stands tall with a height of 108 feet and 6000 tones of stone were used in its construction. The magnum opus monument in rock is built according to the Vaastu Shastra (architectural treatise) and not even an inch of steel has been used. The main shrine contains a 1.2 ton gold plated idol of Lord Swaminarayan. The 7 foot high idol is built in a sitting posture, with his right hand raised in abhay mudra. He is accompanied by two other idols of his disciples on both sides. Swami Gunatitanand is on his right and Swami Gopalanand on his left.

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Sahajanand Van – Sahajanand Van is a garden around the temple. It has a lake, a waterfall, a children’s park, rides and games and an herbal garden. You can enjoy and relax here. It also contains a marble statue of Lord Swaminarayan. Six thousand tonnes of pink sandstone were used in the construction of the monument. Akshardham Temple of Gujarat stands tall at a height of 108 feet and is 240 feet in length and 131 feet in width. The colonnade around the monument measures 1,751 feet (534 meters) in length. The garden surrounding the sanctum sanctorum is known as Sahajanand Van and represents a unique blend of contemplative garden and children’s park. There is a marble sculpture of Lord Swaminarayan inside the garden also.

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Akshardham temple complex also has a research center, known as the Akshardham Center for Applied Research in Social Harmony (AARSH). The research center has facilities like an extensive library, study stations and archives, but only enlisted scholars can enter the library and make use of its facilities. The first floor of the temple has a museum, which has a gallery with a collection of over 500 ‘parahansas’. Other items displayed inside the temple complex include the letter to Swaminarayan’s guru, Ramanand; an art object from an old tree from Chapaya; Swaminarayan’s shawl and an image of the Lord on a horse. The exterior galleries serve as the venue for artistic exhibition and offer Chez Integrovision shows, audio-visuals, multi-media and the works of Lord Swaminarayan from the Hindu epics. There are three permanent exhibition halls inside the complex, set up with the aim of educating people on spiritual matters and BAPS movement.

There are three halls in the temple premises and exhibitions are held here from time to time…

Hall 1 : Sahajanand

This hall exhibits the life history of Lord Swaminarayan, via imaginative settings and shows.

Hall 2 : Sat-Chit-Anand

This hall is used to present an IMAX large format film named ‘Mystic India’. It is an epic on the history of India. It also elaborates on the journey of the Lord to various places since childhood.

Hall 3 : Nityanand

The message of Upanishads, Ramayana and Mahabharata is given to the people, via wall paintings and figures. There are even exhibitions on the ancient Indian era and world religions.

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.