Modern era, ancient architecture: World's largest Hindu temple outside India to be inaugurated soon
Where is the temple?
The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham is in the Robbinsville Township of New Jersey. It is situated some 60 miles or 90 kilometres south of the New York Times Square, or about 289 kilometres (180 miles) north of Washington, DC.
It took over 12 years for an army of more than 12,500 volunteers from across the US to build this massive temple.
(Image: BAPS)
How massive is the temple exactly?
New Jersey's Akshardham temple spans across 183 acres and measures 255 ft x 345 ft x 191 ft.
The temple, as per news agency PTI, is possibly the second largest after the 12th century Hindu temple Angkor Wat in Cambodia — it spreads across 500 acres.
When will it be open to the public?
The temple is already attracting thousands of Hindus and people of other faiths every day from across the country. However, Akshardham would be formally inaugurated on October 8 under the guidance of BAPS spiritual head Mahant Swami Maharaj. The temple will be open for visitors starting October 18.
(Image: BAPS)
Who is behind the temple?
The temple has been built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
Aksharvatsaldas Swami, a BAPS scholar, told news agency PTI that "Our spiritual leader (Pramukh Swami Maharaj) had a vision that in the Western hemisphere there should be a place which can be a place for all people of the world, not only for Hindus, not only for Indians, not only for certain groups of people; it should be for all of the world where people can come and learn some values, universal values based in Hindu tradition."
"It was his wish, and it was his Sankalp (pledge). According to his Sankalp, this Akshardham has been built with traditional Hindu temple architecture."
(Image: BAPS)
Traditional Hindu temple architecture
Akshardham's unique Hindu temple design includes one main shrine, 12 sub-shrines, nine shikhars (spire-like structures), and nine pyramidal shikhars, reports PTI.
The temple houses the largest elliptical dome of traditional stone architecture ever constructed and is designed to last a thousand years.
(Image: BAPS)
What is special about the temple?
The temple uses four types of stone: limestone, pink sandstone, marble, and granite, which can withstand extreme heat and cold.
Nearly two million cubic feet of stone went into the construction of the Akshardham temples.
This stone was sourced from different sites around the world:
-Limestone from Bulgaria and Turkey;
-Marble from Greece, Turkey and Italy;
-Granite from India and China; -Sandstone from India and other decorative stones from Europe, Asia, Latin America.
Furthermore, the temple houses the Brahma Kund, a traditional Indian step well. It contains water from over 300 bodies of water from around the world, including the holy rivers of India and all 50 states of the US.
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