Largest Hindu Temple : BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, the largest Hindu temple outside India, was inaugurated in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj after a nine-day celebration that began on September 30. Swaminarayan Akshardham is spread over an area of 185 acres.
In the opening ceremony, Mahant Swami Maharaj led the Pran Prathistha ritual in the temple surrounded by traditional ceremonies and rituals.
The construction of the temple dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan started in 2011 and was successfully completed this year. It was a collaborative project of 12,500 volunteers from various parts of the world. In particular, one of its defining features is the largest elliptical stone dome ever built.
“We have been waiting for this moment for the past several years,” said volunteer Lenin Joshi. He added that people from all over the world, regardless of religion, can visit the temple.
Largest Hindu Temple :OF THE TEMPLE
The temple is said to have been built by nearly 12,500 volunteers – men, women and children – who took a break from work and studies and dedicated days and months to building the temple.
The temple was built using 1.9 million cubic feet of stone imported from over 29 different locations around the world, including “granite from India, sandstone from Rajasthan, teak from Myanmar, marble from Greece, Turkey and Italy, and limestone from Bulgaria and Turkey”. The temple has 10,000 statues and elements of Indian architecture and culture were used in the construction of the temple.
Worldwide, BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardhams are landmarks of Hindu art, architecture and culture, and are spiritual and community centres open to people of all faiths and backgrounds.
“Akshardham in New Jersey is the third such cultural complex in the world. The first Akshardham was established in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat, India in 1992, followed by Akshardham in New Delhi in 2005,” the statement said.
During the week, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, led a delegation of UN ambassadors and representatives to the temple ahead of a grand consecration ceremony on 8 October. Actor Akshay Kumar also tweeted about the opening of the Akshardham temple in New Jersey.
He said, “Congratulations on the opening of Akshardham in New Jersey! It is a proud moment as it becomes the largest Hindu temple in America and the second largest in the world. It was a pleasure to meet and see Guru Mahant Swami Maharaj’s vision to make . it’s real. Absolutely brilliant.” !”
