Akshardham (Delhi)
The temple, which attracts approximately 70 percent of all tourists who visit Delhi,[4][5] was officially opened on 6 November 2005.[2] It sits near the banks of the Yamuna adjacent to the 2010 Commonwealth Games village in eastern New Delhi.[6] The temple, at the center of the complex, was built according to the Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra.
In addition to the large central temple crafted entirely of stone, the complex features exhibitions on incidents from the life of Swaminarayan and thehistory of India, an IMAX feature on the early life of Swaminarayan as the teenage yogi, Nilkanth, a musical fountain on the message of the Upanishads, and large landscaped gardens. The temple is named after a belief in Swaminarayan Hindusim
Monument[edit]
The central monument at Akshardham
The main monument, at the center of the complex, is 141-foot (43 m) high, 316-foot (96 m) wide, and 356-foot (109 m) long,
[8]and is covered top to bottom with carved details of
flora,
fauna,
dancers, musicians, and
deities.
Designed in accordance with ancient Vedic text known as the
Sthapatya Shastra, it features a blend of architectural styles from across India.
[9][10] It is constructed entirely from
Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian
Carrara marble, and has no support from steel or concrete.
[11] The monument also consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, nine domes, and 20,000
murtis and statues of Hinduism's
sadhus,
devotees, and
acharyas.
[3] The monument also features the Gajendra Pith at its base, a plinth paying tribute to the elephant for its importance in Hindu culture and India's history. It contains 148 scale sized elephants in total and weighs a total of 3000 tons.
[12]
Within the monument, under the central dome, lies a
murti or statue of Swaminarayan which is 11-foot (3.4 m) high. The murti is surrounded by similar statues of the
gurus of the sect.
[13] Each murti is made of
paanch dhaatu or five metals in accordance to Hindu tradition. Also within the central monument lie the murtis of other
Hindu deities, including
Sita Ram,
Radha Krishna,
Shiv Parvati, and
Lakshmi Narayan.
[13]
The monument's central dome
Exhibitions[edit]
Hall of Values[edit]
Also known as Sahajanand Pradarshan, the Hall of Values features lifelike
robotics and
dioramas which display incidents from Swaminarayan's life, portraying his message about the importance of peace, harmony, humility, service to others and devotion to God. The Sahajanand Pradarshan is set in 18th century India and displays of 15 dioramas through robotics,
fibre optics, light and sound effects, dialogues, and music.
[14] The hall features the world's smallest
animatronic robot in the form of
Ghanshyam Maharaj, the child form of Swaminarayan.
[15]
Theatre[edit]
Named Neelkanth Kalyan Yatra, the theatre houses Delhi's first and only large format screen, measuring 85-foot (26 m) by 65-foot (20 m). The theatre shows a film specially commissioned for the complex,
Neelkanth Yatra, to recount a seven-year pilgrimage made by Swaminarayan made during his teenage years throughout India.
Mystic India, an international version of the film produced by
BAPS Charities, was released in 2005 at IMAX theatres and giant screen cinemas worldwide.
[16] A 27-foot (8.2 m) tall bronze
murti of
Neelkanth Varni is located outside the theatre.
[17]
The musical fountain and the statue of Neelkanth Varni in its background
MUSICAL FOUNTAIN[edit]
Known as the Yagnapurush Kund, it is India's largest
step well. It features a very large series of steps down to a traditional
yagna kund. During the day, these steps provide rest for the visitors to the complex and at night, a musical fountain show representing the circle of life is played to an audience which is seated on the same steps.
[18] The fountain is named after the founder of the Hindu organisation,
Shastriji Maharaj.
[19] The fountain measures 300 feet (91 m) by 300 feet (91 m) with 2,870 steps and 108 small shrines. In its center lies an eight-petaled lotus shaped yagna kund designed according to the Jayaakhya Samhita of the
Panchratra shastra.
Garden of India[edit]
Also known as the Bharat Upavan, this garden has lush manicured lawns, trees, and shrubs. The garden is lined with bronze sculptures of contributors to India's culture and history. These sculptures include children, women, national figures, freedom fighters, and warriors of India, including notable figures such as
Mahatma Gandhi.
[20]
The Yogi Hraday Kamal, a lotus shaped sunken garden
Additional features[edit]
Yogi Hraday Kamal[edit]
Neelkanth Abhishek[edit]
Devotees offer
abhishek, a ritual of pouring water on to the
murti of
Neelkanth Varni, and express their reverence and prayers for spiritual upliftment and fulfilment of wishes.
[21]
Narayan Sarovar[edit]
The Narayan Sarovar is a lake that surrounds the main monument. The lake contains holy waters from 151 rivers and lakes that are believed to have been sanctified by Swaminarayan, including
Mansarovar. Surrounding the Narayan Sarovar are 108 gaumukhs, symbolising
Janmangal Namavali or the 108 names for god, from which holy water issues forth.
[22][23]
Premvati Ahargruh[edit]
The Premati Ahargruh or the Premvati Food Court is a vegetarian restaurant modelled on the
Ajanta and
Ellora caves in
Maharashtra, India and an
Ayurvedic bazaar. The restaurant caters a variety of traditional dishes.
[24]
AARSH Centre[edit]
The Akshardham Centre for Applied Research in Social Harmony or the AARSH Centre is a centre within the complex that applies research of social harmony and related topics. Scholars and students may conduct practical research through AARSH. Researchers have the ability to carry out their research projects and affiliate their papers with AARSH. Studies on education, medicare, tribal and rural welfare, ecology, and culture are conducted within the centre.
[25][26]
History and development[edit]
The Akshardham complex in Delhi
Planning[edit]
The building had been planned since 1968 as a vision of
Yogiji Maharaj.
[27] Yogiji Maharaj, the spiritual head of the
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha at the time, expressed his desire for wanting a grand temple built on the banks of the Yamuna river to two or three devotee families of Swaminarayan that resided in New Delhi at the time.
[28] Attempts were made to start the project, however little progress was made. In 1971, Yogiji Maharaj died.
In 1982,
Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj's successor as the spiritual head of BAPS, started to continue fulfilling the dream of his guru Yogiji Maharaj and prompted devotees to look into the possibility of building the temple in Delhi. A request for the plan was put forward to the
Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and several different places were suggested, including
Ghaziabad,
Gurgaon, and
Faridabad. Pramukh Swami Maharaj stood firm in following the wishes of Yogiji Maharaj to build a temple on the Yamuna.
In April 2000, after 18 years, the Delhi Development Authority offered 60 acres (240,000 m
2) of land, and the
Uttar Pradesh Government offered 30 acres (120,000 m
2) for the project.
[29] Upon receiving the land, Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed
puja on the site for success in the project. Construction on the temple began on 8 November 2000 and Akshardham was officially opened on 6 November 2005, with the building
