BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta |
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| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| Location | Lilburn |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | North Indian / Shilpa Shastras |
| History and governance | |
| Creator | Pramukh Swami Maharaj / BAPS |
| Website | http://www.baps.org/atlanta |
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia is a beautiful Hindu temple. It opened on August 26, 2007. This special place of worship was built by the BAPS organization. BAPS is a part of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism.
This amazing temple is located in Lilburn, a suburb of Atlanta. It was built using ancient Hindu building rules. It is the largest temple of its kind outside of India. The temple is made from 34,450 pieces of stone. These stones include Italian marble, Turkish Limestone, and Indian pink sandstone. The temple sits on 30 acres of beautiful land. The complex also has a big hall, a family center, classrooms, and an exhibit about Hinduism. Everyone is welcome to visit the temple and worship there.
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What is a Mandir?
A mandir is a Hindu temple. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a 'Shikarbaddha' type of mandir. This means it follows special rules from ancient Hindu texts called the Shilpa Shastras. These texts describe how sacred buildings should be designed.
Inside the mandir, you will find murtis. These are sacred images or statues of Hindu gods and goddesses. The main area has a murti of Swaminarayan. Next to him is Gunatitanand Swami. Together, they are worshipped as Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj. Other areas have murtis of different Hindu deities. These include Radha Krishna, Shiva Parvati, Sita Ram, Hanuman, and Ganapati. There are also murtis of the BAPS gurus. These gurus are the spiritual leaders who followed Swaminarayan.
How the Temple Started
Hindu families in the Atlanta area started meeting in the 1980s. They would gather at each other's homes. In 1988, they bought an old skating rink. They turned it into a small temple.
Later, in February 2000, the BAPS group bought 29 acres of land in Lilburn. This is where the current big temple stands. A spiritual leader named Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed special prayers. These prayers blessed the land. He visited again in 2004 for the foundation ceremony. Then, in 2007, he officially opened the temple. The temple celebrated its tenth birthday on July 1, 2017.
Building the Temple
First Stone Ceremony
In February 2000, the land for the temple was bought. On June 13, 2004, a special ceremony took place. It was called the Shilanyas Vidhi. This is an ancient Vedic ceremony, about 8,000 years old. During this event, stones were placed in the foundation of the future temple.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj led the ceremony. Many BAPS spiritual leaders and thousands of people joined in. The Shilanyas Vidhi is important. It helps to purify the land. It also blesses everyone who will work on building the temple. The ceremony was part of four days of celebrations. There were special programs for kids, teens, and older people.
Temple Construction
Building the temple began in September 2005. The concrete for the foundation was poured in January 2006. In March 2006, a special crane was used. It helped to install 106,000 cubic feet of Italian marble.
More than 34,000 pieces of stone were carved by hand in India. Then, they were shipped to the site in Lilburn. Workers then put all the pieces together. The temple was built very quickly, in less than two years. Pramukh Swami Maharaj officially opened it in August 2007.
Temple Opening
Before the temple opened, there were big festivals. These events were for both followers and the local community. On August 24, 2007, a special prayer was held. It was called the Vishvashanti Mahayagna. This prayer was for world peace and family unity. Over ten thousand people attended.
On August 26, 2007, Pramukh Swami Maharaj opened the temple. He performed a traditional Vedic ritual. It is called the murti pratishtha. This ritual brings divinity into the idols inside the temple. Pramukh Swami Maharaj said that "this mandir is open to all." He added that "whoever sincerely offers his prayers will attain happiness and peace."
Important people attended the opening. These included Congressman Henry Johnson Jr. Also present were Lilburn's mayor, Jack Bolton, and Charles Bannister. This was the second temple Pramukh Swami Maharaj opened in North America that year. He also opened the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto, Canada, on July 22, 2007.
Events and Activities
The temple celebrated its ten-year anniversary on July 1, 2017. Mahant Swami Maharaj and Lilburn Mayor Johnny Crist were there.
The Atlanta mandir is open every day. Visitors can come for darshan (worship) and Aarti (a prayer ritual). People of all faiths are welcome. The temple also holds weekly satsang sabhas on Sundays. These are gatherings for all age groups. The weekly gathering includes singing devotional songs. There are also talks about Hindu scriptures and their lessons.
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