Swaminarayan Akshardham (Delhi) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swaminarayan Akshardham |
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| स्वामीनारायण अक्षरधाम | |
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 28°36′45″N 77°16′38″E / 28.61250°N 77.27722°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Delhi |
| District | East Delhi |
| Location | Pandav Nagar |
| Architect | Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha |
| History and governance | |
| Creator | Virendra Trivedi Pramukh Swami Maharaj |
| Governing body | Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha |
| Website | akshardham.com |
Swaminarayan Akshardham is a huge Hindu temple and cultural center in Delhi, India. It is located near the border with Noida. People also call it Akshardham Temple or Akshardham Delhi. This amazing place shows thousands of years of traditional and modern Hindu culture, beliefs, and architecture.
The idea for the temple came from Yogiji Maharaj. It was then built by Pramukh Swami Maharaj and the organization called BAPS. The temple officially opened on November 6, 2005. Important leaders like A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Manmohan Singh were there.
The main temple at the center of the complex was built following old Indian building rules. It is similar to another Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The complex has different halls that teach about the life and work of Swaminarayan. Designers used modern ways to share information in these halls.
The complex also has a special area for pouring water (abhishek mandap). There is a cool musical water show called Sahaj Anand. You can also find a beautiful garden and three main exhibits. These exhibits are Sahajanand Darshan (Hall of Values), Neelkanth Darshan (an IMAX film), and Sanskruti Darshan (a cultural boat ride). In Swaminarayan Hinduism, the word Akshardham means the home of Swaminarayan. Followers believe it is a special home for God on Earth.
Contents
Amazing Features of Akshardham
Akshardham Mandir: The Main Temple
The most important part of the Swaminarayan Akshardham complex is the Akshardham Mandir. This temple is about 43 meters (141 feet) tall. It is 96 meters (316 feet) wide and 109 meters (356 feet) long. It has detailed carvings of plants, animals, dancers, musicians, and gods.
BAPS Swamis and Virendra Trivedi designed the Akshardham Mandir. He is from the Sompura family, famous for temple design. The temple is built entirely from pink sandstone from Rajasthan and white marble from Italy. It uses no metal or concrete. This is because old Hindu building rules say temples should last a very long time.
The mandir has 234 beautifully carved pillars. It also has nine domes and 20,000 murtis (statues) of holy teachers and followers. At the bottom of the temple is the Gajendra Pith. This part honors the elephant for its importance in Hindu culture. It has 148 life-sized elephant statues. They weigh a total of 3000 tons!
Under the temple's main dome is an 11-foot (3.4m) tall statue of Swaminarayan. He is seated in a blessing pose. Around him are statues of other important teachers of the faith. Each statue is made of five metals, as per Hindu tradition. The temple also has statues of Sita and Rama, Radha and Krishna, Shiva and Parvati, and Lakshmi and Narayana.
Exhibits: What You Can See and Learn
Sahajanand Darshan: Hall of Values
The Hall of Values uses realistic robotics and dioramas (3D scenes). They show stories from Swaminarayan's life. These stories teach about peace, kindness, helping others, and devotion to God. The scenes are set in 18th-century India.
You will learn about important Hindu ideas like non-violence and vegetarianism. There are 15 3D scenes with advanced robots, lights, sounds, and music. This hall also has the world's smallest animatronic robot. It is a tiny robot of Ghanshyam Maharaj, Swaminarayan as a child.
Nilkanth Darshan: The Theatre
This theatre has Delhi's first and only very large screen. It measures 26 meters (85 feet) by 20 meters (65 feet). The theatre shows a 40-minute film called Neelkanth Yatra. It tells the story of Swaminarayan's seven-year journey across India when he was a teenager.
An international version of the film, Mystic India, was released in 2005. Outside the theatre, there is an 8.2-meter (27-foot) tall bronze statue of Neelkanth Varni.
Sanskruti Vihar: The Boat Ride
The Boat Ride is a 12-minute journey. It takes you through 10,000 years of India's amazing history. You will see life-sized figures and robots. They show what life was like in ancient India, from family homes to busy markets.
The ride also highlights India's contributions to science, astronomy, arts, and math. You will see figures like Aryabhata (mathematician) and Sushruta (Ayurveda doctor). It shows the world's first university, Takshashila. The ride also covers later periods, showing saints and modern Indian thinkers.
Musical Fountain: Sahaj Anand Water Show
The Musical Fountain, also called the Yagnapurush Kund, is India's largest step well. It has many steps leading down to a traditional 'yagna kund' (a sacred fire pit). During the day, visitors can rest on these steps. At night, there is a musical fountain show called Sahaj Anand.
This 24-minute show uses lasers, video, underwater flames, and water jets. It tells a story from an ancient Hindu text. Experts from around the world helped create this show. The fountain is named after Shastriji Maharaj, who founded the BAPS organization. It is 91 meters (300 feet) by 91 meters (300 feet) and has 2,870 steps.
Garden of India: Bharat Upavan
This garden, also known as Bharat Upavan, has beautiful green lawns, trees, and bushes. It features bronze statues of people who contributed to India's culture and history. These include children, women, national heroes, and freedom fighters, like Mahatma Gandhi.
Travel to Akshardham
The complex is easy to reach by Delhi Metro. The Akshardham Metro Station is very close to the temple.
More Special Features
Yogi Hraday Kamal: The Lotus Garden
This is a sunken garden shaped like a lotus flower when you look at it from above. It has large stones with quotes carved into them. These quotes are from famous people around the world, like Shakespeare and Martin Luther King Jr..
Nilkanth Abhishek: A Sacred Ritual
Visitors can perform abhishek, a ritual where they pour water over the statue of Nilkanth Varni. This is a way to show respect and pray for spiritual growth and wishes to come true.
Narayan Sarovar: The Holy Lake
The Narayan Sarovar is a lake that goes around the main temple. It contains holy water from 151 rivers and lakes. These waters are believed to have been made sacred by Swaminarayan. Around the lake are 108 small spouts, symbolizing the 108 names for God.
Premvati Ahargruh: The Food Court
The Premvati Ahargruh, or Premvati Food Court, is a vegetarian restaurant. It is designed to look like the famous Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra, India. It serves many traditional Indian dishes. There is also a shop selling Ayurvedic products.
AARSH Centre: Research for Harmony
The Akshardham Centre for Applied Research in Social Harmony (AARSH Centre) is a research center. It focuses on social harmony and related topics. Students and scholars can do research here. They can study education, health, welfare, environment, and culture.
How Akshardham Was Planned and Built
Planning the Temple
The idea for this grand temple began in 1968. Yogiji Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS at that time, wanted a large temple built by the Yamuna river. After his passing in 1971, Pramukh Swami Maharaj continued this dream.
In 1982, Pramukh Swami Maharaj encouraged followers to find a place for the temple in Delhi. After 18 years, in April 2000, the Delhi Development Authority offered 60 acres of land. The Uttar Pradesh Government offered another 30 acres. Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed a special prayer on the site. Construction started on November 8, 2000. The temple was finished in just under five years, opening on November 6, 2005.
Building the Temple
A team of eight swamis (monks) managed the Akshardham project. Most of them had experience from building the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar. Pramukh Swami Maharaj was involved in many decisions during the construction.
The land was not ideal for building, so a very strong foundation was needed. They used 4.5 meters (15 feet) of rocks and sand, covered with wire mesh and concrete. Then, five million bricks were used to raise the foundation another 6.5 meters (21.5 feet). More concrete was added on top to support the main temple.
On July 2, 2001, the first carved stone was laid. The team of swamis studied ancient Indian carvings from the 8th to 12th centuries. They looked at places like Angkor Wat and temples in Odisha and South India.
Seven thousand carvers and three thousand volunteers worked on Akshardham. Over 6,000 tons of pink sandstone came from Rajasthan. Workshops were set up in Rajasthan for the stone carving. Many carvers were local farmers and tribal women who found work here. Machines did the initial stone cutting, but the detailed carvings were done by hand. Every night, over a hundred trucks brought materials to the site. Four thousand workers and volunteers worked there.
Opening Ceremony
Akshardham was officially opened on November 6, 2005, by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, were also there. About 25,000 guests attended.
President Kalam spoke about Akshardham's importance. He said it was a place of education and enlightenment. He praised how it blended old stone art with modern technology. Prime Minister Singh hoped the temple would bring religious tolerance. He called it a future landmark of India. Pramukh Swami Maharaj prayed that everyone visiting Akshardham would find inspiration.
Updates and Events
On July 13, 2010, a newly designed inner sanctum (garbhagruh) was opened. It has beautiful carvings and gold designs.
Akshardham was a popular place to visit during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Many athletes and visitors from around the world came to see it. In November 2010, the Swaminarayan Research Institute at Akshardham was opened. It teaches about selfless service to society.
Guinness World Record
On December 17, 2007, Akshardham received a Guinness World Record. It was recognized as the World's Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple.
The certificate states that Akshardham is 109 meters (356 feet) long, 96 meters (316 feet) wide, and 43 meters (141 feet) high. It covers an area of 8,021 square meters (86,342 sq ft). The temple was built without steel in five years by 11,000 artisans and volunteers.
Michael Whitty, a Guinness World Record official, said it took three months of research to confirm the record. He checked architectural plans and visited the site. Some other temples in India claim to be larger, but Akshardham holds the official Guinness World Record for a comprehensive Hindu temple.
Images for kids
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The Yogi Hraday Kamal, a lotus shaped sunken garden
See also
- Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar)
- Swaminarayan Akshardham (New Jersey)
