Akshardham Temple Monument to World Peace, Akshardham Complex, New Delhi

 

 

The megha Akshardham temple complex is finally opened to the public on 8 November 2005. The temple which depicts the Hindu mythology and Indian culture promises to attract lakhs of tourists? every year with its religious tourism. Build over an area of 100 acres on the banks of the Yamuna River, it took more than 2 years for construction and costed around Rs.2 billion, funded by millions of Bochasanvasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) followers worldwide. The temple has 234 ornate pillars, 20,000 statues and many arches. Besides the Swaminarayan temple the complex consists of the main monument, exhibition halls, an IMAX theatre and a musical fountain, surrounded by a garden. It also got a restaurant modeled on the Ajanta and Ellora caves and an Ayurvedic bazaar.

Akshardham Temple Monument to World Peace is located at the mega Akshardham temple complex in New Delhi. The temple which depicts the Hindu mythology and Indian culture promises to attract lakhs of tourists? every year with its religious tourism.

The temple has 234 ornate pillars, 20,000 statues and many arches. Besides the Swaminarayan temple the complex consists of the main monument, exhibition halls, an IMAX theatre and a musical fountain, surrounded by a garden. It also got a restaurant modelled on the Ajanta and Ellora caves and an ayurvedic bazaar.

The monument was constructed by BAPS Foundation. It took over 300 million man hours of services rendered by 11,000 volunteers, sadhus and artisans. The Akshardham monument, Built inch to inch according to the ancient Sthaapatya shastras of India, is built without steel, and is entirely composed of sandstone and marble.

It consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India's great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities.

Akshardham Temple Monument to World Peace was constructed by the BAPS foundation -- the builders of the various Swaminaryan Temples across the world, is truely a modern day Wonder of the World.

It is one of the biggest and most intricate religious places of worship ever constructed. Combining several completely different and contrasting architectural styles of Hindu temple architecture of northern India -- Rajasthani, Orrisan, Gujarati, Mughal and Jain -- the Akshardham Monument is entirely constructed of marble and the red-sandstone that Delhi is famous for, and that so many of her monuments are constructed of.

So after years of waiting, the Temple was opened to the public -- and to photographers. At its inaguration, it is widely being heralded as one of the greatest monuments India has ever produced.

The monument is a fusion of several architectural styles of pink stone and pure white marble. Pink stone symbolizes bhakti (devotion) in eternal bloom and white marble of absolute purity and eternal peace.

It is one of the wonders of the modern world, and the wonders of modern India.