Akshardham Temple, also known as Swaminarayan Akshardham is a Hindu temple in Delhi, India. It has a spiritual and cultural campus and is located close to the border of Noida. One can witness traditional and modern Hindu culture, architecture, and spirituality.
History Of Akshardham Temple
This place has been inspired by Yogiji Maharaj and was constructed by BAPS. It was created by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Officially, the temple was inaugurated on 6 November 2005. The inauguration was done in the presence of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Lal Krishna Advani, Manmohan Singh, and B. L. Joshi.
The idea of building a temple came to Yogiji Maharaj’s mind around 1968. At that time, he was serving as the spiritual head of BAPS. BAPS was better known as Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. Pramukh Swami Maharaj was his successor who started the construction of the temple.
Structure Of Akshardham Temple
The word “Akshardham” means ‘Abode of God’. It has made its place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest Hindu temple. Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra are the foundations of this temple. Vastu Shastra is the traditional Hindu science of architecture. Pancharatra Shastra believes in five possible manifestations of God.
The structure of Akshardham Temple is built with Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble. It has a height of 141 feet and is 316 feet wide. No use of steel and concrete has been done in the building process. There exist 234 ornate pillars along with 9 domes. Also, there are about 20,000 sculptures that depict saints, devotees, and deities.
The Delhi Development Authority provided 60 acres of land and the Uttar Pradesh Government provided 30 acres of land for the construction. The process of construction was started in the year 2000. Approximately, 8000 volunteers were a part of the construction process.
Attractions Of Akshardham Temple
Neelkanth Darshan
Neelkanth Darshan is an extremely wonderful movie on Lord Swaminarayan. The movie depicts the physical and spiritual journey of a young boy. This young boy was later known as Lord Swaminarayan. The panoramic scenes of the Indian subcontinent can be viewed on a screen that is 85 feet wide and 65 feet tall. One can view the icy peaks of the Himalayas along with the tropical beaches of South India.
Sahajanand Darshan
Sahajanand Darshan is a hall of moving puppets. The moving puppets narrate the story of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. It depicts an interesting narrative of the life story of Swaminarayan. One can take up values like perseverance, non-violence, and morality. Immersive projections and 3D dioramas can be viewed here.
Sahaj Anand
Sahaj Anand is a multimedia water show. It is conducted in Yagnapurush Kund. The design looks like the grand traditional step wells of ancient India. The pool is flanked by 108 small shrines. It has a ritual arrangement that is used in certain sacred ceremonies of Hindu tradition. The show is 24 minutes long which presents video projections, underwater flames, and water jets.
Sanskruti Darshan
Sanskruti Darshan is a boat ride to Indian culture. One can witness the Vedic lifestyle at Sanskruti Darshan. This experience offers the glory of ancient India. The oldest university and the first eye surgery can be seen in the 12-minute boat ride of Sanskruti Darshan. The proud heritage of India is the main focus of this Darshan.
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