The Swaminarayan Akshardham complex in Delhi, also known as Akshardham Temple, is a classic Hindu temple that personifies Indian culture, architecture, and spirituality. The magnificent temple is devoted to Swaminarayan, an 18th-century Indian yogi and spiritual being. The Akshardham temple in Delhi, which the Guinness Book of World Records calls the largest comprehensive Hindu temple in the world, is renowned for its aesthetic splendour, distinctive exhibitions, wide campus, and tranquilly.
History of Delhi’s Akshardham Temple
As a result of Shri Yogiji Maharaj’s desire to construct a temple complex in Delhi, Swaminarayan Akshardham or Akshardham Mandir Delhi was created. When he was working as the spiritual leader of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, popularly known as BAPS, he had this notion about 1968. But after Bhagwan Swaminarayan, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, his successor and the fifth spiritual teacher in line, began work on the temple.
For the construction of this temple, the Delhi Development Authority and the Uttar Pradesh Government each provided about 30 acres of land. The building process began in 2000, and it was finished in five years. On November 6, 2005, the public could enter Akshardham Temple, which is located besides the Yamuna River. In the presence of notable figures including Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, L.K. Advani, B.L. Joshi, and Dr. Manmohan Singh, the country’s then prime minister, Pramukh Swami Maharaj dedicated the temple.
This Swaminarayan Temple was built by BAPS and is one of the largest temples in Delhi and all of India. The building of this temple involved more than 8000 volunteers, who contributed 300,000,000 hours of their time.
Delhi’s Akshardham Temple, architecture
The Akshardham Temple in Delhi is a tribute to the traditional Hindu architectural designs that were popular throughout India in the ancient and mediaeval periods. The main temple, which stands in the middle of this complex, was constructed based on Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra principles. This main shrine, known as the Akshardham Mandir, is 356 feet long, 316 feet wide, and 141 feet high.
The temple represents India’s culture and spiritual richness with more than 234 intricately carved pillars, 20 quadrangle spires, 9 ornate domes, and 20,000 sculptures of spiritual figures from India. The walls and ceilings of this temple are decorated with carved designs and representations of gods, flowers, dancers, and musicians.
The entire Akshardham Temple complex is a piece of meticulous beauty with impeccable construction. Pink sandstone from Rajasthan and Italian Carrara marble were used to build the temple. Open gardens, a courtyard designed in the stepwell style, several water features, and other buildings surround it.
Delhi’s Akshardham Temple: Today
The Akshardham Temple complex is becoming one of Delhi’s most popular tourist destinations. Due to its extraordinary beauty and enormous size, it attracts tourists from all regions of India and beyond. The temple complex may be the biggest structure to be erected in India in the last 800 years. The temple was given the Guinness World Record title of “Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple in the World” in 2007.
Delhi’s Akshardham Temple Complex Attractions
The Delhi Akshardham Temple complex contains many sites that are worthwhile seeing. These consist of:
- Elaborate entranceways
- The primary Bhagwan Swaminarayan temple is called Akshardham Mandir.
- Henrik Mandap
- Sahajanand Darshan, Neelkanth Darshan, and Sanskruti Darshan are three exhibitions.
- The Garden of India is a huge 60-acre themed garden featuring bronze statues of Indian warriors, heroes, and notable figures.
- Yogi Hraday Kamal, also known as the Lotus Garden, is a place where you may find stones bearing engravings of the ideas of world leaders, scientists, and philosophers.
- A body of water called Narayan Sarovar contains the waters of 151 revered Indian rivers and lakes.
- Fountain with music or water show
- Premvati Ahargruh, the complex’s vegetarian food court, Akshardham Books and Gifts Centre, the building’s gift shop
Exhibitions in Delhi’s Akshardham Temple
At the Akshardham Temple, there are three distinct exhibitions, each of which is instructive, informative, and inspirational. These exhibitions, which are spread across three sizable halls, feature a fusion of contemporary art, culture, and technology. The hours of operation for the ticket windows for Akshardham exhibitions are 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
The exhibitions at Delhi’s Akshardham Temple are listed below:
Sahajanand Darshan (Hall 1 of Exhibitions)
The Hall of Values is where various values, including tenacity, nonviolence, morality, etc., are displayed using animatronic characters and multimedia technologies. Additionally, cutting-edge methods like immersive projections and 3D dioramas are employed to communicate the Hindu culture’s ageless principles.
Neelkanth Darshan (Hall 2 of Exhibitions)
In this auditorium with a huge screen, a 40-minute film called Neelkanth Yatra showcases the spiritual and cultural grandeur of the nation. The movie tells the tale of the pilgrimage that Bhagwan Swaminarayan made when he was a teenager.
Sanskruti Darshan (Hall 3 of the Exhibition).
Visitors can board a boat and go through 10,000 years of India’s illustrious history at this display hall. You travel past exhibitions that detail some of India’s greatest accomplishments while you ride. There are displays that, to name a few, depict a Vedic marketplace, a classroom at Takshashila University, etc.
Delhi’s Akshardham Temple features a musical fountain or water show.
Sahaj Anand, a one-of-a-kind multimedia water show, is one of the highlights of Delhi’s Akshardham Temple. Through film projections, coloured lasers, water jets, underwater flames, and surround sound, the breath-taking production tells the story of an episode from the Kena Upanishad.
*The opening performance happens after dusk. Numerous performances are frequently organised on weekends and public holidays.
Ticket costs:
Adults pay $90; kids (4 to 11) pay $60; and infants under 4 are free.
Finding Akshardham Temple
Here is how you can travel to Akshardham Temple utilising several methods:
Via train:
Anand Vihar Railway Station is the one closest to Akshardham Temple. You can use a cab, an auto-rickshaw, or other forms of public transit to get to the temple, which is located around 5-6 kilometres from the station.
Via Metro:
A practical and well-liked means of transportation in Delhi is the metro. The closest metro station to the temple is Akshardham Metro Station. It is located on the Delhi Metro’s Blue Line. To get to the temple from the metro station, you can either walk there or take a quick rickshaw or auto-rickshaw ride.
Via Airport:
The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) is the primary airport serving Delhi if you’re flying in. To get to Akshardham Temple from the airport, you can either hire a cab or use an app-based travel service. The distance between the airport and the temple is roughly 25–30 kilometres, although the exact journey time will depend on the flow of traffic.
Additional Buildings at Akshardham
The Akshardham complex contains a number of additional buildings and landmarks in addition to the main temple. Here are a few examples:
Water Show Sahaj Anand
This magnificent multi-media water show occurs in the evening at the Yagnapurush Kund, a structure that resembles a set of steps. The crowd was entranced by the presentation, which uses water, light, and sound elements to depict an ancient Indian tale.
Kund Yagnapurush:
The centrepiece of Akshardham Temple is the largest step-well in the entire globe. Over 2,000 figurines of different celestial entities can be found on the Kund’s carefully crafted steps.
The Narayan Sarovar
This hallowed body of water encircles the main temple. Its perimeter can be walked by those who want to enjoy the peace and quiet.
List of all Akshardham Temples worldwide
The teachings and tenets of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the Akshar Purushottam philosophy served as the foundation for the construction of the various Akshardham Temples that can be found all over the world. Some of the well-known Akshardham Temples are listed below:
Akshardham Delhi, India: One of the most well-known and substantial Akshardham complexes in the world is the Akshardham Temple in Delhi. Since its opening in 2005, it has welcomed millions of tourists.
India’s Akshardham Delhi
One of the most well-known and substantial Akshardham complexes in the world is the Akshardham Temple in Delhi. Since its opening in 2005, it has welcomed millions of tourists.
India’s Akshardham Gandhinagar
The first and original Akshardham Temple may be seen at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. It is an important spiritual and cultural centre that was dedicated in 1992.
USA, Akshardham Robbinsville
This Akshardham Temple, also known as the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, is located in Robbinsville, New Jersey. It was opened in 2014 and is already well-known among Hindus in the USA as a venue of worship and social interaction.
This magnificent Akshardham Temple, which is situated in London, England, was established in 1995. The Hindu community in the UK uses it as a spiritual and cultural hub.
Facts Unknown About Delhi’s Akshardham Temple
The terms akshar, which means immortal, and dham, which means habitation, are combined to form the name Akshardham. Akshardham therefore refers to the home of the Eternal One.
In this complex of temples, there are ten welcome gates.
To increase the longevity of the structure, no concrete or steel was utilised in the construction of the temple.
The largest Yagnapurush Kund of its sort in the entire globe is located inside the temple.
For the creation of magnificent temple, more than 11,000 workers toiled.
The interior of the temple’s food court, Premvati Ahargruh, is decorated with murals depicting the Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra.
A voyage into the heart of ancient India may be had at Delhi’s Swaminarayan Akshardham, which is more than just a temple. Therefore, set aside a day in your schedule to visit this important site in the national capital. Every minute you spend here will be enjoyable!