Akshardham Temple

Akshardham Temple in Delhi

Swaminarayan Akshardham is a Hindu temple complex in Delhi, India. Also referred to as Delhi Akshardham or Akshardham, the complex displays millennia of traditional Hindu and Indian culture, spirituality, and architecture. The building was inspired and developed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose 3,000 volunteers helped 7,000 artisans construct Akshardham.

Hisotry of Akshardham Temple

The building had been planned since 1968 as a vision of Yogiji Maharaj.Yogiji Maharaj, the spiritual head of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha at the time, expressed his desire for wanting a grand temple built on the banks of the Yamuna river to two or three devotee families of Swaminarayan that resided in New Delhi at the time. Attempts were made to start the project, however little progress was made. In 1971, Yogiji Maharaj died.

In 1982, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj's successor as the spiritual head of BAPS, started to continue fulfilling the dream of his guru Yogiji Maharaj and prompted devotees to look into the possibility of building the temple in Delhi. A request for the plan was put forward to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and several different places were suggested, including Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and Faridabad. Pramukh Swami Maharaj stood firm in following the wishes of Yogiji Maharaj to build a temple on the Yamuna.

In April 2000, after 18 years, the Delhi Development Authority offered 60 acres (240,000 m2) of land, and the Uttar Pradesh Government offered 30 acres (120,000 m2) for the project.[30] Upon receiving the land, Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed puja on the site for success in the project. Construction on the temple began on 8 November 2000 and Akshardham was officially opened on 6 November 2005, with the building being completed in two days short of five years.

Architecture of  Akshardham Temple

The main monument, depicting ancient Indian "vastu shastra" and architecture, is a marvel in pink sandstone and white marble that is 141 feet high, 316 feet wide and 370 feet long with 234 ornate pillars, over 20,000 sculptures and statues of deities, eleven 72-foot-high huge domes (mandapams) and decorative arches. And like a necklace, a double-storied parikrama of red sandstone encircles the monuments with over 155 small domes and 1,160 pillars. The whole monument rises on the shoulders of 148 huge elephants with 11-feet tall panchdhatu statue of Swaminarayan presiding over the structure.

The sprawling Swaminarayan Akshardham complex spread over 30 acres on the banks of the Yamuna near Noida Mor in East Delhi.

Attractions of Akshardham Temple

Hall of Values - This exhibits the message of nonviolence (ahimsa), endeavor, prayer, morality and other aspects of Indian culture through fifteen 3-D dioramas and presentations from the life of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The statues in each diorama brought into life through animation light and sound technology. This provides a fresh experience of the values of Indian culture.
Screen Film - This giant screen film of 85*65 feet shows an epic period film, the Neelkanth Darshan. The story talks about the child yogi, Neelkanth Varni of 18th century India. A beautiful 27 feet bronze statue of Neelkanth varni stands outside the film theater.
Boat Ride (Sanskruti Vihar) - A 12 minute spectacular boat-ride offers a glimpse of the 10,000 years old India's glorious heritage. This shows worlds oldest vedic village life and bazars.
Musical Fountains (Yagnapurush Kund) - This is a fascinating combination of a Vedic yagna kund and a musical fountain. There is an 8 petaled lotus shaped Yagnakund lies in its center which comes to life at night with a colourful musical water fountain.
Garden of India (Bharat Upvan) - The beautiful lawns and lush green gardens of Akshardham features India's cultural aspects through its wonderful bronze statues of the great role models of India. The statues include child gems of India, brave warriors and freedom fighters, national figures and women personalities.

More Info

Entry Fee: For visitors, entry to the complex is free. However, those who want to visit exhibition halls and theatres, Rs.125 is to be paid and for children and senior citizens the charges are Rs.75. Over 6,000 visitors could easily witness the shows and enjoy boat-rides everyday, while over 25,000 people can visit the temple. We have deployed almost 140 guides who will facilitate visitors during their visit. It requires at least four hours visiting the entire complex thoroughly and seeing all the shows," said a temple management committee member, adding that the opening ceremony would be telecast live on Aastha channel.
Location: The temple is located on the bank of the river Yamuna near Noida Mor, in East Delhi.

How to Reach

The temple is situated in the capital city of Delhi and is conveniently connected to all the major cities of India and world by Indian Airlines and other private airlines. The city is also easily accessible by rail and road from different parts of India.
Air - The city has two airports including a domestic and a international named the Indira Gandhi International Airport, catering both domestic and international flights.
Rail - The three major railway stations at New Delhi, Old Delhi and Nizamuddin connect the city with almost all the cities of India by superfast and express trains.
Road - Delhi is well connected to all the major cities of northern India through roads. Buses are available from the three inter-state bus terminals at Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar, and Sarai Kale Khan. Taxies and auto-rickshaws are available for travelling within the city.