A look at the world's second-largest Hindu temple outside India

The United States is getting its largest Hindu temple. Being dubbed the world’s largest Hindu temple built outside India in the “modern era”, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple will be formally inaugurated in New Jersey on 8 October. The temple is already attracting Hindu devotees and visitors from other faiths daily, as per the news agency PTI report. Spread over some 400 acres, the Angkor Wat Temple Complex built in the 12th Century by King Suryavarman II in Cambodia is considered the largest religious structure in the world. Let’s take a look at the US’ largest Hindu temple. BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham Touted as the second-largest Hindu temple in the world, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham is located in New Jersey’s Robbinsville Township, about 90 km south of Times Square, New York. Popularly known as just Akshardham, the grand temple is dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a revered 19th-century Hindu spiritual leader, as per a report in ANI. Built over a span of more than 12 years between 2011 to 2023, the temple complex is spread over 183 acres. The temple will be unveiled in the presence of BAPS spiritual head Mahant Swami Maharaj and other dignitaries on 8 October. It will reportedly open for visitors from 18 October.

Speaking to PTI, Aksharvatsaldas Swami from BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha said: “Our spiritual leader (Pramukh Swami Maharaj) had a vision that in the Western hemisphere there should be a place which can be a place for all people of the world, not only for Hindus, not only for Indians, not only for certain groups of people; it should be for all of the world where people can come and learn some values, universal values based in Hindu tradition”. “It was his wish, and it was his Sankalp (pledge). According to his Sankalp, this Akshardham has been built with traditional Hindu temple architecture,” he added. As per ANI, a week-long inaugural celebration will be held which is likely to be attended by several US Congressmen, senators, Biden administration officials and state governors. Features of the temple The temple was designed by a group of BAPS swamis and volunteers. Around 12,500 volunteers, aged between 18-60 years old, from across the US have helped in building the shrine. Four types of stones, including limestone, pink sandstone, marble and granite, sourced from different parts of the globe were used to build the temple. As per PTI news agency, limestone was acquired from Bulgaria and Turkey; granite from India and China; marble from Greece, Turkey and Italy; sandstone from India and other ornamental stones from Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Guided by artisans from India, volunteers from the US worked together to construct the temple. Akshardham’s design is inspired by ancient Hindu scriptures as well as Indian culture. The temple has more than 10,000 statues, along with carvings of Indian musical instruments and dance forms, reported the news agency. As per ANI, the stones and small figurines also pay homage to sages, saints, and spiritual personalities of India and Hinduism. Housing the main shrine, 12 sub-shrines, nine shikhars (spire-like structures), and nine pyramidal shikhars, Akshardham also boasts of the largest-ever elliptical dome of traditional stone architecture, reported PTI. [caption id=“attachment_13167982” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham will be open for visitors from 18 October. Image Courtesy: usa.akshardham.org[/caption] A golden pot, or Kalash, sits atop the Mahashikhar of the shrine, representing a “sense of wholeness and excellence”, as per the ANI report. Above the Kalash, a flag stands tall, symbolising the victory of good over evil, the report added. There is a Brahma Kund, or a traditional Indian stepwell, inside the temple premises with water from more than 300 water bodies from around the world, including the holy rivers of India and from all American states. A 49-foot statue of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, portrayed as a yogi, graces the entrance of the shrine. “Known as Nilkanth Varni during his teenage years, he was the founder of the Swaminarayan Hindu tradition”, according to the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham website. ALSO READ: Ram Temple in Ayodhya: What are the sacred shaligram stones from Nepal to be used to make the Ram idol? About BAPS BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is a global Hindu organisation that has constructed over 1,000 temples across various the world, including in India, the United Kingdom, the US, Canada, Kenya, South Africa, and Australia. Notably, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi, spread across 100 acres, is among the world’s largest temples. The Sanstha has adopted a number of sustainable practices over the years, such as a solar panel farm, a fly ash concrete mix, and the planting of more than two million trees across the world, reported PTI.  With inputs from agencies