Akshardham Temple

The beautiful city of Delhi is home to some of the finest historical monuments and sacred shrines. Apart from the many historical edifices several religious monuments dot the capital. Millions of people flock to Delhi from different corners of the globe every year just to have a glimpse of its monuments and holy shrines.

One such popular religious monument in Delhi is the Akshardham Temple. It is situated in the heart of the city on the banks of the Yamuna River. The temple has devotees that come from India and abroad alike.

Akshardham Temple

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The Akshardham temple is one of the most popular Hindu religious shrines in India. Situated in New Delhi the temple is a true manifestation of Indian art and culture. Acclaimed for its architectural brilliance and timeless beauty the Akshardham Temple is a prime precedent of purity and peace in India.

The Akshardham temple is also known as the Delhi Akshardham or Swaminarayan Akshardham. It is a huge temple complex in Delhi that perfectly displays traditional Hindu culture, spirituality, and Indian architecture to its best. The temple which was the dream of Yogiji Maharaj way back in the 1960's was fulfilled by his successor Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Pramukh Swami Maharaj was the spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. The temple complex was built over a period of 5 years by the 3000 volunteers and 7000 artisans.

The temple which is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River was inaugurated on 6th November 2005. The word Akshardham has been derived by Akshar which means divine bhakti, purity and peace in the Vedas and Upanishads.

The temple is visited by almost 70 percent of the tourists that visit the city. It is said that the temple has purifying and mystical properties and all the travelers that visit the Akshardham go with certain wishes. The central building of the complex is constructed keeping in mind the Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra. The temple complex has a gigantic monument in the center that is entirely crafted out of stone and it has carvings that portray the rich history of India and also important incidents from the life of Swaminarayan. The temple is set in the backdrop of an eye catching landscape that comprises a musical fountain, sculptures, lush green foliage and a captivating lake etc. The temple consists of the 234 beautifully carved pillars, 20 quardrangled shikharas, 9 elaborate domes, an impressive Gajendra Path and about 20,000 deities.

Popular features of the Akshardham Temple in Delhi

Hall of Values

The Hall of Values is the most important feature of the Akshardham temple. The Hall of Values is also called Sahajanand Pradarshan and is set in the 18th century backdrop. The hall features a number of robotics, fiber optics and dioramas that display incidents from the life of Swaminarayan.

Theatre

The Akshardham temple also houses Delhi's only format screen theater. Also known as Neelkanth Kalyan Yatra, the theatre inside the Akshardham complex is home to the city's first large format screen that measures 85-foot (26 m) by 65-foot (20 m). The theatre features a film that is specially and only meant for the temple complex. It is called Neelkanth Yatra, the film is about the seven-year journey made by Swaminarayan throughout India during his teenage years. The movie also has an international version called Mystic India, which was released in 2005 at different theaters worldwide. Within the vicinity of the theater there is also a 27-foot tall bronze statue of Neelkanth Varni.

Musical Fountain

The Yagnapurush Kund is one of the most striking features of the Akshardham temple complex. The Yagnapurush Kund which is the country's largest step well serves as a point of rest for many travelers during the day. There are a host of steps that lead to the traditional yagna kund. The many steps that offer relaxation to the many tourists in the day also offer a delightful musical fountain show at night. The musical fountain shown at night is a representation of the circle of life. There are about 2,870 steps and 108 tiny shrines on the Yagnapurush Kund.

Boat Ride

If you want to explore the unexplored then a boat ride at the Akshardham is a must. There is an artificial river that passes through the Takshashila, the world's biggest. The peacock shaped boats known as Sanskruti Vihar, takes the visitors on a 10,000 year old journey of Indian history in just about 12 minutes.

Garden of India

Another important feature inside the temple is the beautiful garden known as Garden of India. Popular as Bharat Upavan, the Garden of India spreads over acres and acres of well manicured lawns, large trees and a host of other plants and shrubs. The garden also has several bronze sculptures of famous Indian personalities that have contributed to India's history and culture. The various sculptures include the figures of freedom fighters, and other important people of India. Out of all the sculptures the most notable one is that of Mahatma Gandhi's.

Narayan Sarovar

The Narayan Sarovar is a holy lake that surrounds the main building of the Akshardham temple. The Narayan Sarovar contains waters from about 151 lakes and Rivers that were blessed by the famous Swaminarayan. There are 108 gaumukhs surrounding the pious lake that symbolize Janmangal Namavali.

AARSH Centre

The AARSH is a research center within the Akshardham complex. This research center is a place where eminent scholars and students carry out practical research and studies on social harmony and other related topics. Researchers in India can conduct research and affiliate their research papers with this institute. There are also numerous foreign students that travel to this research instate to carry out studies in topics like rural welfare, medicine, ecology social welfare etc.

Last Updated on : 30 March 2011