Glimpses from New Jersey Akshardham, the largest Hindu temple outside India
ET Online|
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Largest modern era Hindu temple
The world's largest Hindu temple constructed outside India in the modern era is all set to be inaugurated in New Jersey on October 8. The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in the little Robbinsville Township of New Jersey has been built by an army of more than 12,500 volunteers from across the US in over 12 years from 2011 to 2023.
PTI
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Design
The New Jersey branch of Akshardham measures 255 ft x 345 ft x 191 ft and spans over 183 acres and has been designed according to ancient Hindu scriptures and includes design elements from ancient Indian culture including 10,000 statues and statuettes, carvings of Indian musical instruments and dance forms. The temple is possibly the second largest after Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
ANI
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Shrines and stones
The unique Hindu temple design includes one main shrine, 12 sub-shrines, nine shikhars (spire-like structures), and nine pyramidal shikhars. Akshardham houses the largest elliptical dome of traditional stone architecture ever constructed. It is designed to last a thousand years. The four types of stone selected include limestone, pink sandstone, marble, and granite, which can withstand extreme heat and cold. Nearly two million cubic feet of stone was used in the construction and was sourced from different sites around the world, including limestone from Bulgaria and Turkey; Marble from Greece, Turkey and Italy; Granite from India and China; Sandstone from India and other decorative stones from Europe, Asia, Latin America.
PTI
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Brahma Kund
The Brahma Kund, a traditional Indian stepwell, contains water from over 300 bodies of water from around the world, including the holy rivers of India and all 50 states of the US. Sustainable practices of BAPS include a solar panel farm, a fly ash concrete mix, and the planting of over two million trees worldwide in the past few decades. (Image: Akshardham website)
Agencies
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Volunteers, assemble!
Volunteers from across the US helped with the assembly of Akshardham. They were guided by artisan volunteers from India. Millions of volunteer hours have been dedicated to the making of Akshardham. BAPS officials said volunteers have devoted millions of hours of selfless service to the temple. They range from 18 years old to over 60, from students to CEOs of companies, doctors, engineers and architects. Many of them have taken leave from work for months and have rented condos near the construction site to volunteer their services in building the temple. (Image: Akshardham website)
