Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. One such beauty is Akshardham temple in New Delhi. It's an intersection of mesmerizing art, centuries-old culture and deep-rooted Indian values. It never ceases to leave spectators spellbound with its utterly marvellous architecture, sights and silence. The Akshardham stands proudly on the banks of Yamuna river honouring the past, addressing the present and promising a better cultural heritage for generations to come.
  

Growing up, I used to repel places having any sort of religious or cultural associations. I still do but something about Akshardham draws me towards it. It's beyond just an architectural masterpiece. It's amazing to see how some places defy to go unnoticed and bounds us under their enchanting spell. Maybe this what gives beauty a meaning, something that helps us make sense of what beauty means in a real sense. Beauty is something that stands out amongst the same entities, something that commands attention, appreciation and leaves you no choice but to surrender yourself.

While wandering around this work of outstanding artistry, a recurring thought was bugging me. How did they arrive at making something which seems unrealistic before its existence? what was the vision with which it was conceptualized?
 

The seed was sown by Yogi Maharaj back in 1968 with a desire to build a grandiose temple at the banks of river Yamuna. The temple stands as a symbol of teachings of a spiritual organization (BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha) started by Swaminarayan. What's even more fascinating is that it took only 5-6 years for this beauty to come to life. The project commenced in April 2000 and began taking visitors since 6th November 2006. 

Things to see at Akshardham Temple/Mandir 

1. Architecture: It's artistically magical, scientifically outstanding and culturally moving.  Its built to last 1000 of years with no concrete or steel support. Its interior and exterior have carvings depicting lifestyle,  art, animals and musicians. Its an amazing revival of ancient stone art and architecture, authentic carving showcasing handcraft of great craftsmen.

2. Exhibitions: Visitors and explore and experience exhibitions, theatre, light and sound show through a boat ride depicting human emotions, values, giving visitors a peek into the life of Swami Narayan.

3. A glance at Hinduism: A well-equipped state of the art theatre takes visitors on a journey to ancient India and enlightens them with the contribution of Indians in the fields of arts, astronomy, literature, medicine, mathematics and what not. It makes us aware of the fact that how little we know about our land and people.

Few fun facts about the Akshardham Temple Delhi

1. The whole temple is made of pink sandstone which echoes the cultural legacy of Rajasthan.

2. It is so vast that it takes 3 days to visit the whole temple in details.

3. Akshardham Temple has a botanical garden "Bharat Upvan" under its wings which has approximately 300 plant and herbs which offers a gateway into pure bliss.

4. The Akshardham temple architecture is completely made on the principles of Shilpa Sutra. (An ancient scripture on architecture).

5. Akshardham Temple, Delhi has made its entry into Guinness book of world record for being world's largest Hindu temple.

Swaminarayan Temple NJ

There are many Akshardham temples spread across India as well as other continents. One of them that stands out like the one in Delhi is (Swaminarayan temple nj) Akshardham nj (New Jersey). One of the largest Hindu temple in the USA which was built with the devotion of volunteers and craftsmen investing 4.7 million hours. The most interesting fact about Akshardham nj "also goes by Swaminarayan temple nj is that the stones used in the making were sourced from Europe, sent to Rajasthan for crafting by local craftsmen and finally transported to the USA.

There is no entry fee. Only Abhishek puja, exhibition and Akshardham water show (musical fountain) shows are eligible for tickets.

Timings to visit the temple are 9:30 am to 18:30 pm.
Timings for Exhibitions are 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Akshardham Temple remains closed on Monday.
Nearest Metro is Akshardham on blue line.

If you need more information about Akshardham temple Delhi, you can visit their website

Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi

For Swaminarayan temple nj

Akshardham nj

Keep at least one day if you are visiting Akshardham Temple.


Check out Yatra's 25% flat discount (limited offer) on International flights in "Grab a Deal" section on top of this page. 

If you want to make money from your blog, join Cuelink (offers deals, coupons to display on your website) as it just takes a day or two for approval and pays really good commission.

Adsense is history.
Check my post on Cuelinks - 👉Easiest way to monetize blog/website