Those looking for an enriching cultural experience and technological brilliance,
the Swaminarayan Akshardham complex must be explored. The temple draws
approximately 70 percent of all tourists who visit Delhi. The complex
extends over 100 acres of lush green area on the banks of the River Yamuna
near Noida in East Delhi.
The temple is included in the list of 'Seven Wonders
of the 21st Century' by the prestigious Reader’s Digest monthly
magazine. It also has been listed in the 2009 edition of the Guinness
World Records book for the largest Hindu temple in the world. Also known
as Delhi Akshardham or Swaminarayan Akshardham, it is dedicated to Swami
Nayarayanan of Swami Narayanan sect. The complex is the second Akshardham
complex in the country after the one at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
The building was inspired and moderated by Pramukh Swami
Maharaj who was the spiritual leader BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam
Swaminarayan) community. It was inaugurated in November 2005 by the President,
Dr APJ Abdul, Kalam. The Akshardham complex was completed in only five
years and more than 7,000 sculptors made their valuable contribution in
completing this architectural marvel.
Standing at a height of some 141 feet, the grandeur of
Akshardham temple is awe-inspiring. Spanning across 316 feet wide and
370 feet long, this monument depicting ancient Indian Vastu Shastra and
Architecture. In the complex, there is a beautiful and well kept garden
dotted with fountains and bronze sculptures. In one area of the garden
has statues of the great warriors of India as Ram, Lakshmana, Sita and
Draupadi. The Rath in the middle of the garden, with eight horses is truly
remarkable. There is Yagnapurush Kund, the world's largest yagna kund,
with lotuses and water collected from 151 holy rivers are the other attractions.
At night, the colourful fountain waving with the Vedic rhymes looks like
a dream world.
The main monument of the Akshardham Temple is made of
Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian Carrara Marble. Built with earthquake-resistant
provisions, it's interior is bright and air conditioned.
At the entrance, there are two famous ‘Mayur Dwars’
(peacock gates) with 1,738 sculptured peacocks. The temple opens to a
white marbled floor where as many as 20,000 statues stand. There is a
double-storeyed arcade with 1,152 illars and 145 windows and 154 small
domes. Total, the temple has 234 ornate pillars, over 20,000 sculptures
and statues, eleven huge domes and decorative arches.
In addition to the temple itself, the complex include
a grand IMax theater where visitors can see film, based on the life of
the sect’s leader, Swaminarayan. A 12-minute indoor boat ride describing
India's achievements over the years takes the visitors to this theater.
Akshardham also has two huge exhibition halls where one is a venue of
sound and light show depicting the beginning and end of the world according
to Hindhuism and India's cultural heritage, a canteen which accommodate
5,000 people at one sitting and a research centre.
Timings: 10am to 7pm. Closed on Mondays
Entry Fee: Free ; Note that visitors are allowed
in after high security checks.
For exhibition halls and theatres Rs-145, senior
citizens: 75 (includes all shows)
Fountain Dance Show: (Timing: after 7:15)
Fee (Adult : Rs 20 , Children : Rs 10)
Photography and mobile phones are not allowed.
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Pilgrim Centers 
