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BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham is a Hindu mandir (temple) built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in Robbinsville, New Jersey, within Mercer County, in central New Jersey. It is the largest Hindu mandir in the United States and the third-largest in the world, the largest outside of Asia, and the largest Hindu mandir built in modern times, rising 213 ft (65 m) above ground. The mandir has a total of 13 shrines dedicated to various Hindu deities. The central shrine is dedicated to Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami, worshiped together as Akshar Purushottam Maharaj.

The 183-acre (74 ha) Akshardham campus contains the main Akshardham mandir, a smaller traditional shikharbaddha mandir, Nilkanth Plaza, a welcome center, a vegetarian cafe, the BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute, a museum, and an event center. The Akshardham was inspired by BAPS's fifth spiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The land was purchased in 2008, and construction of Akshardham mandir began in 2015.

On October 8, 2023, Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of BAPS, performed the consecration ceremony and formally inaugurated the mandir. Several months after the Akshardham mandir opening, a registration process was implemented to facilitate an improved visitor experience. On weekends, national holidays, and selected Indian holidays, free advanced registration is required. This Robbinsville temple is one of world's three Akshardham mandirs constructed by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha; the other two are in New Delhi and Gandhinagar.

Deities

The mandir has 13 shrines dedicated to various Hindu deities. The central shrine (garbhagriha) is dedicated to Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami, worshipped together as Akshar Purushottam Maharaj. The sacred image of Swaminarayan is 15.5 feet tall and is crafted from panchdhatu (an alloy of five metals - gold, silver, copper, zinc, and iron). Its sinhasan (throne) is adorned with intricate designs, including two swans and elephants. In four of the shrines, sacred images are installed depicting important events from Swaminarayan's life. These include, sacred images of Ghanshyam (Swaminaryan’s child form) with his parents and friends, Nilkanth Varni (Swaminarayan’s teenage form) engaged in austerity in the Himalayas, Sahajanand Swami (Swaminarayan as leader) requesting a boon from Ramanand Swami, and Swaminarayan applying a tilak to Gunatitanand Swami, symbolizing him as his spiritual successor. The other 12 shrines display the sacred images of Hindu deities including Radha-Krishna, Venkateshwara-Padmavati, Sita-Rama, Lakshman, Hanuman, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya, as well as Swaminarayan's spiritual successors.

Akshardham campus

Nilkanth Plaza

The entrance to the Akshardham complex begins with the Nilkanth Plaza which has a 49 ft (15 m) tall sacred image, or murti, of Nilkanth Varni, the name of Swaminarayan during his teenage years as a yogi on a seven year pilgrimage around India. The height commemorates Swaminarayan's 49 years on Earth. The plaza also includes a map of Nilkanth Varni's pilgrimage route throughout India and 14 plaques that convey messages and values that he shared during his journey.

Brahma Kund

The campus has a traditional Indian stepwell, called the Brahma Kund, which contains sanctified water from over 300 sources including 108 holy rivers in India and rivers that flow across the United States.

Akshardham mandir

The Akshardham mandir was designed in accordance with ancient Hindu scriptures and features elements from Hindu heritage. The mandir is 191 ft (58 m) in height, 255 ft (78 m) in length, and 345 ft (105 m) in width. The central shikhar (spire) is 213 ft (65 m) above ground. Atop the central shikhar is a 12-foot high kalash. It is the largest Hindu mandir in the United States and the second largest Hindu mandir in the world. It was constructed from different stones including marble from Greece, Turkey, and Italy; pink sandstone from Rajasthan; granite from India; and limestone from Bulgaria and Turkey. During its construction, BAPS also incorporated sustainable practices by utilizing a fly ash concrete mix, planting over two million trees worldwide over several decades, and building a six acre solar farm that supplies electricity to the Akshardham campus.

The foundational base, or the jagati, is made of a 13-tiered structure of limestone and is also referred to as the Wisdom Plinth because it conveys messages of wisdom from ancient Indian scriptures, scholars, and other world luminaries. Above the foundational base plinth is the main outer wall of the mandir, called the mandovar. The mandovar includes carvings of poets, philosophers, and sages.

The Akshardham has nine shikhars and nine samarans (pyramidal domes) atop of the mandir. The Akshardham mandir has the largest constructed elliptical dome of a traditional stone mandir. Major domes within the mandir include the Parabrahma Mandapam, dedicated to Swaminarayan; Aksharbrahma Mandapam, to honor Swaminarayan's first spiritual successor Gunatitanand Swami; Mukta Mandapam, to honor followers of the faith that excelled on the spiritual path; and Aishwarya Mandapam, to honor various divinities in Hinduism. It also houses more than 10,000 statues, statuettes, and carved motifs of Indian music and dance forms. Carvings of all 108 Bharatanatyam poses, an ancient Hindu dance form, are depicted throughout the mandir for the first time in one structure. There are also 548 intricately carved marble pillars in the Akshardham mandir.

Two rectangular ponds in front of the mandir include four statues representing the four Vedas. The mandir is surrounded by a 2,485 ft (757 m) long colonnade, or parikrama, made from red sandstone.

Shikarbaddha mandir

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Robbinsville is located on the Akshardham campus. The mandir was built in the Nagaradi style using 68,000 cubic feet (1,900 m) of Italian Carrara marble. The structure is 87 feet (27 m) wide, 133 feet (41 m) long, and 42 feet (13 m) high. The mandir was officially opened to the public on August 10, 2014, after the murtis were consecrated in the presence of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

Welcome Center

The Welcome Center is designed according to Indian Haveli-style architecture to welcome guests in a traditional manner. It is made from hand-carved Burmese Teak wood. There are 2,700 lanterns inside the welcome center to commemorate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. It also includes Indian design motifs on the walls. The welcome center connects to a vegetarian cafe, Shayona Cafe.

BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute

On June 18, 2022, the BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute was inaugurated by Mahamahopadhyaya Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami, author of the Sanskrit commentarial and philosophical texts, the Swaminarayan Bhashyam and the Swaminarayan Siddhanta Sudda, in the presence of representatives from over 50 Hindu mandirs and organizations. Bhadreshdas Swami delivered the inaugural speech which encouraged the community to explore Hindu philosophy and the arts, and spoke to Mahant Swami Maharaj's messages of global harmony, public service, and educational excellence.

History

The Akshardham campus was inspired by BAPS' fifth spiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, in 1971. His vision was to create a place of worship in North America for followers that could also enable visitors of different backgrounds to experience Hindu spirituality, architecture, and peace. BAPS inaugurated its first mandir in the United States in New York in 1974, with the murti pratishtha performed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The land was purchased in 2008. On October 6, 2011, Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed the rituals sanctifying the foundation stones (shilanyas pujan) in Mumbai.

On 15 August 2014, during his final visit to the United States, following the inauguration of  the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan mandir in Robbinsville, (the shikharbaddha mandir on the Akshardham campus), Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed the groundbreaking rituals to the areas where the deities would be installed in the Akshardham mandir. Construction of the Akshardham mandir began in 2015.The first marble pillar installation ceremony took place on September 4, 2017, in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj, the sixth spiritual leader of BAPS.

In the summer of 2020, the mandovar (the main outer wall of the mandir) was completed. The keystones of each of the four domes, which locks a dome in place, were installed on June 14, 2022. The base of the outer wall, or the jagati peeth, was completed in July 2022. On May 31, 2023, the final stone of the Akshardham mandir was installed.

About 75% of the Akshardham campus is designed, constructed, managed, and maintained by swamis and volunteers. Between 2011 and 2023, over 12,500 people volunteered to build the mandir. Volunteers carved and installed about 2,000,000 cubic feet (57,000 m) of stone. The volunteers came from various backgrounds which included students, business executives, physicians, and architects. Volunteers who did not have prior stone mandir construction experience received training on mandir architecture and construction by experts.

In May 2021, a lawsuit was filed against BAPS by several volunteer artisans from India who were involved in the construction alleging that the temple administrators violated labor laws. In relation to this, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Labor, and Department of Homeland Security visited the site on "court-authorized law enforcement activity." The lawsuit alleges that over 200 Indian men, mostly of the Dalit caste, were brought from India to the US and were subject to wage theft, forced labor, and human trafficking.

BAPS Spokespersons rejected the allegations listed in the lawsuit as false stating that the artisans had come to the US as religious volunteers to offer seva, or religious service, as part of their devotion. They further stated that federal, state, and local government agencies had been regularly inspecting and approving the various mandir projects where artisans in this program have volunteered over the last 20 years.

As of July 2023, 12 of the plaintiffs have withdrawn from the lawsuit, stating that they were coerced into making false charges against BAPS by a US based lawyer named Swati Sawant with threats of imprisonment, promises of US citizenship and large sums of money for them and their families. The dozen withdrawn plaintiffs stated that they have been offering service at BAPS temples in the US and India for many years and had "never experienced any pressure, any casteism or discrimination". The lawsuit is on-hold, pending an investigation. Some news outlets characterized the trial as raising questions about the ability of US labor laws to account for certain forms of religious volunteerism.

In April 2023, two homes housing BAPS volunteers were ordered to be vacated by Robbinsville Township, deeming them unsafe. The buildings had been illegally converted to house dozens of volunteers. In a letter to the mayor's office, mandir coordinator Chandresh Patel and women's volunteer outreach coordinator Dr. Nisha Shah stated that the occupants of the homes were American volunteers who had traveled across the country to participate in the construction of the mandir as 'seva'. According to BAPS, most stayed in BAPS-organized accommodations but some made other arrangements. The communal dormitory settings in question were not owned by BAPS. When it came to light that the two buildings did not meet the necessary standards, BAPS helped the affected volunteers relocate to alternative housing.

Inauguration

To celebrate the completion of the Akshardham, BAPS hosted a three-month-long celebration called the "Festival of Inspirations" leading up to its inauguration. During the celebrations, BAPS launched various community programs, including a 10-week-long blood drive and the Days of Giving campaign. The 10-week blood drive had over 4,470 donors and was recognized as one of the longest-running blood drives in the state. The Days of Giving initiative donated over 12,000 school supplies, hygiene essentials, and food items to the local community. A "My Country, My Duty" program celebrated police and law enforcement throughout the country. The inaugural celebration also included a three-month-long Vedic Mahayagna to invoke peace around the world through ancient rituals. Notable visitors during the inauguration of Akshardham highlighted the mandir’s significant impact. Robbinsville Mayor David Fried said in his address, "We are honored that you thought to choose our community and had the vision to turn this piece of land into something that is truly unbelievable and one of the wonders of the world." Hindu spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar said, "This monument will proudly represent Indian traditions. Every carving adorning it showcases intricate beauty, crafted from merely stones but also the devotion embedded within." Highlighting community contributions Senator Heidi Campbell said, "It’s instantaneously apparent that people are comfortable with one another, that people are being generous to one another, and that everyone is here to serve each other, including me."

Akshardham Mahotsav

The inaugural ceremony, called the Akshardham Mahotsav, was split over nine days (September 20 - October 8, 2023). Each day celebrated aspects of the mandir or the values it represents. Daily themes included celebrating Indian culture, non-violence, women's contributions to society, interfaith harmony, and community day. On October 5, 2023, Robbinsville Mayor, David Fried, joined the community unity day program and said, "Every time I reached out to BAPS, they never failed to answer the call, and for that, I'm incredibly grateful." During the program, Fried and Mayor John Higdom from Matthews, North Carolina, both offered the "Key to the City" to Mahant Swami Maharaj.

On October 8, 2023, Mahant Swami Maharaj performed the consecration ceremony and formally inaugurated the mandir. The inauguration was joined by Delaware Governor John Carney and Congressman Steny Hoyer. Carney said, "I was struck by what Swami said that the temple is a bridge, a bridge from the past to the future; a bridge from one community to the next. It is an incredible place of devotion." Additionally, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended wishes for the inauguration of the mandir. Sunak stated, "We were amazed and awed by the beauty of this temple and its universal message of peace, harmony, and becoming a better human being. This is not only a place of worship, but a landmark that also portrays India's values, culture, and contributions to the world.

Gallery

• Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami (collectively known as Aksharpurshottam)
• Swaminarayan as Nilkanth Varni
• Swaminarayan as Sahajanand Swami
• Swaminarayan as Ghanshyam (Child form)
• Krishna and Radha
• Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman
• Shankara, Parvati, Kartikeya, and Ganesha
• Venkateshwara and Padmavati
• Bhagatji Maharaj
• Shastriji Maharaj
• Yogiji Maharaj
• Pramukh Swami Maharaj
• Exterior carvings
• Interior Carvings Interior Carvings
• Interior carvings
• UN visitors in Akshardham
• Visitors inside Akshardham viewing the intricate interior carvings
• Lights during inauguration of Akshardham
• Mahant Swami Maharaj inaugurating the AKshardham
• Nilkanth Plaza Nilkanth Plaza
• Akshardham's side angular view

See also

• Swaminarayan Akshardham (Delhi)
• Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar)

References

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External links

• BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha – The organization responsible for the creation of Akshardham

• Swaminarayan temples
• Hindu temples in New Jersey
• Religion in New Jersey
• Robbinsville Township, New Jersey
• Buildings and structures in Mercer County, New Jersey
• Hinduism in the United States
• Indian-American culture in New Jersey
• Asian-American culture in New Jersey