Akshardham Temple Delhi History and Interesting Facts

Akshardham Temple Quick Facts

Akshardham Temple Overview

Akshardham Temple is one of the largest Hindu temples in the country located in the Pandav Nagar area of New Delhi. This temple is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan. Akshardham Temple is also known as Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple.

The Temple reflects the culture, spirituality, and architecture of the country. Being the largest Hindu temple complex in the world, it was included in the Guinness Book of World Records on 26 December 2007. This traditional temple is a wonderful example of the ancient art, culture, and craftsmanship of India.

Akshardham Temple History

The Temple was officially opened on November 6, 2005. The construction work of the temple started on 8 November 2000 and on 6 November 2005 the temple was officially opened to the general public. It took 5 years to build the temple, which was completed with the blessings of HDH Pramukh Bochasan's Swami Maharaj Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) with the efforts of 11,000 artisans and over 3000 BAPS volunteers.

The Temple has been built in the memory of Jyotirdhar Swaminarayan Bhagwan. The design of the temple is very beautiful and unique which reflects the traditional 10,000 year old Indian culture, spirituality and architecture in Delhi.

Akshardham Temple Interesting Facts

1. The Temple is covered over an area of about 83,342 square feet (about 100 acres).
2. Pink sandstone and white marble have been used to build this temple.
3. The special thing about this temple is that steel and concrete were not used in any part of the temple.
4. More than 6000 tonnes of pink sandstone was brought from Rajasthan for the construction of this temple.
5. When the temple was built its total cost was Rs 400 crore at that time.
6. It has 350 feet long, 315 feet wide, and 141 feet high monuments which are very attractive.
7. The temple is divided into 5 parts and its main complex is situated in the center.
8. This grand temple has been built in Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra style.
9. The pillars and walls of the entire temple council are adorned with about 20,000 sculptures.
10. The statue of Swaminarayan is situated under the central dome of the temple, which is 11 feet high and according to Hindu tradition, this temple is made of 5 metals.
11. Other Attractions of this complex are the three exhibition halls. The hall houses Sahananda Darshan, Neelkanth Darshan, and Sanskriti Vihar.
12. On Sahanananda Darshan, the life of Swaminarayan is displayed by robotics. Neelkanth Darshan has a huge I-MAX theater film screening based on the life of the Lord and finally, Sanskriti Vihar takes visitors on a journey of Indian history in about 13 minutes in peacock-sized boats.
13. Bharat Upavan or "Garden of India" within the temple complex is a vast lush garden, lined with bronze sculptures of children, women, freedom fighters, famous figures, and notable figures of India.
14. In the evening there is a musical fountain depicting the human life cycle for 15 minutes. It is a musical fountain show that depicts the cycle of birth, life and death according to Hinduism.
15. Entry fee for temple exhibition: Adults Rs.170, Seniors Citizen (60+) Rs.125, Children (up to 4–11 years) Rs.100 and Entry is free for children below 4 years.
16. Music Fountain Entry Fee: Rs.30 for adults, Rs.30 for senior citizens (60+), Rs.20 for children (up to 4–11 years) and Rs.20 for children below 4 years of age.
17. Water Show Entry Fee: Adult Rs.80, Senior Citizen (60+) Rs.80, Children (up to 4–11 years) Rs.50 and Entry is free for children below 4 years.
18. The Temple entry timings are from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and the ticket counter becomes 6:00 pm.
19. It is prohibited to carry any electrical equipment like mobiles, cameras, and food items from outside inside the Akshardham temple premises.
20. Temple opens 6 a week and remains closed on Mondays.