- World’s largest Hindu temple, BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, will be inaugurated on October 8 in New Jersey, USA.
- The temple will be the largest in the United States and the second largest globally after Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
- BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey was built with the help of more than 12,500 volunteers from different parts of the US.
- Construction lasted for 12 years from 2011 to 2023.
Temple Dimensions and Design
- The New Jersey branch of Akshardham is spread over 183 acres and measures 255 feet x 345 feet x 191 feet.
- It was designed according to ancient Hindu scriptures and incorporates elements of Indian culture, including 10,000 statues, sculptures and carvings of Indian musical instruments and dance forms.
Unique Temple Features
- The temple design consists of a main temple, 12 sub-temples, nine shikharas (spire-like structures), and nine pyramidal pinnacles.
- Akshardham boasts the largest elliptical dome in traditional stone architecture, designed to last for a millennium.
- Four types of stone – limestone, pink sandstone, marble, and granite – were chosen for their ability to withstand extreme temperatures.
- Approximately two million cubic feet of stone was used, which was obtained from various locations around the world, including Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, India, and China.