Delhi is home to many a historical heritage, Akshardham Temple is one. The largest Hindu temple complex in the world has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The word ‘Akshardham’ literally means the divine abode of God, a place of devotion, purity and peace. Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple is dedicated to devotional learning and social harmony.

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Built in a traditional manner, the architectural marvel represents mythological civilization of India. The temple is a humble tribute to Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830), an incarnation of Lord Krishna, a Hindu deity.

The Akshardham temple was built by Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. In the construction of this temple, the fifth successor of the spiritual tradition of Lord Swaminarayan “Pramukhaswami Maharaj” has played an important role. The temple was inaugurated on November 6, 2005 and opened to the general public after two days.

The architecture of the temple has been designed in such a way that it can be preserved for the next 1000 years or more. As for the dimensions of the monument, it is 350 feet long, 315 feet wide and 141 feet high. The temple has 234 beautifully decorated and carved pillars and nine beautifully carved domes. The Akshardham temple also has a two-storey building and beautiful 1,152 pillars.

You will be surprised to know that no steel or concrete has been used in the construction of this temple. The entire building is made of pure stone and Italian marble. The surprising thing is that without steel and concrete, this building has the ability to last for thousands of years.

Another fascinating aspect of the Akshardham Temple is that it is surrounded by 10 gates that represent the 10 directions as per the Vedic literature. Also, these 10 gates suggest that goodwill keep coming from all directions.

On December 17, 2007, the Akshardham Temple ranked in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest comprehensive Hindu temple in the world. Let’s tell you, there is Yagyapurush Kund in the temple, which comes in the world’s largest pool. It has 108 small shrines and 2,870 steps towards the pool.

The Akshardham Temple is surrounded by a lake named Narayan Sarovar. This lake holds the holy water of 151 rivers and lakes including Pushkar Sarovar, Indradyumna Sarovar, Mansarovar, Ganga, Yamuna, and many others. Also, along with the lake, there is a group of 108 Gaumukhs representing 108 deities. Also inside the Akshardham temple there is a food court serving vegetarian food named ‘Premvati Ahargriha’. It has been built on the theme of Ajanta and Ellora caves of Maharashtra.

One of the beautiful places to visit in the Akshardham Temple is Lotus Garden. The garden is constructed in the shape of large stones and lotus.

The musical fountain here is quite famous. It tells a beautiful story through depictions in light and water to win the hearts of the audience. This show takes place in the evening for about 25 minutes.

As many as 3,00,000,000 volunteers were engaged in the construction of the temple. At the same time, it took more than 8,000 volunteers from all over the world to build it. The temple has been built with carved sandstone and marble. There are exhibitions which are taught about the life of Lord Swaminarayan and things related to prayer, compassion and non-violence.

Everything in Akshardham is related to spirituality whether it is a temple, an exhibition or a garden. There are about 200 idols in the Akshardham which has been introducing spirituality for millennia. The spiritual foundation of Akshardham is that each soul is a divine light. Every single service can help one move towards divinity. Every prayer is a call to better you and to get closer to God.

A visit to Akshardham is a spiritually enriching experience whether it is in feeling the power of prayer, feeling the power of non-violence, the ancient principles of Hinduism, or admiring the beauty of the abode of God on earth. Everything here has a spiritual significance.

The Akshardham Temple remains open all week days except on Mondays. You can visit the temple from 10 am to 7 pm.