Millions of volunteer hours bring world's second-largest Hindu temple to life in US

The world's second-largest Hindu temple is set to be inaugurated in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, on October 8 and will open to the public from October 18 onwards.

The Akshardham temple, a tribute to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a 19th-century spiritual leader, akin to the one in New Delhi, has been constructed by an army of over 12,500 volunteers from across the US, spanning a journey of 12 years, from 2011 to 2023.

The largest Hindu temple in the world is the 12th-century Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

What and where

• The new Akshardham temple, also known as BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, is situated approximately 90 km south of New York and about 290 km north of Washington, DC, the American capital.
• Nestled across 183 acres, this architectural wonder has been meticulously designed based on ancient Hindu scriptures and incorporates intricate design elements from Indian art and architecture.
• The temple also boasts an array of 10,000 statues and figurines, along with intricate carvings of Indian musical instruments and dance forms, which are essential components of Ancient Hindu temple art.

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An architectural marvel

• The temple's architecture consists of an extensive set of architectural elements with a main shrine, 12 sub-shrines, nine shikhars (the rising tower), and nine smaller pyramidal shikharas.
• One of its standout features is the largest elliptical dome of traditional stone architecture ever constructed. This architectural masterpiece has been engineered to withstand the test of time, with a design that is meant to last for a thousand years.
• The temple construction used four types of stone, including limestone, pink sandstone, marble, and granite.

• These stones, known for their durability, were sourced from various locations around the world, with limestone coming from Bulgaria and Turkey, marble from Greece, Turkey, and Italy, granite from India and China, and sandstone from India, along with other decorative stones from Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

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Brahma Kund

• The temple premises house a Brahma Kund (a stepwell), which has water from over 300 water bodies from around the world, including the sacred rivers of India and all 50 states in the United States.
• Sustainability has been a key focus, with the incorporation of a solar panel farm, fly ash concrete mix, and the planting of over two million trees globally in recent decades, reported the PTI.

According to the temple body, the temple is not only a testament to architectural excellence but also a symbol of environmental consciousness.

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Volunteerism at Its Core

• The construction of Akshardham has been a monumental task, primarily by volunteers who have dedicated millions of selfless hours to bring it to life.
• Volunteers representing diverse sections of society, including students, CEOs, doctors, engineers, and architects pooled in to make this temple happen.

• Many of them left their jobs for months, renting condos near the construction site to contribute their services in building the temple, reported PTI.

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A place for all

• Aksharvatsaldas Swami from BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, during a press briefing, explained the temple's importance, saying, "Our spiritual leader (Pramukh Swami Maharaj) had a vision that in the Western hemisphere, there should be a place for all people of the world, not only for Hindus, not only for Indians, not only for certain groups of people; it should be for all of the world where people can come and learn some values, universal values based in Hindu tradition."