"The Akshardham Temple is a massive temple complex in Delhi. It has got 20,000 statues, floral motifs, arches as well as exquisitely carved pillars."

The Akshardham Temple in Delhi was constructed under the patronage of the Bochasanvasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and initiated on November 7, 2005. The temple complex represents an unique blend of the Hindu religion and Indian culture.

The Akshardham temple complex stands on the banks of the Yamuna and has more than a 100 acres of lawn decorated with water fountains and carved pavilions. An amount of 2 billions was spent on the building that took around 2 years to complete.

There is the IMAX theater, the Swaminarayan temple and a beautiful musical fountain in the large Akshardham temple in Delhi. The architectural design is a copy of the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. The chief monument of the Akshardham temple is about 141 feet high and possesses a grand statue of Lord Swaminarayan.

The followings are some of the important facts about the temple:

•           Year of Construction: 2005

•           Constructed by: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha

•           Managed by: Swaminarayan Sect

•           Other Deities: Shri Radha Krishna Dev, Shri Sita Ram, Shri Laxmi Narayan and Shri Uma                     Maheshwar.

•           Opening Schedule: 9 am - 9 pm (Tuesday-Sunday). Closed on Monday.

Popular features of the Akshardham Temple in Delhi

Hall ofValues

The Hall of Values is the most important feature of the Akshardham temple. The Hall of Values is also called Sahajanand Pradarshan and is set in the 18th century backdrop. The hall features a number of robotics, fiber optics and dioramas that display incidents from the life of Swaminarayan.

Theatre

The Akshardham temple also houses Delhi's only format screen theater. Also known as Neelkanth Kalyan Yatra, the theatre inside the Akshardham complex is home to the city's first large format screen that measures 85-foot (26 m) by 65-foot (20 m). The theatre features a film that is specially and only meant for the temple complex. It is called Neelkanth Yatra, the film is about the seven-year journey made by Swaminarayan throughout India during his teenage years. The movie also has an international version called Mystic India, which was released in 2005 at different theaters worldwide. Within the vicinity of the theater there is also a 27-foot tall bronze statue of Neelkanth Varni.

MusicalFountain

The Yagnapurush Kund is one of the most striking features of the Akshardham temple complex. The Yagnapurush Kund which is the country's largest step well serves as a point of rest for many travelers during the day. There are a host of steps that lead to the traditional yagna kund. The many steps that offer relaxation to the many tourists in the day also offer a delightful musical fountain show at night. The musical fountain shown at night is a representation of the circle of life. There are about 2,870 steps and 108 tiny shrines on the Yagnapurush Kund.

BoatRide

If you want to explore the unexplored then a boat ride at the Akshardham is a must. There is an artificial river that passes through the Takshashila, the world's biggest. The peacock shaped boats known as Sanskruti Vihar, takes the visitors on a 10,000 year old journey of Indian history in just about 12 minutes.

Gardenof India

Another important feature inside the temple is the beautiful garden known as Garden of India. Popular as Bharat Upavan, the Garden of India spreads over acres and acres of well manicured lawns, large trees and a host of other plants and shrubs. The garden also has several bronze sculptures of famous Indian personalities that have contributed to India's history and culture. The various sculptures include the figures of freedom fighters, and other important people of India. Out of all the sculptures the most notable one is that of Mahatma Gandhi's.

NarayanSarovar

The Narayan Sarovar is a holy lake that surrounds the main building of the Akshardham temple. The Narayan Sarovar contains waters from about 151 lakes and Rivers that were blessed by the famous Swaminarayan. There are 108 gaumukhs surrounding the pious lake that symbolize Janmangal Namavali.

AARSHCentre

The AARSH is a research center within the Akshardham complex. This research center is a place where eminent scholars and students carry out practical research and studies on social harmony and other related topics. Researchers in India can conduct research and affiliate their research papers with this institute. There are also numerous foreign students that travel to this research instate to carry out studies in topics like rural welfare, medicine, ecology social welfare etc.

More Info about Akshardham Temple

Delhi is the symbol of old India and new…even the stones here whisper to our ears of the ages of long ago and the air we breathe is full of the dust and fragrances of the past, as also of the fresh and piercing winds of the present.

India’s capital, DELHI is the hub of the country, a buzzing international metropolis which draws people from across India and the globe. Home to fifteen million people, it’s big, sprawling and still growing. Yet tucked away inside Delhi’s modern suburbs and developments are tombs, temples and ruins dating back centuries; in some places, the remains of whole cities from the dim and distant past nestle among homes and highways built in just the last decade or two. The result is a city full of fascinating nooks and crannies that you could happily spend weeks or even months exploring.

From a tourist’s perspective, Delhi is divided into two main parts. OldDelhi is the city of the Mughals and dates back to the seventeenth century. It’s the capital’s most frenetic quarter, and its most Islamic, a reminder that for over seven hundred years Delhi was a Muslim-ruled city. While many of the buildings enclosing Old Delhi’s teeming bazaars have a tale to tell, its greatest monuments are undoubtedly the magnificent constructions of the Mughals, most notably the mighty Red Fort, and the Jama Masjid, India’s largest and most impressive mosque.

To the south, encompassing the modern city centre, is New Delhi, built by the British to be the capital of their empire’s key possession. A spacious city of tree-lined boulevards, New Delhi is impressive in its own way. The Rajpath, stretching from India Gate to the Presidential Palace, is at least as mighty a statement of imperial power as the Red Fort, and it’s among the broad avenues of New Delhi that you’ll find most of the city’s museums, not to mention its prime shopping area, centred around the colonnaded facades of Connaught Place, the heart of downtown Delhi.

As the city expands, however – which it is doing at quite a pace – the centre of New Delhi is becoming too small to house the shops, clubs, bars and restaurants needed to cater to the affluent and growing middle class. Many businesses are moving into South Delhi, the vast area beyond the colonial city. Here, among the modern developments, and new business and shopping areas, is where you’ll find some of Delhi’s most ancient and fascinating attractions. Facing each other at either end of Lodi Road, for example, lie the constructions marking two ends of the great tradition of Mughal garden tombs: Humayun’s Tomb, its genesis, and Safdarjang’s Tomb, its last gasp. Here too, you’ll find the remains of six cities which preceded Old Delhi, most notably the Qutb Minar and the rambling ruins of Tughluqabad.

As a place to hit India for the first time, Delhi isn’t a bad choice. The city is used to foreigners: hotels in all price ranges cater specifically for foreign tourists, and you’ll meet plenty of experienced fellow travellers who can give you tips and pointers. And there’s certainly no shortage of things to see and do while you acclimatize yourself to the Subcontinent. Quite apart from its historical treasures, Delhi has a host of museums and art treasures, cultural performances and crafts that provide a showcase of the country’s diverse heritage. The city’s growing nightlife scene boasts designer bars, chic cafés and decent clubs. Its auditoriums host a wide range of national music and dance events, drawing on the richness of India’s great classical traditions. Smart new cinemas screen the latest offerings from both Hollywood and Bollywood, while its theatres hold performances in Hindi and in English. And if it’s from Delhi that you’re flying home, you’ll find that you can buy goods here from pretty much anywhere else in India, so it’s a good place to stock up with souvenirs and presents.

Delhi is both daunting and alluring, a sprawling metropolis with a stunning backdrop of ancient architecture. Once you’ve found your feet and got over the initial impact of the commotion, noise, pollution and sheer scale of the place, the city’s geography slowly slips into focus. Monuments in assorted states of repair are dotted around the city, especially in Old Delhi and in southern enclaves such as Hauz Khas. The British-built modern city centres on Connaught Place, the heart of New Delhi (though actually on its northern edge), from which it’s easy – by taxi, bus, auto-rickshaw or metro – to visit pretty much anywhere else in town.

By Quick Travel Trip

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