Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar)

Hindu temple in Gandhinagar

Swaminarayan Akshardham in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India is a large Hindu temple complex inspired by Yogiji Maharaj (1892–1971) the fourth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan, and created by Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921–2016), the fifth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan according to the BAPS denomination of Swaminarayan Hinduism. Located in the capital of Gujarat, the complex was built over 13 years and is a tribute to Swaminarayan and his life and teachings. At the center of the 23 acre complex is the Akshardham mandir, which is built from 6,000 metric tons of pink sandstone from Rajasthan. The complex's name refers to the divine abode of Swaminarayan in the BAPS philosophy; followers of Swaminarayan believe that the jiva or soul goes to Akshardham after attaining moksha, or liberation. BAPS followers worship Swaminarayan as God almighty.

The focal point of the complex is the Akshardham Temple, which measures 108 feet high, 131 feet wide and 240 feet long and features 97 carved pillars, 17 domes, 8 balconies, 220 stone beams and 264 sculpted figures. The first floor of the mandir is known as the Vibhuti Mandapam and features lotus shaped displays describing the spiritual character of Swaminarayan, while the basement of the mandir, called the Prasadi Mandapam, houses a historical display of various sacred relics from Swaminarayan's life.

The complex's five exhibition halls use audio visual presentations and life sized dioramas to explore various themes in Hinduism. The Premanand Hall is divided into three sub sections, the first is dedicated to the Hindu scriptural texts, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata; the second explores religions more generally and features photographic displays of the symbols, scriptures, sacred sites, moral codes and prayers of the world's major faiths; and the third section serves as a tribute to some of India's most famous poets. The vibrant show employs fire, fountain animations, laser, water screen projections, music and live characters in a 45 minute retelling of Nachiketa's choice. with various attractions, including rock arrangements, fountains, a waterfall, and an 18,000 sq. ft. plant nursery. Artisans skilled in stonework prepared the stones used in the Akshardham mandir; the process consisted of smoothing, contouring, detailing and polishing. Smoothing entails chiseling the hewn stone into smaller pieces; contouring involves stenciling the bare designs onto stone, and to give approximate contours to the stone; the artisans use chisels to detail the designs and figurines into stone; and finally, emery is used to file and polish the stone to a smooth finish. While the mandir structure itself was completed in 1985, the concepts and designs for the exhibition halls were developed over the next three years and work on the exhibitions and colonnade began in 1988. The completed complex was inaugurated on 4 November 1992. The Indian National Security Guard intervened and ended the siege by killing both terrorists. A prayer assembly led by Pramukh Swami was organized for 29 September 2002, with attendees praying for the departed souls and their families and also for communal and sectarian peace. More than 30,000 people attended the assembly.