Swaminarayan Akshardham
Temple in New Delhi, India
What is it?
• Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi
epitomises 10,000 years of Indian culture in all
its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and
bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of
India’s ancient architecture, traditions and
timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham
experience is an enlightening journey through
India’s glorious art, values and contributions for
the progress, happiness and harmony of
mankind. The grand, ancient-styled
Swaminarayan Akshardham complex was built
in only five years and inaugurated on 6
November, 2005.
A monotheistic concept
• Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode
of the supreme God, the abode of eternal
values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the
Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti,
purity and peace forever pervades. For the
first time ever in the world witness the
heritage of India in all its facets, insights and
beauty at the Swaminarayan Akshardham
through its mandir, exhibitions, verdant
gardens and other attractions.
The Mandir
• The beautiful mandir built without steel,
consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9
ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a
spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone
elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of
India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and
divine personalities. The mandir is a fusion of
pink stone and pure white marble, where
pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal
bloom and white marble that of absolute
purity and eternal peace.
Introductory Videos
• Video 1 (1 minute)
• Video 2 (3 minutes)
• Video 3 (17 minutes)
Hall of Values
• Experience the timeless messages of Indian
culture featured through the life of Bhagwan
Swaminarayan. The principle theme of sculpting
one’s life for happiness, success and peace of
mind is portrayed in this exhibition. The exhibits
portray the messages of ahimsa, endeavor,
prayer, morality, vegetarianism, family harmony,
etc. through fifteen 3-D dioramas and
presentations from the life of Bhagwan
Swaminarayan. Exquisite settings and statues in
each diorama are brought to life through
robotics, fibre optics, light and sound effects,
dialogues and music; transporting the audience
to 18th century India.
Diorama
Several scenes from the Hall of Values follow this slide.
Giant Screen Film
• An epic period film featuring an exciting and inspiring
pilgrimage of Neelkanth Varni, a child-yogi, of 18th
century India. This unique period film, Neelkanth
Darshan, was shot in the icy peaks of the Himalayas in
the north to the pristine shores of Kerala in the south.
The large format film depicts India’s holy places,
festivals and spiritual traditions on a giant screen that
is over six stories high. Neelkanth Darshan is the first
ever wide format film filmed in India and produced by
an Indian organisation.
• http://www.mysticindia.com/
Several scenes from the film follow this slide.
The Boat Ride
• A 12-minute spectacular boat-ride experience
of the 10,000 year old India’s glorious heritage.
– Savor the world’s oldest Vedic village life and bazaar
– Sail through Takshashila – the world’s first university
– Journey through the labyrinth of ancient discoveries
and inventions by the great rishi-scientists of India
Musical Fountains
• The fascinating web of life on earth is intricate,
precise and beautiful. Its fragile network shows
an uncompromising interdependency between
man, nature and God. Therefore what we
receive for sustenance by way of earth, water,
fire, air and space, we need to repay and
sacrifice with body, mind and heart. To fulfill this
function in life, India’s great sages and rishis
established the yagna tradition. They chanted
mantras, offered grains and ghee in a sacrificial
fire (yagna kund) to appease the deities of
earth, water, fire, air, etc. Yagna means to
sacrifice or generously give in appreciation to
others.
The Yagnapurush Kund is a fascinating combination of a
Vedic yagna kund and a musical fountain. It is the world's
largest yagna kund measuring 300' X 300' with 2,870 steps
and 108 small shrines. In its center lies an 8-petaled lotus
shaped yagna kund designed according to the Jayaakhya
Samhita of the Panchratra scripture.
Garden of India
• Through the millenniums people have always looked up
to role models for inspiration, guidance, peace and
courage. Their sterling lives radiate a perennial glow for
the whole of mankind, regardless of all human,
geographical and cultural distinctions. India, which has
the most ancient civilization in the world, that hosts
one sixth of humanity and has the largest democracy in
the world, has produced from its vast cultural matrix a
legion of role models for the world to emulate. Bharat
Upvan exudes a magnificent natural and cultural
ambience through its manicured lawns, lush gardens
and wonderful bronze statues of the great role models
of India. India's child gems, valorous warriors, freedom
fighters, national figures and great women
personalities inspire visitors with values and pride for
our great nation.
• Ever since time immemorial great thinkers, scientists,
writers, international personalities, saints and sages
from every corner of our earth have expressed their
prolific faith in the religious scriptures, God and man.
Here, every petal inspires with messages from
internationally renowned personages about faith in
God and faith in man. An iota of this faith can
transform the face of our world, and also one’s own
life.