New Jersey builds world's largest Akshardham Temple; to open soon
What's the story
New Jersey, in the United States, is building the world's largest Akshardham Temple in Robbinsville, which is scheduled to be inaugurated on October 8, 2023. This modern-era Hindu temple will be opened under the guidance of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha spiritual head Mahant Swami Maharaj and will welcome visitors starting October 18. A staggering 12,500 US workers have built this stunning temple in 12 years!
Twitter Post
Take a sneak peek at this gorgeous temple
#WATCH | Robbinsville, New Jersey: One of the largest hand-carved Hindu temples is to be inaugurated on October 5. pic.twitter.com/sfagBOAMP1
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2023
Temple
Temple sprawls across whopping 183 acres
According to reports, spread across an area of 183 acres, the temple measures 255ft x 345ft x 191ft, which makes it the world's largest of its kind. Notably, the stones used in building it were sourced from Europe and then sent to India, where they underwent intricate craftsmanship. These pieces were later shipped to New Jersey.
Information
About 2 million cubic feet of stones used
As per NDTV, about two million cubic feet of stones have been used for the construction of the temple. Stones include limestone, pink sandstone, marble, and granite, all of which have been sourced from India, China, and Turkey, besides Greece and Italy in Europe.
Interiors
To feature 10,000 statues, carvings of Indian musical instruments
Interestingly, this religious place has been designed keeping in mind India's ancient culture and traditions. If reports are to be believed, the temple is going to feature about 10,000 statues and statuettes of various idols. It will also have several carvings of Indian musical instruments and dance forms inside it. This has been done to pay homage to many spiritual leaders and saints.
Exteriors
Temple to also house some unique shrines
The Times of India reported that the unique design of this newly-built Akshardham Temple in New Jersey will also feature some unique shrines. It will have one main shrine, 12 sub-shrines, nine shikhars (a conical structure), and nine pyramidical structures. Its elliptical dome is made of a stone structure that is designed to survive thousands of years.
Features
Traditional stepwell with water from 300 water bodies
Another unique feature of this soon-to-open temple is that it houses a traditional Indian stepwell that will have water from 300 water bodies from around the world. The water bodies include holy rivers from India and the 50 states of the United States of America. Can one take a dip in it? Well, no reports on that have surfaced so far.