Swaminarayan Akshardham, Delhi
New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Deities
- Swaminarayan
- Traditions
- vaishnava
- Worship status
- active
- Coordinates
- 28.6127, 77.2773
- Darshan hours
- Varies by temple and season; consult the temple's own trust/management for the current daily schedule before visiting.
- Best time to visit
- Evening for the musical fountain show; October to March for cooler weather.
- How to reach
- On the banks of the Yamuna in eastern Delhi, reachable by metro (Akshardham station) or road.
- Festivals
- Diwali / Annakut (October/November)
Location
Open in Google MapsBuilt by the BAPS Swaminarayan organization under the guidance of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, construction began 8 November 2000 and the complex opened 6 November 2005, in just under five years. The main monument stands 43 meters high, 96 meters wide, and 109 meters long, carved in Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian marble without any structural steel, and was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world’s largest comprehensive Hindu temple (it is the second-largest BAPS temple overall, after the one in Robbinsville, New Jersey). Beyond the central shrine to Swaminarayan, the complex includes exhibition halls on Indian culture and history, a large musical/light fountain, and extensive gardens, and its 2005 opening ceremony was attended by India’s President, Prime Minister, and Leader of the Opposition.
Sources
- historical record: Cross-checked against Wikipedia's Akshardham (Delhi) article: confirms the Nov 2000-Nov 2005 construction span, dimensions, 2007 Guinness World Record, and the 2005 opening ceremony's dignitaries.