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Akshardham, the Swaminarayan temple of
Gandhinagar, is a modern complex, built in
traditional Indian architectural style. The imposing 10 storey high
monument is made entirely of intricately
carved, 6000 tons of pink sand-stone from
Rajasthan , with
no steel or cement used at all, ensuring that the monument will last for a
thousand years. It is 108 feet (32.92 m) tall, 240 feet (73.15 m) long and
131 feet(39.93 m) wide.
Akshardham is an architectural marvel of this century, oozing with
awe-inspiring auspiciousness and amazing craftsmanship. More than 12
million man-hours of 900 skilled craftsmen have created this magnificent
monument of 93 sculpted pillars, 40 windows carved from both sides, and a
feast of forms and filigrees
AKSHARDHAM MONUMENT
At the centre of the spacious Akshardham complex, a delicate and
beautiful architectural masterpiece, the Akshardham Monument, which
enshrines the golden idol of Swaminarayan, the founder of the Swaminarayan
Faith.
The first floor galleries house a museum portraying the 500 'parahansas',
and several things belonging to Swaminarayan such as his letter to guru,
Ramanand, a piece from an old tree from Chapaya, his pure wool shawl, a
replica of his old home and other displays. The galleries outside have a
state of the art exhibition using audio-visuals, multi-media, dioramas of
the life of Swaminarayan and from Hindu epics to introduce visitors to the
concept of the Akshardham movement, founded in 1907 AD to promote the
preachings of Swaminarayan.