Exploring Akshardham: A Spiritual Journey in Delhi

January 13, 2025

Exploring Akshardham: A Spiritual Journey in Delhi

In Swaminarayan Hinduism, “Akshardham” signifies the divine abode of the Lord. It represents the serenity and the holiness of the place where devotees worship the holy and seek their blessings. It is considered to be the sacred home of the God on Earth. Swaminarayan Akshardham Delhi is not only a temple; Swaminarayan Akshardham complex is also a cultural and spiritual campus where various activities and exhibitions related to Hindu religion and harmony are organized.

Akshardham Temple’s God is Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Nevertheless, it is also dedicated to revered saints, deities, and avatars of Hindu Gods. The intricately carved Akshardham Mandir accommodates the idols of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and his successors. There are statues of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, such as Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha, Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, Goddess Lakshmi and God Narayana, and Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati.

This temple, located on the banks of the Yamuna River, was inaugurated by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2005. Following Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra, Akshardham Delhi embodies traditional Hindu Temple architecture.

History of Akshardham Temple Delhi

The Akshardham Mandir Delhi was officially inaugurated for public viewing on November 6, 2005. The late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the president of India, inaugurated it. The Swaminarayan Akshardham complex was built using ancient methods such as Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra.

Located on the banks of River Yamuna, this temple is close to the 2010 Commonwealth Games village. Yogiji Maharaj conceived the idea of a temple complex around 1968 as the then-spiritual head of BAPS. Later, in 1982, his successor, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, started the work towards constructing the Akshardham complex.

The Delhi Development Authority and the Uttar Pradesh government offered 60 acres and 30 acres of land, respectively, for the project in 2000. In November 2000, the construction of the temple complex started, and it was completed in about five years. It was officially opened in November 2005. The inauguration ceremony was graced by the former Prime Minister of India, Mr. Manmohan Singh, and the opposition leader, Mr. L.K Advani.

Akshardham Delhi has also been awarded the Guinness World Record for being the largest comprehensive Hindu Temple in the world.

Architecture of Akshardham Delhi

Constructed with pink sandstone and marble, Akshardham Mandir is the center of the Swaminarayan Akshardham complex. The vast complex of Swaminarayan Akshardham Delhi comprises the main temple, beautifully laid-out gardens, exhibitions, open courtyards, and water bodies, each section presenting an intriguing aspect of Hindu religion and spirituality.

Built in the traditional Hindu architectural style, Akshardham Delhi was built using ancient Indian architecture. It follows the conventional Vastu Shastra as well as Pancharatra Shastra. The temple and its surrounding complex showcase elaborate carvings depicting flowers, animals, musicians, dancers, and Hindu deities. The material used in constructing the temple—red sandstone from Rajasthan and Italian Carrara marble—presents an alluring contrast that adds to the overall beauty of the structure. Over 6,000 tons of pink sandstone were sourced from Rajasthan for its construction.

Akshardham Temple

It proudly stands at a height of 141.3 feet and spans a width of 316 feet. The temple has approximately 234 intricately carved pillars, nine exquisitely decorated domes, and 20 quadrangle peaks. Within its premises, there are about 20,000 idols representing Hinduism. The central statue of Swaminarayan, measuring 11 feet in length, rests beneath the central dome, surrounded by statues of other revered sages. Additionally, the temple showcases sculptures of various Hindu deities. Crafted from five metals known as panch dhaatu, each statue at the Akshardham Mandir is meticulously constructed.

Gates at Akshardham

The majestic gates are the first thing that greet you at Akshardham Delhi. There are ten gates, which are symbolic of 10 directions. According to Hindu beliefs, these ten gates symbolize accepting good from all directions to nurture the feeling of oneness and peace in the world. Visitors pass through Bhakti Dwar, the Gate of Devotion, to enter Akshardham Delhi. From here, they enter the Visitor Center. There are two Mayur Dwars, also known as Peacock Gates. Between these two Mayur Gates is the ‘Charnarvind.’ It is a massive replica of Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s footprints. Constructed from marble, it features water showers on all four sides. The holy footprints also comprise 16 sacred symbols.

Inside Akshardham Temple, Delhi

Garbhagruh

The inner part of the temple is called garbhagruh. It consists of idols of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and other saints who succeeded him, such as Gunatitanand Swami, Yogiji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, and Bhagatji Maharaj. Around the inner sanctum, there are altars, especially for Hindu deities such as Shri Shiv-Parvati, Shri Sita-Ram, Shri Lakshmi-Narayan, and Shri Radha-Krishna.

Mandapams

Within Akshardham Temple, visitors will encounter nine mandapams, each embellished with elaborate carvings on pillars, domes, and ceilings, as well as captivating statues. The interiors of these mandapams exude a mesmerizing beauty.

The main mandapa inside Akshardham Temple is Swaminarayan Mandapam, the temple’s central sanctum, symbolizing the Lord’s divine abode. At 72 feet high, Paramhansa Mandapam, another mandap, is decorated with exquisitely carved domes and pillars. It has the idols of Paramahansa of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, who was introduced to monkhood by Shri Swaminarayan.
Thirty-eight feet high is the Ghanshyam Mandapam, built on eight pillars and featuring a vast dome shaped like a saucer. The pillars and ceiling of this mandapa display incidents from Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s childhood. Seventy-two feet high is the Lila Mandapam, which has four-faced pillars carved with the stories of Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s life. It also has an engraved dome.
Neelkanth Mandapam consists of an idol of Neelkanth Varni adorned with eight-sided pillars and a carved dome. Bhagwan Swaminarayan became known as Neelkanth Varni after he set out on his seven-year pilgrimage. As its name suggests, Smruti Mandapam is where sacred relics like clothes, hair, beads, footprints, and more of Bhagwan Swaminarayan are preserved and displayed for darshan.
Sahajanand Mandapam is a 32-foot-tall structure with a beautifully carved dome. It houses an idol of Bhagwan Swaminarayan depicted seated under a neem tree. This mandapa’s name denotes the Sahajanand, which was given to Bhagwan Swaminarayan when he was initiated as a sage. Bhakta Mandapam includes 148 statues of devoted followers of Shri Swaminarayan. In Purushottam, Mandapam is a Bhagwan Swaminarayan statue accompanied by his devotee Akshar.

Other structures at the Akshardham Delhi

Mandovar

Mandovar is the outer entrance of the temple. Swaminarayan Akshardham Delhi’s Mandovar claims to be one of the largest in the country. It is 25 feet high and 611 feet long and contains 2000 stone sculptures of great Hindu saints, avatars, and devotees. Jagati, the base of Mandovar, is adorned with carvings of living beings, ranging from modern-day animals to those from Puranic times. Each layer of the Mandovar comprises intricate carvings portraying various Hindu concepts of life, spirituality, and God.

Narayan Peeth

This path is for followers to perform pradakshinas of the Akshardham Temple. It has 60-foot bronze relief panels depicting incidents from Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s life. The lower pradakshina of the Akshardham Temple, known as Gajendra Peeth or Elephant Plinth, pays homage to the majestic creature. It showcases representations of elephants, their relations with human beings, and incidents from Panchtantra stories. Gajendra Peeth represents an ancient architectural style that depicts elephant bases in palaces and temples.

Yagnapurush Kund

Modeled after traditional step wells, Yagnapurush Kund boasts over 2,800 steps and 108 small shrines. Its central pool is shaped like nine lotus flowers. Adjacent to the step well stands a 29-foot-high bronze statue of Neelkanth Varni. This area is also the venue for the Sahaj Anand Water Show. Thematic Gardens: Akshardham Delhi has two breathtaking gardens. These gardens add beauty to the Akshardham campus and showcase beautiful sculptures of great Indian personalities. Bharat Upvan is one of the gardens at the temple compound. Along with a vast spread of lush greenery, it has bronze statues of ancient warriors, freedom fighters, national leaders, and other prominent personalities of India. The other garden, Yogihriday Kamal, has been built in the shape of a lotus flower. This garden was named after the 4th successor of Shri Swaminarayan, Yogiji Maharaj, who had inspired the temple’s construction on the Yamuna riverbed. The thematic gardens at Akshardham Mandir are open from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM. Entry is free, and the gardens close at 6:30 PM.

Abhishek Mandap

At this mandapa, devotees can perform the abhishekam of Neelkanth Varni idol consecrated in 2005 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. This 10 to 15-minute-long process comprises chanting shlokas, tying the sacred thread, and bathing the idol with holy water.

Narayan Sarovar

This is a water body surrounding the Akshardham Mandir. It comprises holy waters from around 151 rivers and lakes, including Prayag Triveni Sangam, Manikarnika Ghat, Manasarovar, Pushkar Sarovar, and River Ganda. On the temple’s exterior walls, 108 bronze galumphs have been made, symbolizing the 108 names of the Lord.

Exhibition at Akshardham Temple

Along with the impressive architecture, Akshardham Temple attracts visitors with a fantastic range of exhibitions organized in three massive halls, each offering a unique experience. The three halls are Sahajanand Darshan, Neelkanth Darshan, and Sanskruti Darshan. The exhibition show at the temple runs from 10 AM to 8 PM. The ticket counter is open until 7 PM. The shows are organized every half an hour and are conducted in both Hindi and English.

Separate tickets for individual shows are not available. Guests can purchase exhibition tickets from the ticket counter at Akshardham and access all the shows. The Akshardham ticket price for these exhibition shows is Rs.170 per person for adults. At the same time, for elders above 60, it is Rs.125 per person. For children of age groups 4 -11, the ticket price is Rs.100 per person. The entry is free for kids below four years of age.

Sahajanand Darshan

The Hall of Values, Sahajanand Darshan presents various exhibits on topics ranging from non-violence, family harmony, and morality to prayers.

Sanskruti Darshan/ Boat Ride

Sanskruti Darshan is the most popular exhibition in Akshardham, Delhi. It is a cultural boat ride, which is around 12 minutes long. In this ride, visitors sail across sets, which presents a glimpse into the ancient Indian lifestyle and advancements. The Boat Ride at Akshardham Temple guides you through captivating depictions of the Vedic marketplace, Yoga practices, the game of Chess, the ancient classroom setup at Takshashila, different stages of surgeries performed in ancient India, and more.

Akshardham Temple’s Musical Fountain Show is a highlight of the complex, renowned as Delhi’s most popular musical fountain. Hosted at Yagnapurush Kund, the Sahaj Anand Water Show is a mesmerizing fusion of technology and creativity. The Akshardham Light & Sound Show narrates tales from ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Kena Upanishad.

The show offers a visually stunning experience, utilizing various technologies, including lasers, water jets, underwater flames, surround sound, and video projections. Developed with expertise from around the globe, including BAPS volunteers and sadhus, it typically begins after sunset, starting at 7:30 PM from Tuesday to Sunday. Show durations and timings may vary, with extended shows on weekends.

Entry Fee

Entry to Akshardham Temple is free, allowing visitors to offer prayers without any ticket cost. However, entry fees apply to various attractions, such as the Laser Show, Boat Ride, and Movie Show, with prices varying depending on the chosen program.

How to Reach?

Akshardham Temple is easily accessible via public transportation, including government buses and metro railways. The nearest metro station is Akshardham Metro Station on the Blue Line, just 350 meters away. A transfer at Rajiv Chowk metro station to the Blue Line towards Akshardham is necessary for those arriving via the Yellow Line.

The temple is approximately 21 km from Delhi Airport and can be reached in about 1.5 hours via Thimayya Marg. Traveling from Gurgaon takes around 2 hours, covering a distance of about 43 km. In contrast, the distance from Delhi is 31 km, reachable in about 1 hour via NH9.

The journey from Karol Bagh to Akshardham temple typically takes around 50 minutes, as the distance between the two locations is approximately 12.6 km.