Delhi has a lot to offer to it’s visitors. There are a lot of historical and religious places in Delhi to keep you occupied. Today we talk about a beautiful temple in delhi and is well known, called as Akshardham temple.
We recently visited Delhi and had half a day in hand to go around and we planned to visit Akshardham temple. We would say that it is a must visit if you are planning to visit Delhi and can spare some time out of your schedule.
Image Courtesy: Please note that photography is not allowed with in temple premises and all the photos below are courtesy https://akshardham.com & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshardham_(Delhi)
Akshardham means the divine abode of God.
The temple was constructed by Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
It was inspired by HH Yogiji Maharaj and Created by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj
Also known as Sri Swaminarayan Akshardham temple, this temple is made of nicely carved sandstone and marble.
How to reach Akshardham temple
Akshardham is a prominent landmark in the city and is very well on tourist map. Hence you just need to tell the auto / cab or taxi guy that you need to go to Akshardham.
We took the metro. The metro station is called as Akshardham metro station . The Delhi metro is extremely fast and convinient to use…If you are alone or with a small family then definitely use the metro.
Akshardham temple – Our Experience
As we got out of the station, we walked for about 5 minutes to the entrance of the temple. Also remember that you will have to reach the temple by 6:30 pm as it is the last entry time.
As we entered we were given slips and trays, we are supposed to write our name,residence address, phone number,etc. and submit our phones, cameras and other electronics items. Remember all these are not allowed in the temple.
This whole procedure took around 35 to 40 mins. It all depends upon the rush. Weekends the rush is more and hence more time. Also Akshardham is best when visited during evening and hence rush is more during evening times.
OK, we then head over to the security check which took another 20 mins.
We have to remove our belts, keys, chains,watches etc. and send it through the scanner. This safety procedure needs to be followed.
We also noticed that there were separate queue for males and females. And this becomes a challenge when you are with a big group. So plan your time accordingly and also keep patience as these procedures do take time.
What to do at Akshardham temple
We then entered the temple premises…we were first greeted by the 10 gates, which represents the 10 directions according to Vedic literature. These gates show that goodness will continue to come in from all the directions. The carvings on the walls are just amazing.
There are couple of things to do there. Main temple of course needs to be visited. Apart from that there is a exhibition showcasing our cultural values and then in the evening there is a water show.
There is a fee for Exhibition and Water Show. Water show is only in the evening.
Before entering the main temple you can deposit the shoes at footwear deposit counter.. There was simple science that fascinated us The
temple had blackish brown and white tiles. we were supposed to walk on the white tiles as they were not hot at all!!!
As we entered the temple we were amazed to see so many sculptures, Akshardham Temple comprises 200 sculptured stone figures of India’s sages, monks, Acharyas and divine incarnations. It also consists of
234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, Gajendra Pith and 20,000 statues of divine figures of India.
The detail were amazing, every corner was sculpted to represent some or the other holy figure, the domes and everything had been detailed very carefully and creatively.
There are many small snacks stalls in the temple premises and you can buy anything if you are really hungry.
The temple has 11 feet high beautiful statue of Lakshmi Narayan and other statues of Shiva Parvati, Radha Krishna and Sita Ram within the memorial. The theatre within the premises, which is known as Nilkantha. It reflects the events from the life of God Swaminarayan.
The temple has also achieved a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. On 17 December, 2007, the Akshardham Temple was declared as The Largest Comprehensive Hindu `temple in the World by the
International Organization.
Overall, it was an amazing experience visiting Akshardham. It is definitely a must visit if you are visiting Delhi.
Image Courtesy: Please note that photography is not allowed with in temple premises and all the photos below are courtesy https://akshardham.com & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshardham_(Delhi)
You can visit above website for more information about the temple.
-Kumar
Check out another beautiful temple – Devi Patan, Tulsipur, Uttar pradesh
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