Hi all,


After 5 years of non-stop, round-the-clock construction, the massive and awesome Akshardham Temple Monument to World Peace was inaugurated today. The Akshardham Temple in New Delhi, India, constructed by the BAPS foundation -- the builders of the various Swaminaryan Temples across the world, is truely a modern day Wonder of the World.

It is one of the biggest and most intricate religious places of worship ever constructed. Combining several completely different and contrasting architectural styles of Hindu temple architecture of northern India -- Rajasthani, Orrisan, Gujarati, Mughal and Jain -- the Akshardham Monument is entirely constructed of marble and the red-sandstone that Delhi is famous for, and that so many of her monuments are constructed of. It was completed in only 5 years :eek: a world record of sorts


So after years of waiting, the Temple was yesterday opened to the public -- and to photographers. Below is the New Delhi Akshardham Complex as seen through the eyes of a BAPS photographer. The pictures are a great many and will take a long time to load, but totally, totally worth the wait!

At its inaguration, it is widely being heralded as one of the greatest monuments India has ever produced. I hope you enjoy viewing this architectual marvel as much as I enjoyed having the honor presenting it.

Best Regards,
Jai


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Monument of Akshardham

The Akshardham monument, built without steel, is entirely composed of sandstone and marble. It consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities.

The monument is a fusion of several architectural styles of pink stone and pure white marble. Pink stone symbolizes bhakti (devotion) in eternal bloom and white marble of absolute purity and eternal peace. The monument was built after over 300 million man hours of services rendered by 11,000 volunteers, sadhus and artisans.

It is the one of the wonders of the modern world, and the wonders of modern India.

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...Below are views of some of the buildings and areas that make up the Complex...

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Sahajanand Darshan / Hall of Values

The Sahajanand Darshan or Hall of Values is a huge museum of India's Spiritual Heritage, and the heritage of the Swaminarayan sect, featured through the life of His Holiness Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The many exhibits portray the messages of ahimsa (nonviolence), endeavor, prayer, vegetarianism, family harmony, etc. through 3-D dioramas and presentations from the life of His Holiness Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Exquisite settings and statues in each diorama are brought to life through robotics, fibre optics, light and sound effects, dialogues and music, transporting the audience to 18th century India.

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Garden of India / Bharat Upvan

"Through the millenniums people have always looked up to role models for inspiration, guidance, peace and courage. Their sterling lives radiate a perennial glow for the whole of mankind, regardless of all human, geographical and cultural distinctions. India, which has the most ancient continuous civilisation in the world, which hosts one sixth of humanity and has the largest democracy in the world, has produced from its vast cultural matrix a legion of role models for the world to emulate."

The Garden of India is a huge garden featuring flora and fauna from all over the length and breadth India, from the Himalayas to the Kanyakumari, and the Deserts of Persia to the Jungles of Burma. The Bharat Upvan also has statues and figures of India's Kings, Warriors and Freedom Fighters, India's National Figures, and India's Women Personalities.

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Musical Fountains / Yagnapurush Kund

The Yagnapurush Kund is a fascinating combination of a Vedic yagna kund and a musical fountain. It is the world's largest yagna kund measuring 300' X 300' with 2,870 steps and 108 small shrines. In its center lies an 8-petaled lotus shaped yagna kund designed according to the Jayaakhya Samhita of the Panchratra scripture. Its perfect geometric forms testify to ancient India's ancient knowledge in mathematics and geometry. At night the center comes to life with a colorful musical water fountain that echoes the Vedic sentiments of India.

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...Below are more views of the areas of the Akshardham Monument itself...

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Vvibhuti Mandovar

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Pari Krama

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Narayan Pith

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Neelkanth Abhishek

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Gajendra Pith

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Pillars

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Murtis

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Carvings

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Mandapams

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Garbhagruh

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~ FIN ~

Best Regards,
Jai

Akshardham Temple adds to capital's grandeur (http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=48741)

06 Nov 2005 # IANS

New Delhi: The magnificent Akshardham temple in the national capital, to be opened for public Tuesday, will be yet another architectural landmark in the city which boasts of the lotus-shaped Baha'i temple and other impressive mosques and churches.

The pink sandstone and while marble Akshardham temple complex, built on the banks of the Yamuna river in east Delhi, is visible from afar to approaching traffic along the National Highway 24. The main temple dome rises majestically over the two-storied sandstone colonnade of 1,160 pillars that encircles it from three sides.

The 100-acre temple complex was built at a cost of around Rs.2 billion ($44 million), funded out of donations and contributions from about 10 million of followers of the Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) that has a large worldwide following.

The 141-feet-high temple is patterned on the Akshardham complex in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar.

Designed by Ahmedabad-based architect Veerendra Trivedi, the monument rises on the shoulders of 148 stone elephants depicting ancient tales from the Indian scriptures.

The main monument houses an 11-foot statue of Lord Swaminarayan, an 18th century Hindu social reformer, whose disciples formed the Swaminarayan sect that has an estimated 100,000 followers worldwide.

Made of panch dhatu or five metals in accordance with the Hindu tradition, the statue is surrounded by those of the first five disciples. The sanctum sanctorum also has idols of prominent Hindu deities.

"The huge monument is built entirely of stone and marble and no iron or any other metal is used in its construction," Mukul Vyas, a volunteer guide, told IANS.

Guarded by two magnificent gates, Bhakti Dwar or devotion gate and Mayur Dwar or peacock gate, the prime spot of the complex has 234 profusely carved ornate pillars with more than 20,000 statues and statuettes, decorative arches and domes.

"If you observe minutely, you will see that no pattern is repeated," added Vyas.

Adjacent to the main temple is a large pond, called the Yagnapurush Kund, with 2,870 steps meant for religious rituals. The pond also has a musical fountain at the centre, which will be on for display twice every evening.

Another adjacent water body, Narayan Sarovar, reportedly contains waters drawn from the 151 holy rivers visited by Lord Swaminarayan.

A 60-acre thematically landscaped garden, Bharat Upvan, has lush lawns, gardens and exquisite bronze sculptures and statues of historical personalities. The complex also features a research centre that focuses on social harmony and religious values.

For visitors, the temple complex also has number of exhibition halls showcasing Indian culture down the ages with help of tableaux that come alive with animation and background voice.

An IMAX theatre will screen a 45-minute, titled "Mystic India", on the cross-country pilgrimage that Lord Swaminarayan made in his childhood days.

"It would take a visitor more than four hours to go through the temple, monuments, exhibition halls, the film and a sight-and-sound show," said Chandrakant Mehta, a volunteer.

In the past two decades, the BAPS, which has followers mainly in Gujarat and among Gujaratis abroad, has built more than 600 temples worldwide, including Britain and the US.

I can only say one thing.... WOW... Breathtaking.. Truly Amazing..

Very beautiful, I like that style.
About India, Buddhism spread to China and made a very great influence to China,especially Jin and Tang Dynasty.I think Buddhism spirit had been a part of Chinese culture forever.Shaolin temple (a famous Buddhism temple)was first founded because of a Buddhist from India.Chinese sculpture was also influenced by Buddhism.In fact,in Tang(618~918AD) and Jin Dynasty, sometimes the status of Buddhism is even higher than Confucianism,Confucianism had to reform by the influence of Buddhism in Song Dynasty.In Chinese myth,there're two god series, Buddhism and Taoism,they don't conflict,but the influence of Buddhism is greater that Taoism.In fact,Chinese tradition culture was mainly made up of Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism.
At that time,more religions came,such as Moslemism(Islam),in China there're also some Han Muslem,in blood they are Han, but they believe Moslemism,sometimes use Arabia letter,there're also some Arabia descendants,they marriage with Han or Urger or more.
There're also Christianism but much less than Buddhism and Moslemism, in Tang Dynasty,and especially in Ming Dynasty,near Macao and southern China,there're some,but very few.Maybe that's because too far.In Tang Dynasty,there're many religions,but religion doesn't have much relationship to politics.

what a fantastic and magical place!!! did you guys build it in just 5 years?

Groundbreaking was in 2000, 1st stone laid in 2001 :)

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/651/15115f6gx.jpg
^ "Old" Akshardham temple, completed in 2000, located adjunct the Akshardham Monument Complex

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1185/6517af3cm.jpg
^ Stone-laying ceremony

Koyer,

It's said that Dharma/Dhamma is like a Banyan tree; everywhere branches go, it takes root and starts its own unique trees, all interconnected :) Cultures and civilizations are a mix of influences from home and all over :) :cheers1:

Koyer,

It's said that Dharma/Dhamma is like a Banyan tree; everywhere branches go, it takes root and starts its own unique trees, all interconnected :) Cultures and civilizations are a mix of influences from home and all over :) :cheers1:
Yes,Shaolin temple made Dharma as their first master.Buddhism has two main genre,one is Mahayana Buddhism,mainly existed in China,Japan,Korea,Vietnam or more,Buddhist can't marriage.While another Hinayana Buddhism existed in Thailand,Burma or more,Buddhist can marriage. Dharma is a Buddhist of Mahayana Buddhism,it is said that after he came to China,he had sat against wall for seven years and gained apocalypse,spread Buddhism.Buddhism first spread in China in Han Dynasty(before 300AD),it is said that one day the emperor of Han dreamed a golden person,people said that's Sakyamuni,so emperor thought that's providence,then ancient Indian Buddhist founded first Buddhism temple--White horse temple in the capital of east Han Dynasty--Luoyang,that temple exists now.And in Tang Dynasty,a famous Han Buddhist came to India to gain more Buddhism lection.

好象以前的印度人也不是长这个样子的　现在的都是欧洲去的侵略者

^^ learn to appreciate and praise other people's achievements, you make yourself look
like a jealous idiot.

晕　你说什么你知道吗　　古印度文明不是现在的印度人创造的　你知道吗　～

^^ Again, please grow up and learn to appreciate and praise other people's
achievements. Only losers would attack and try to take away other people's
achievements.

I find your attitude towards other people extremly childish, narrow-minded and
arrogant.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/7140/lakshminarayanf6ka.jpg
In China there're also this stlye of things.
http://img.ebigchina.com/cdimg/206606/575248/0/1072236581.jpghttp://photocdn.sohu.com/20050420/Img225267185.jpg
http://www.curiohouse.cn/Curio/07/017.jpg

http://www.tianshannet.com.cn/media/200501/13/NewsMedia_20267.jpg

Buddhism was very popular both in today's Pakistan and India in Peacock Dynasty of ancient India ,but now I have heard that there's few Buddhism left,is that true?I konw that now in India,it is Hinduism,it is said that the hometown of Dharma doesn't have much Buddhism left, What a pity,I think that place may be holy for Chinese Buddhist.

Well, Buddhism came about as a counter against the rigid ritualism of Hinduism. It got patronage by many Kings like Ashoka and Harshavardhana, and spread to Central and Eastern Asia. After the great reformer Adi Shankaracharya, who taught what is known as Vedanta, and devotional (as opposted to ritualistic) pantheistic Hinduism, Buddhism in India basically merged into Hinduism. And Shankara's teachings in turn influenced the development of Mahayana Buddhism abroad.

Today, Hinduism is deeply influenced by the reforms of the Buddha, and he is considered one of the greatest gurus or religious teachers of Dharma. He often considered one of the many 'modern day' Rishis, who taught a path of Raja Yoga called Budhi-Yoga. But Mahayana Buddhism still exists in India, especially in the Himalayan and far-eastern regions where Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism is practiced, and in pockets in the south where Hinayana is practiced.

Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained nirvana, is a huge pilgrimage place and draws visitors from all over India, and Asia, especially from China and Japan. And Chinese and Japanese-style temples have been built by these pilgrims.


In fact, another big religious project in India is the Maitreya Buddha complex, which will have the tallest Buddha in the world, three times the size of the Statue of Liberty, which will be built in classical Indian style.

http://img276.imageshack.us/img276/6695/a102fh.jpg

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http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8896/a84gr.jpg

It will be constructed in one of India's poorest, least-developed areas, and will provide the livlihood and education of thousands. It is funded by donations, and 50% of funding has been raised. Land and permission has been granted, and groundbreaking should take place in a couple years. Many Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Tibetan schools and monestaries are helping design and contribute to the project. :)

Cheers,
Jai

awesome exactly

Coool!!!!!

I actually like it. it's not made of glass, and it's not a skyscraper, which has to be appreciated;)

Simply Amazing Complex! :applause:

Ya. Buddhism was brought by Emperor Ashoka pronounced Asoka. He united India and made it the official religion. The place in which Buddhism was born is very poor but is being helped by many countries. It could become very nice as more tourist come and more money comes in. The government is trying harder to help the area. Also, in many hindu temples that I have been to the God Vishnu or Krishna that has 10 forms includes Budha as one of his forms. So hinduism includes Buddhism with it and more. This was started a long time ago to avoid conflict. Most of the principles of the religions are the same. Budha was an Indian King who was Hindu. He didn't like the cast system. That ended up being the main difference between the two religions. Today the cast system is anyway diminishing bringing the religions to a close similarity.

rzj2000-为什么您总必须说坏事关于其它发展中国家? 您最攻击印度。为什么? 它给我头疼。

Budha was an Indian King who was Hindu. He didn't like the cast system.

Nope, it was not his thing against the caste system. Hardly. When he was born, a great Rishi said that he would be either a great king or a great rishi. The father of Siddhartha(Buddha's original name) wanted him to be a king and shielded Siddharth from the pains of life like sickness, death, old age etc and kept him locked in the palace. One day Siddharth wanted to get out of his palace. His father so chose a route that did not have people who are sick or anythijng. SOo when Siddhartha set out with his Sarathi(charioteer), he saw a wretched sick man, he said
"Oh Sarathi, what happened to that man?
Sarathi said"Oh Prince, that man is sick."
"Will I become sick too?"
"Oh yes you can, o prince.

Siddhartha became sad.Then he went along and saw an old man.
He said,"Oh Sarathi, what is wrong with that personn, why is his hair grey?"
"He is an old man, one day you too will grow old and have grey hair", said the sarathi.

Siddharth again became sad and went further. He was trying to explore life.
He saw a funeral procession, he again asked
"Sarathi, what has happened?"
"That man is dead maharaj, one day you will die too."

That was it. Siddharth became sad and wanted to attain nirvana, so that he could be released from the cycle of birth and death.

So he had nothing against casteism, and its not like he did not "like" casteism or something.

Oh btw, what a wonderful building. I say, this is better than Taj Mahal too.

Well, the teachings of sages from the Buddha (630 BC) onwards are fundamentally incompatable with the notion of a socioeconomic class system. It's only until this century has society matured to the point that it can put those ideals into practice.

Magnificant!!!

I dont know what to say ..... simply beautiful and utterly amazing!

Beautiful. This was boasted as being more beautiful than the Taj Mahal while it was under construction, right? Great fusion of many distincts styles, and the use of high tech is amazing.

rzj2000-为什么您总必须说坏事关于其它发展中国家? 您最攻击印度。为什么? 它给我头疼。
He just said about Aryan's conquering India in about 1500BC,so today's Indian is not ancient Indian who created civilization 3000BC.But in fact,the number of Aryan is not so large,and the Aryan weren't not from Europe.I suppose they were from Xinjiang,at that time,there were some there.Maybe there's some relationship between caste system and that history.
I don't konw why he said this,Hinduism,Buddhism was created after Aryan's conquering,maybe there's some misunderstand.

Indian civilization is a fusion of 'Aryan', proto-'Aryan', like the Saraswati River, Mahabalipuram Civs., etc., and prehistoric tribal cultures. Similarly Hinduism is a fusion of all these once seperate belief system, merged into an encompassing, pantheistic whole much larger than the sum of its parts.

The thing is, all this fusion happened c. 3000 BC. So in fact, rzj2000, today's Indian is quite the same as the ancient. And its culture has continued uninterrupted since then ;)

Amazing building indeed

Indian civilization is a fusion of 'Aryan', proto-'Aryan', like the Saraswati River, Mahabalipuram Civs., etc., and prehistoric tribal cultures. Similarly Hinduism is a fusion of all these once seperate belief system, merged into an encompassing, pantheistic whole much larger than the sum of its parts.

The thing is, all this fusion happened c. 3000 BC. ,;)
But all I had read about India said that Aryan conquered India in about 1500BC,could you say more clearly?

http://www.geographia.com/india/india02.htm

The first group to invade India were the Aryans, who came out of the north in about 1500 BC. The Aryans brought with them strong cultural traditions that, miraculously, still remain in force today. They spoke and wrote in a language called Sanskrit, which was later used in the first documentation of the Vedas. Though warriors and conquerors, the Aryans lived alongside Indus, introducing them to the caste system and establishing the basis of the Indian religions. The Aryans inhabited the northern regions for about 700 years, then moved further south and east when they developed iron tools and weapons. They eventually settled the Ganges valley and built large kingdoms throughout much of northern India.

http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/timeline/timeline.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/indiahistory.html

2300-2000 BCE: India - Cultural exchange between the Indus Valley civilization and MESOPOTAMIA (present day Iraq) is especially prominent.

600-1500 BCE: India - The Aryans invade the Indus Valley region.

1600-1000 BCE: India - Between these dates, the Early Vedic period of Indian civilization unfolds

:|

God, don't be pedantic. Especially so if your completely ignorant of the facts, save for what can be cut-and-pasted from a three-minute google search.

I was referring to the Indus Valley (Saraswati River) civilization, which was a cosmopolitan culture borne from a fusion of the proto-'Aryan' Indo European and the local post-Neolithic tribal cultures, with cultural inputs from near-eastern and central-asian civilizations. That is the fusion I'm referring to, Professor.

The Aryan migration happened later, and it, too, fused into the cultures and civilizations -- Saraswati, Mahabalipuram, etc. -- in India at that time.

The Aryans are not the alpha and omega of Indian culture. It was old when even they wandered in. So then I guess I was 700 years off from 5 millenia with my 3000 BC reference. Gee. Sorry.


It's funny how nationalism goads one into visceral need to trivialize the other, as so painfully evident in this thread. :|

rzj2000-为什么您总必须说坏事关于其它发展中国家? 您最攻击印度。为什么? 它给我头疼。
I think that's because West always compare China with India and criticize China,that's just like teacher criticize a student by comparing him with another student.

^ That's nationalistic xenophobia defined in practice for you, folks. The nefarious west daring to compare India with the middle Kingdom, and daring to discuss the fact that as cultural influence goes, it was decidedly one way, from India to China.

What's downright sad is that in your, and rzj's, nationalistic minds, that undisputable historical fact is equated with somehow 'criticizing' China. Acknowlaging that *gasp* even China has been culturally influenced by India is incredibly mischevious.


Anyone with the least bit of maturity and intellectual honesty will admit that cultures and civilizations rise and fall with the influence of others. As a banyan tree grows, the branches branch off and merge, and new trees are formed and destroyed.

So it is with China, and its cultural influences taken from India, central Asia, and indigenous cultures. So it is with India, as was already discussed.

So grow up, get honest and stop trying to slander your own people with your own inferiority complex.


Now can we please get back onto the subject of architecture, people?

-Jai

Anyway, to get the thread back on topic, here are some pics from the opening ceremonies:

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/421/12xs1.jpg

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/5780/26fz.jpg

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/6461/33je.jpg

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/9193/49rm.jpg

that undisputable historical fact is equated with somehow 'criticizing' China. Acknowlaging that *gasp* even China has been culturally influenced by India is incredibly mischevious.
China doesn't care about compared with other countries on history, such as India,Persia,Egypt or more.But West always compare China with India on politics or more and criticize China,then predict India is better and can surpass China just because of politics or other things related to politics.So that made some Chinese tired of it,just like teacher criticize again and again,especially always mention India,made,and always India has a superiority complex over China about their politics,so that made things more complex.

I think that's because West always compare China with India and criticize China,that's just like teacher criticize mischievous student by comparing him with model student.

The most weird and stupid comments I've ever encountered since I joined SSC. :sleepy:

heh.. I didn't even pick up on where he was going with that 2nd sentence till now..

China doesn't care about compared with other countries on history, such as India,Persia,Egypt or more.But West always compare China with India on politics or more and blah blah blah blah boo hoo hoo
Where in this thread did anyone do anything remotely like that. Realize you're embarassing your countrymen by claiming to speak for them.

I'm ending this convo right here. :sleepy:

This building makes me put New Delhi on the list of cities I wanna visit b4 I die :-)

Go to India in 2010 and even better 2020.

Amazing, thanks for sharing. :)

I also think India will be better and better,in fact,China doesn't have real conflict with India,let's throw such comparation,it always made things bad,in China,there are also many cities enjoy comparation and made lots of conflicts,such as Chengdu and Chongqing,beijing and Shanghai,quarrel a lot,from history,economy and more,always destroy a thread.Especially Chengdu and Chongqing,sometimes,Chengdu post many pictures then Chongqing post ugly Chengdu pictures,it is the same when it is turn to Chongqing.Actually,Chinese has no conflict with India,even 1962,I can realize that's not the matter of India,just Britain in colonial time,and colonial time is different from now,we can solve this problem.
I know India very early,Chinese all konw Buddhism is from India,and when I was very young,father took me to temple to pray or travel.So I knew India before Japan or US.

argh... imageshack deleted the pics :(

^^ too bad but can you fix them? really want to see the pics.....

Im really crunched on time and didn't save them on my HD, but I'll upload some of the pics to give the general idea later tonite :)

This I would say is one of the modern wonders of the world :yes:.

So many pics are not viewable :(

Great pics.

China and India are FRIENDS, people. NOT 'rivals' or 'cultural competitors'.

Both have a rich history of some 3 millenia or more, it's not worth arguing over it anymore.

Hi guys

Sorry for letting hte links be broken for so long, not letting many of you see the pics.

Fixed now, and hopefully for good :)

-Jai

ARRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggghhh!

You've GOT to be kidding me... the pics are deleted... AGAIN???


Can anyone reccomend any good image hosting sites, with big bandwidth allowances?

Here are some pics from the opening ceremonies. I'll relink the original pics later

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/img_1356f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/img_1246f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/eafv1073f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/img_8182f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/eafv1079f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/eafv1090f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/img_1670f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/img_1299f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/eafv1103f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/evening0760f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/a95S0107f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/img_1410f.jpg

http://www.akshardham.com/news/2005/akshardhamrituals/6november/photo/evening/img_1411f.jpg

well Aryan's conquering India theory has been rejected by many scholars. Its myth and nothing else.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8489882/Myth-of-Aryan-Invasion-in-India-David-Frawley
http://www.tamilnation.org/heritage/aryan_dravidian/agrawal.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_India_theory


He just said about Aryan's conquering India in about 1500BC,so today's Indian is not ancient Indian who created civilization 3000BC.But in fact,the number of Aryan is not so large,and the Aryan weren't not from Europe.I suppose they were from Xinjiang,at that time,there were some there.Maybe there's some relationship between caste system and that history.
I don't konw why he said this,Hinduism,Buddhism was created after Aryan's conquering,maybe there's some misunderstand.

India is a beautiful nation.

Awesome thread
Awesome pics
:cheers:

I believe these are original photos by the author of the thread, so I will move this to Urban Showcase. If they are not, pm me and I will move it back once proper credits are inserted.

pity