Akshardham complex, East Delhi - Page 2

mk · October 26th, 2005, 06:21 AM

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/t...10/26/&prd=th&

NEW DELHI: To the Capital's many tourist destinations will be added one more this coming month. The sprawling Swaminarayan Akshardham complex spread over 30 acres on the banks of the Yamuna near Noida Mor in East Delhi is to be formally inaugurated on November 6.

The Rs.400-crore cultural complex, inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), will be popularised by its builders as "a place for cultural education and entertainment". The temple complex has drawn inspiration for its architecture from the historic temples of Badrinath (Uttaranchal), Somnath (Gujarat) and Konark (Orissa). It is the second Akshardham complex in the country after the one at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

Even as last-minute preparations are now on for the inauguration, curious visitors have started coming in for a look or for offering "puja" and "abhishek".

At the heart of the complex is a palace-like monument built of at least 12,000 tons of pink sandstone and white marble brought in from Rajasthan. Topped with a series of domes, it stands 129 feet high, 275 feet wide and 315 feet long. Almost every square inch of the exterior has been exquisitely carved with statues and motifs of Hindu deities and Indian flora and fauna.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the 83-year-old spiritual leader of the Swaminarayan sect that has over 10 lakh followers across the globe, has closely monitored every detail of the complex. It took over 7,000 builders, masons and polishers to build the complex in record time. The place is built to withstand major quakes "and to last at least a thousand years".

The complex also has two huge exhibition halls; one will take visitors on a visual journey through India's cultural heritage, while the other "will depict Indian moral values through a light-and-sound show". The complex also boasts of an Imax cinema, a canteen big enough to accommodate 5,000 people at one sitting, a research centre for "social harmony" and meditation gardens dotted with fountains and bronze sculptures.

© Copyright 2000 - 2005 The Hindu

Jai · October 26th, 2005, 10:03 AM

Thanks MK

Looks like they pushed up the opening day to this year

Here's an updated (terrible) pic

mk · October 26th, 2005, 06:17 PM

It looks a lot different from the original render. Isn't it? Still, it is humongous.

Jai · October 28th, 2005, 10:20 PM

The original rendering looked very rajasthani, with those massive cupolas and windows. It looked more like a palace than a temple.

The real building looks much more monolithic and temple-like

Also, for posterity's sake, This project thread in Architecture forum

kronik · November 6th, 2005, 07:04 AM

Akshardham: An epic in stone

Quote:

Set on the banks of the Yamuna, the mammoth campus of Akshardham will finally be thrown open for public viewing from November 8 after being inaugurated by the President and the Prime Minister on November 6.

Carved ornately by over 11,000 craftsmen after an effort of 300 million man hours, the campus showcases the salient features of 10,000 years of India’s glorious heritage.

It’s all there packaged in exhibition halls using modern technologies such as Imax theatre, auto electromatic machines and sound and light show. The campus also has a Disneyland kind of 12-minute boat ride to make visitors sail through the vast magnitude of Indian culture.

The main monument, 141 ft high, 316 ft broad and 370 ft long, has 239 ornately-carved pillars and nine domes. It has an 11-ft high gold-plated idol of Swaminarayan.

centralized pandemonium · November 7th, 2005, 02:20 AM

Jai · November 7th, 2005, 02:41 AM

Jai · November 7th, 2005, 07:42 AM

Guys, since I don't want to kill the computers of 56kers, I posted brand new photos of the Akshardham Temple in the following thread:

Akshardham Complex, New Delhi Megathread -- 56k: hells no!

Also, Link to x-posted photo thread in main cityscapes forum

Nelaturi · November 9th, 2005, 12:32 PM

Awesome scale, amazing architecture, magnificent artwork, wow!!!!! I am lost for words. Delhi has gained in stature with this stupendous temple. Hats off to the Swaminarayan devotees for a grand achievement. India will be proud to have this. This shows the grandeur of Indian technology... made my heart swell with pride... must plan a visit to Delhi to see all the great sites and monuments there.

Jai and Hari, thanks for posting the fabulous photos.

monyaam · November 9th, 2005, 04:18 PM

Delhi's Akshardham: A monument to India

http://specials.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/08sld1.htm

python · November 9th, 2005, 04:45 PM

Yesterday on Discovery, they showed a very interesting program on building projects that China is executing in lieu of Olympics 2008. The skyline of Beijing will change with many memorable and stupendous skyscrapers, when Olympics comes to town. Similarly, Delhi is doing its bit to spruce up the city for the CWGames in 2010. China is spending 24 billion dollars on Beijing with an eye on 2008. Hopefully, Delhi will also spend a few billions to get the eyeballs rolling!

ramkan · November 9th, 2005, 05:53 PM

http://www.akshardham.com/

kronik · November 9th, 2005, 07:35 PM

Delhi gets a spiritual theme park

Quote:

Saturday: Assignment Akshardham
Project: A spiritual theme park
Location: By the Yamuna’s banks, Delhi
Entry: Rs 125
Experience: Other worldly

An-award winning film on an IMAX screen, a subterranean boat ride, a wave pool, 3-D dioramas consisting of robotics, fibre optics and son-et-lumiere effects. A trip to Disneyland, Hong Kong — or Akshardham, Delhi?

The opening of the Swaminayaran Akshardham temple complex in East Delhi this weekend has signalled the arrival of the capital’s first spiritual theme park.

Spread over 100 acres, the Rs 200-crore (this includes the cost of the land) tourist attraction has created enough of a buzz, with busloads bringing in visitors from the international airport, and in “Volga” and “Volvo-like” buses all the way from Gujarat (the original Akshardham temple is in Gandhinagar). Its beautifully lit facade has already charmed the city.

“We’re getting innumerable calls from schools and from people abroad who want to make group bookings of around 100-200 people,” confirms Wing Commander Rajesh Danak, a volunteer and official spokesperson for the temple complex. “Though it’s too early to say how many people will come on a daily basis, we can easily accommodate over 25,000 people in the premises every day,” he adds.

Hindustani · November 10th, 2005, 03:07 AM

Wow. Really amazing.

kronik · November 11th, 2005, 05:48 AM

Bikaner · November 11th, 2005, 01:17 PM

Just curious, Is this now the biggest temple in India in terms of size?

python · November 11th, 2005, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bikaner

Just curious, Is this now the biggest temple in India in terms of size?

No, Meenakshi Temple in Madurai is still the biggest!

Bikaner · November 12th, 2005, 11:08 AM

Oh ok. Thanks for the info.

Luckystreak · November 12th, 2005, 03:51 PM

Poll is at:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=280773

can somebody post pics from inside the temple.....

Jai · March 5th, 2007, 03:24 AM

New poll is here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=370653

Here are some pics of the opening ceremony. Over 20 thousand people attended the ceremony, including the Prime Minister and President of India, along with other political, religious and cultural leaders, which was watched live by millions of people on TV

^ A view of the temple. Shows just how massive it is

^ The opening ceremony

^ The ceremonies featured performances by schoolchildren and young monks, including music and classical dance

^ Note how the temple can be lit in various different ways

^ One of the many floats that kids made explaining various aspects of Hindu religion, culture and mythology

^ Another showing various Yogic positions

^ The entrance gate to the temple, with the dignitaries attending the ceremony were seated

^ India's Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was among those who made speeches at the event

-Jai

November 7th, 2005, 02:20 AM	#26
centralized pandemonium Satyameva Jayate Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Can-duh-a Posts: 2,906 Likes (Received): 0	__________________ Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he gets drunk and sunburned every weekend. www.ironaddicts.com

November 9th, 2005, 12:32 PM	#29
Nelaturi Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: The IT City with abominable infrastructure Posts: 287 Likes (Received): 0	Awesome scale, amazing architecture, magnificent artwork, wow!!!!! I am lost for words. Delhi has gained in stature with this stupendous temple. Hats off to the Swaminarayan devotees for a grand achievement. India will be proud to have this. This shows the grandeur of Indian technology... made my heart swell with pride... must plan a visit to Delhi to see all the great sites and monuments there. Jai and Hari, thanks for posting the fabulous photos. __________________ Nelaturi

November 9th, 2005, 05:53 PM	#32
ramkan Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,124 Likes (Received): 0	Official site of akshardham temple http://www.akshardham.com/

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October 26th, 2005, 06:21 AM	#21
mk Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 99 Likes (Received): 0	http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/t...10/26/&prd=th& NEW DELHI: To the Capital's many tourist destinations will be added one more this coming month. The sprawling Swaminarayan Akshardham complex spread over 30 acres on the banks of the Yamuna near Noida Mor in East Delhi is to be formally inaugurated on November 6. The Rs.400-crore cultural complex, inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), will be popularised by its builders as "a place for cultural education and entertainment". The temple complex has drawn inspiration for its architecture from the historic temples of Badrinath (Uttaranchal), Somnath (Gujarat) and Konark (Orissa). It is the second Akshardham complex in the country after the one at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Even as last-minute preparations are now on for the inauguration, curious visitors have started coming in for a look or for offering "puja" and "abhishek". At the heart of the complex is a palace-like monument built of at least 12,000 tons of pink sandstone and white marble brought in from Rajasthan. Topped with a series of domes, it stands 129 feet high, 275 feet wide and 315 feet long. Almost every square inch of the exterior has been exquisitely carved with statues and motifs of Hindu deities and Indian flora and fauna. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the 83-year-old spiritual leader of the Swaminarayan sect that has over 10 lakh followers across the globe, has closely monitored every detail of the complex. It took over 7,000 builders, masons and polishers to build the complex in record time. The place is built to withstand major quakes "and to last at least a thousand years". The complex also has two huge exhibition halls; one will take visitors on a visual journey through India's cultural heritage, while the other "will depict Indian moral values through a light-and-sound show". The complex also boasts of an Imax cinema, a canteen big enough to accommodate 5,000 people at one sitting, a research centre for "social harmony" and meditation gardens dotted with fountains and bronze sculptures. © Copyright 2000 - 2005 The Hindu

October 26th, 2005, 10:03 AM	#22
Jai ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Haleiwa, Oahu, HI :. Waianae, Oahu, HI :. DETROIT, MI Posts: 3,855 Likes (Received): 11	Thanks MK Looks like they pushed up the opening day to this year Here's an updated (terrible) pic

October 26th, 2005, 06:17 PM	#23
mk Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 99 Likes (Received): 0	It looks a lot different from the original render. Isn't it? Still, it is humongous.

October 28th, 2005, 10:20 PM	#24
Jai ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Haleiwa, Oahu, HI :. Waianae, Oahu, HI :. DETROIT, MI Posts: 3,855 Likes (Received): 11	The original rendering looked very rajasthani, with those massive cupolas and windows. It looked more like a palace than a temple. The real building looks much more monolithic and temple-like Also, for posterity's sake, This project thread in Architecture forum

November 7th, 2005, 02:41 AM	#27
Jai ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Haleiwa, Oahu, HI :. Waianae, Oahu, HI :. DETROIT, MI Posts: 3,855 Likes (Received): 11

November 7th, 2005, 07:42 AM	#28
Jai ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Haleiwa, Oahu, HI :. Waianae, Oahu, HI :. DETROIT, MI Posts: 3,855 Likes (Received): 11	Guys, since I don't want to kill the computers of 56kers, I posted brand new photos of the Akshardham Temple in the following thread: Akshardham Complex, New Delhi Megathread -- 56k: hells no! Also, Link to x-posted photo thread in main cityscapes forum

November 9th, 2005, 04:18 PM	#30
monyaam Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 556 Likes (Received): 0	Delhi's Akshardham: A monument to India http://specials.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/08sld1.htm

November 9th, 2005, 04:45 PM	#31
python BANNED Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 181 Likes (Received): 0	Yesterday on Discovery, they showed a very interesting program on building projects that China is executing in lieu of Olympics 2008. The skyline of Beijing will change with many memorable and stupendous skyscrapers, when Olympics comes to town. Similarly, Delhi is doing its bit to spruce up the city for the CWGames in 2010. China is spending 24 billion dollars on Beijing with an eye on 2008. Hopefully, Delhi will also spend a few billions to get the eyeballs rolling!

November 10th, 2005, 03:07 AM	#34
Hindustani Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,015 Likes (Received): 7	Wow. Really amazing.

November 11th, 2005, 05:48 AM	#35
kronik Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: DED, LKO, PHL Posts: 4,494 Likes (Received): 1

November 11th, 2005, 01:17 PM	#36
Bikaner Bikaner Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bikaner Posts: 69 Likes (Received): 0	Just curious, Is this now the biggest temple in India in terms of size?

November 12th, 2005, 11:08 AM	#38
Bikaner Bikaner Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bikaner Posts: 69 Likes (Received): 0	Oh ok. Thanks for the info.

November 12th, 2005, 03:51 PM	#39
Luckystreak Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,948 Likes (Received): 1	Poll is at: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=280773 can somebody post pics from inside the temple.....

March 5th, 2007, 03:24 AM	#40
Jai ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Haleiwa, Oahu, HI :. Waianae, Oahu, HI :. DETROIT, MI Posts: 3,855 Likes (Received): 11	New poll is here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=370653 Here are some pics of the opening ceremony. Over 20 thousand people attended the ceremony, including the Prime Minister and President of India, along with other political, religious and cultural leaders, which was watched live by millions of people on TV ^ A view of the temple. Shows just how massive it is ^ The opening ceremony ^ The ceremonies featured performances by schoolchildren and young monks, including music and classical dance ^ Note how the temple can be lit in various different ways ^ One of the many floats that kids made explaining various aspects of Hindu religion, culture and mythology ^ Another showing various Yogic positions ^ The entrance gate to the temple, with the dignitaries attending the ceremony were seated ^ India's Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was among those who made speeches at the event -Jai