The Mahamandir (Great Temple) was built according to ancient plans with 68,000 cubic feet
of marble and contains about 10,000 carved images.
Gazing at its majestic monumentality, you might think you’ve been transported to Delhi, India. But this Hindu mandir (temple) is not half a world away. It’s in Central New Jersey’s Robbinsville Township, just a quick one-hour drive from my Center City Philadelphia apartment. And it’s the largest Hindu temple in the world outside India.
Bengali friend Eva, originally from Kolkata and many times traveling companion with our spouses to India, sent me a New York Magazine story about the temple several months ago, and immediately I put this South Asian-style architectural wonder on my “must-see” list. What better way to spend Easter Sunday than to visit another religion’s paeon to the Almighty.
The Akshardham Mandir is a Hindu temple campus built by a socio-spiritual Hindu denomination called BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, named after their patron saint, Swaminarayan.
Behold an Enormous Scale
Near the site’s entrance, we thread our way into a train of cars crawling to the vast, already half-filled parking lot. Out of the car, I turn and the *GASP* moment hits me. The 185-acre grand Akshardham Mandir imposes itself in all its grandeur on the otherwise flat, surrounding landscape, further exaggerating its outrageous prominence.
The 49-foot tall murti (image) of the swami who founded
this religious Hindu sect as a child yogi welcomes everyone.
A stream of visitors leads us to Nilkanth Plaza at the entrance to the campus, where a 49-foot-tall golden bronze murti (image or statue) of Nilkanth Varni (ideal yogi) in a traditional yoga pose welcomes us. He embodies Swaminarayan as a young man. Beyond him, a huge water tank stretches across the campus’ frontage. Arching sprays from the center of three fountains provide a waterfall screen for catching a view of the confectionary Mahamandir (great temple) in the distance.
As we join the line of several hundred to enter the complex (“Only 20 minutes to enter,” the docent tells us), the sweet odor of incense swirls around us; I look for spray tubes among the lavender plants that fill the plaza’s meandering center beds.
Passing the security checkpoint, we enter through the walls into the Welcome Center, ornately decorated with murals, carved wooden elephant heads, columns covered with reliefs, and a large bronze image of Swaminarayan in a seated yoga pose. Photo montages and displays line the sides of the hall. This reception room itself is built in the style of a haveli (a traditional Indian mansion or manor house). If you sign up for a tour (refer to their website below), you’ll meet your guide here and probably watch an introductory video, which was closed on this holiday weekend.
An exit at the far end puts us at the head of the great plaza. Facing the Mahamandir, a central walkway shouldered by two pools leads to the temple’s grand staircase. Next to the outside of each of the pools, a series of pink sandstone gazebos form an arcade that reaches around the extended sides of the mandir. It’s a magnificent, almost overwhelming scene, and it demands a stop to inhale its exotic beauty.
Splendor envelops us
First, we enter the smaller mandir with its intricately carved façade near the Welcome Center. “No shoes allowed, please,” so we deposit our footwear on racks in the shoe room. Situated in the building’s center is another smaller temple glowing an ethereal bluish white. As I follow the roped path that circumnavigates the room, the exquisitely carved images of gods and goddesses seem to come to life. I want to touch them. Where the path reaches its farthest point before circling back, three sets of closed golden doors present themselves. A small crowd waits. A docent tells us we’re just in time for the doors to open and reveal the images inside.
Each door holds two golden images dressed in an assortment of red attire and bejeweled. I’m familiar with husband-and-wife team Shiva and Pavarti, and I recognize the monkey god Hanuman. Swamis or monks perform a worship ritual five times daily with these images (waking up, bathing, feeding, and putting to bed), and visitors can view them four times daily following the first four rituals (see below for times).
Mahamandir is breath-taking
Back outside, we walk towards the 191-foot-high Mahamandir, enter a side door, deposit our shoes, and climb the steps to the grand hall. It’s an opportunity to immerse myself in the richness of the Indian culture I’m familiar with.
A herd of elephants stands guard on either side of the Mahamandir’s grand staircase.
Walking among dozens of immense columns, carvings of images and scenes of music, dance, and the performing arts, as well as revered sages, saints, and spiritual leaders flood my imagination. I look up at the inside of the dome’s 15-foot span and I see concentric circles of astrological signs, figures of religious leaders, and sacred Hindu symbols surrounding the central medallion. In side alcoves, life-sized murtis of other gods and goddesses and revered leaders attract followers bent down in prayer to honor them. What a sensorial experience to end this thrilling day trip.
As we head towards the exit to our familiar world, we pass the requisite gift shop, a cafeteria, and a food and snack store where I buy a few different tasty (some spicy!) goodies to take home.
Want to enjoy an eye-opening day trip if you’re in the Greater Philadelphia or New York City area? It’s hard to beat a visit to the Akshardham Mandir campus in Robbinsville, New Jersey. You’ll come away with a new appreciation for the rich culture of Asia’s subcontinent.
IF YOU GO:
From Philadelphia area: Take 95 N to 195 W to Rt. 130 N. Proceed several minutes to entrance at 112 N. Main Rd.
From New York City: Take 95 S. to Rt. 133 W. to Rt. 130 S. Proceed several minutes to entrance at 112 N. Main Rd.
Entrance fee: None
Hours: Open 9:00 am to 7:30 pm daily. Closed Tuesdays. Advanced registration now required for holidays and weekends.
Shrines open for darshan: 9:00 am, 11:15 am, 4:00 pm, and 7:00 pm.
Tours: Private tours available for up to 15 visitors; large group tours also available.
See website for details. usa.akshardham.org.
Blaine Bonham is a seasoned 30+-year travel photographer with worldwide experience from Cuba to Myanmar to Morocco to Romania, with a particular focus on India and Southeast Asia. His work features fascinating, culturally atypical points of view and photos. Earlier in life, Blaine enjoyed national standing as a non-profit leader and environmental activist with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. His approach and character allow him to see countries and people with special empathy and a critical architectural eye. Archives of travel and street photography with stories of journeys and blog posts are available to view on his easy-to-navigate website: https://blainebonham.com. You can also access his occasional newsletter at culturaleyewitness@blainebonham.com
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