Akshardham Temple, Ahmedabad

Dedicated to Swaminarayan, Akshardham Temple which was inaugurated on 30 October 1992. It is a Hindu house of worship and a spiritual and cultural complex dedicated to devotion, education and integration. The sanctum sanctorum houses the idol of Lord Swaminarayan, the presiding deity of the Akshardham temple. The 7 feet tall idol of Swaminarayan is seated in abhaya mudra with his right hand raised up.

This temple is spread over an area of 23 acres. This huge temple made of pink stones is 108 feet high, 240 feet long and 131 feet wide. Akshardham Temple has 97 intricately carved pillars, 17 ornate domes, 220 stone beams, 57 stone curtains, 3 porticos and 256 statues of spiritual personalities.

1. In the temple you can see the life of Swaminarayan and the tributes paid to his teachings.
2. The temple follows the principles of Vedic architecture and no iron and steel structures were used in the construction.
3. In the year 2002, there was a terrorist attack in Akshardham temple, in which 33 people were killed and 70 people were injured. 2 terrorists were killed on the spot.
4. Stone beams are used to support the temple, each 20 feet long and weighing 5 tons. These are used as load bearing supports throughout the temple.

By Rail The temple is located 32 km from Ahmedabad Railway Station, from where it takes 45 minutes to reach the temple.