Pillsbury Press: BAPS Revisted

Time really flies. Seven years ago Debbi and her mom, Pat, told me about the Hindu mandir located in Robbinsville, NJ. Called BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Akshardham, construction began in 2017 and was completed an astonishingly eight years later in 2023. When I visited the place was impressive. At the time they were saying it would be a few years, but in the end they planned a complex with a reflection pond and education buildings. I couldn't picture it. Then the pandemic hit and I thought for certain the plans would come to a halt, but in a later visit with my mom, I saw people (workers? volunteers?) repairing and building marble while wearing masks.

Today it is the largest Hindu mandir in the Western hemisphere, and the second largest in the world.

The building I saw in 2018

Back in 2018, the temple was covered by a pink warehouse-like wall. That space
is now the welcome center. A completely new temple has since been built.

It would be best to go on one of their free guided tours. I saw a group walking through the roped off areas to take shortcuts to see the highlights, and a woman explaining what they were looking at. Instead I followed the roped path, pausing to read the brief descriptions, and looked around the gleaming white marble sculptures. My goal was to see the place and take pictures of the grounds.

On the way out, I read over 12,500 volunteers worked to create this masterpiece. Four volunteers (all Americans) were highlighted as "typical" volunteers. I don't know if it is similar to the Ba'hai who are encouraged to take a pilgrimage to Haifa or Acre in Israel and do service, or if there is another means of recruiting volunteers. Perhaps if I return for a tour I will learn more about the people involved.

Leading up to the temple is a stepwell containing sanctified water from 300
sources, including 108 holy rivers in India (and good old Jersey rain) with a 49-foot statue of Nilkanth Vardi, the teenage form of Swaminarayan in front of it and the temple visible behind it. We were allowed to take pictures outside and many people were posing in front of her. I recognize the various yoga poses and imagine people posing in front of the statues in similar poses.

There are plaques describing the seven year pilgrimage 11-year-old Swaminarayan took.

The original mandir (built between 2011-2014) is still on the property. There is also a welcome center with introduction movies, and lanterns evoking feelings of Diwali, and a research center. After leaving the temple there is a gift shop, restaurant, and a tiny food store. These I remembered from before.

If I didn't have photo proof of having been there before and written word in this blog, I would not have believed it. The place looks completely different. I found the archways leading to the temple mesmerizing. As I was thinking of taking a picture of them, I noticed a man at the far end standing in the dead center. As I neared him and saw his cameras, I realized we both had the same idea and laughed. He recommended visiting Princeton University to take pictures in their arches. Yup, a great place to take pictures.

Inside is overwhelming. On the surface it appears to be thousands of statues all carved in white marble. There are four large domes -- each over 55 feet tall and held up by pillars with four levels of statues. Each statue tells a story. One dome has zodiac symbols in a circle. Another has a lotus flower. There are carved peacocks, elephants, and people.

There are thirteen sections dedicated to Hindu deities, including Bhagwam Swaminaryan's six successors, ending with 92-year old Mahant Swami Maharaj.

Things to know before your visit, free reservations are required for weekends and on their holidays. They can be made on their website. Reservations are not needed on weekdays. The mandir is open from 9 am - 7:30 pm every day except Tuesday. Based on how pristine everything is, I wonder if Tuesday is when they bring out the scaffolding to dust it all.

There is a dress code similar to what is required at other highly religious sites (including churches and mosques): no shoulders or knees allowed to be visible. Sarongs will be provided if you are dressed inappropriately.

The names are overwhelming to this Westerner. I try. Any mistakes are my own.

Some random pictures: