World’s Largest Hindu Temple Outside India Opens in New Jersey
The grand Akshardham Hindu temple, located in central New Jersey, is set to open its doors to the public on October 9th. This monumental structure, adorned with marble and limestone, represents the core values of the Swaminarayan sect: seva (selfless service) and bhakti (devotion). It required approximately 4.7 million hours of work by artisans and volunteers to hand-carve two million cubic feet of stone from Italy and Bulgaria, which then traveled over 8,000 miles to New Jersey.
Constructed by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a global religious and civic organization within the Swaminarayan sect, the temple stands on a 126-acre tract. While it faced scrutiny in 2021 due to allegations of forced labor and poor working conditions, many of the plaintiffs have since retracted their claims, and an investigation is ongoing.
The temple represents not just a place of Hindu worship but also universal values that transcend religious and cultural boundaries. It stands as a testament to volunteerism and service, with thousands of volunteers, including women, contributing to its construction. As visitors from across the country explore its ornate interiors, they recognize the divinity and universal values it embodies, welcoming people of all religions and backgrounds.
This Akshardham temple is the third of its kind, with others in Delhi and Gujarat, and serves as a symbol of devotion, community, and the enduring values it represents.
Re-reported from the article originally published in The India Today
