Swaminarayan Akshardham (Robbinsville)

Initiation and construction The Akshardham campus was initiated by BAPS' fifth spiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, in 1984. His vision was to create a place of worship in North America for followers that could also enable visitors of different backgrounds to experience Hindu spirituality, architecture, and peace. On October 6, 2011, Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed the rituals sanctifying the foundation stones (shilanyas pujan) in Mumbai. On 15 August 2014, during his final visit to the United States, following the inauguration of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan mandir in Robbinsville, (the shikharbaddha mandir on the Akshardham campus), Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed the groundbreaking rituals to the areas where the deities would be installed in the Akshardham mandir. Construction of the Akshardham mandir began in 2015. In the summer of 2020, the mandovar (the main outer wall of the mandir) was completed. The keystones of each of the four domes, which locks a dome in place, were installed on June 14, 2022. The base of the outer wall, or the jagati peeth, was completed in July 2022. On May 31, 2023, the final stone of the Akshardham mandir was installed. About 75% of the Akshardham campus is designed, constructed, managed, and maintained by swamis and volunteers. Volunteers carved and installed about of stone. The volunteers came from various backgrounds which included students, business executives, physicians, and architects. During the celebrations, BAPS launched various community programs, including a 10-week-long blood drive and the Days of Giving campaign. The 10-week blood drive had over 4,470 donors and was recognized as one of the longest-running blood drives in the state. The Days of Giving initiative donated over 12,000 school supplies, hygiene essentials, and food items to the local community. The inaugural celebration also included a three-month-long Vedic Mahayagna to invoke peace around the world through ancient rituals. and formally inaugurated the mandir. The inauguration was joined by Delaware Governor John Carney and Congressman Steny Hoyer. Additionally, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended wishes for the inauguration of the mandir. Sunak stated, "We were amazed and awed by the beauty of this temple and its universal message of peace, harmony, and becoming a better human being. This is not only a place of worship, but a landmark that also portrays India's values, culture, and contributions to the world. ==Design and construction==

The Akshardham mandir was designed in accordance with ancient Hindu scriptures and features elements from Hindu heritage. Architecture The foundational base, or the jagati, is made of a 13-tiered structure of limestone, and is also referred to as the Wisdom Plinth because it conveys messages of wisdom from ancient Indian scriptures, scholars, and other world luminaries. Carvings of all 108 Bharatanatyam poses, an ancient Hindu dance form, are depicted throughout the mandir for the first time in one structure. It is high and wide. Its shape represents a garland and symbolizes reverence for the mandir. The central shrine (garbhagriha) is dedicated to Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami, worshipped together as Akshar Purushottam Maharaj. The sacred image of Swaminarayan is tall and is crafted from panchdhatu (an alloy of five metals - gold, silver, copper, zinc, and iron). Its sinhasan (throne) is adorned with intricate designs, including two swans and elephants. The other 12 shrines display the sacred images of Hindu deities including Radha-Krishna, Venkateshwara-Padmavati, Sita-Rama, Lakshman, Hanuman, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya, as well as Swaminarayan's spiritual successors. In four of the shrines, sacred images are installed depicting important events from Swaminarayan's life. These include, sacred images of Ghanshyam (Swaminaryan's child form) with his parents and friends, Nilkanth Varni (Swaminarayan's teenage form) engaged in austerity in the Himalayas, Sahajanand Swami (Swaminarayan as leader) requesting a boon from Ramanand Swami, and Swaminarayan applying a tilak to Gunatitanand Swami, symbolizing him as his spiritual successor. == Akshardham campus ==

Nilkanth Plaza The entrance to the Akshardham campus begins with the Nilkanth Plaza which has a 49 ft (15 m) tall bronze sacred image, or murti, of Nilkanth Varni, the teenage form of Swaminarayan. Brahma Kund The campus has a traditional Indian stepwell, called the Brahma Kund, which contains sanctified water from over 300 sources including 108 holy rivers in India and rivers that flow across the United States. The four sides of the pond contain the murtis of Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, and Sarayu. There are 48 pink stone shikhars and 24 shrines surrounding the Brahma Kund. Shikarbaddha mandir The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Robbinsville, New Jersey) is a slightly older, smaller mandir on the Akshardham campus, built between 2010 and 2014. The mandir was built in the Nagaradi style using of Italian Carrara marble. The structure is wide, long, and high. The mandir was officially opened to the public on August 10, 2014, after the murtis were consecrated in the presence of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Welcome Center The Welcome Center is designed according to Indian Haveli-style architecture to welcome guests in a traditional manner. It is made from hand-carved Burmese Teak wood. There are 2,700 lanterns inside the welcome center to commemorate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. The Welcome Center connects to a vegetarian cafe called Shayona Cafe. The Shayona Cafe serves items prepared according to the core Hindu spiritual principles of ahimsa (non-violence) and a sattvik diet, with the aim of promoting physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute On June 18, 2022, the BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute was inaugurated by Mahamahopadhyaya Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami, author of the Sanskrit commentarial and philosophical texts, the Swaminarayan Bhashyam and the Swaminarayan Siddhanta Sudda, in the presence of representatives from over 50 Hindu mandirs and organizations. Bhadreshdas Swami delivered the inaugural speech which encouraged the community to explore Hindu philosophy and the arts, and spoke about Mahant Swami Maharaj's messages, that Hindu scholarship would foster global harmony, public service, and educational excellence. ==Lawsuit==

In May 2021, a lawsuit was filed against BAPS by several volunteer artisans from India The lawsuit alleges that over 200 Indian men, mostly of the Dalit caste, were brought from India to the US and were subject to forced labor, human trafficking and were paid $1 an hour for their work. As of July 2023, 12 of the plaintiffs have withdrawn from the lawsuit. Aaditya Soni, their lawyer, stated that the plaintiffs believed the facts of the case were false and cited religious convictions as the basis for their withdrawal. The lawsuit is on-hold, pending an investigation. Some news outlets characterized the trial as raising questions about the ability of US labor laws to account for certain forms of religious volunteerism. ==See also==