Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in New Delhi, India

1. SwaminarayanAkshardham Temple in New Delhi, India

2. What is it? • SwaminarayanAkshardham in New Delhi epitomises 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind. The grand, ancient-styled SwaminarayanAkshardham complex was built in only five years and inaugurated on 6 November, 2005.

4. A monotheistic concept • Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti, purity and peace forever pervades. For the first time ever in the world witness the heritage of India in all its facets, insights and beauty at the SwaminarayanAkshardham through its mandir, exhibitions, verdant gardens and other attractions.

6. The Mandir • The beautiful mandir built without steel, consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities. The mandir is a fusion of pink stone and pure white marble, where pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal bloom and white marble that of absolute purity and eternal peace.

8. Introductory Videos • Video 1 (1 minute) • Video 2 (3 minutes) • Video 3 (17 minutes)

9. Hall of Values • Experience the timeless messages of Indian culture featured through the life of BhagwanSwaminarayan. The principle theme of sculpting one’s life for happiness, success and peace of mind is portrayed in this exhibition. The exhibits portray the messages of ahimsa, endeavor, prayer, morality, vegetarianism, family harmony, etc. through fifteen 3-D dioramas and presentations from the life of BhagwanSwaminarayan. Exquisite settings and statues in each diorama are brought to life through robotics, fibre optics, light and sound effects, dialogues and music; transporting the audience to 18th century India.

10. Diorama Several scenes from the Hall of Values follow this slide.

14. Giant Screen Film • An epic period film featuring an exciting and inspiring pilgrimage of NeelkanthVarni, a child-yogi, of 18th century India. This unique period film, NeelkanthDarshan, was shot in the icy peaks of the Himalayas in the north to the pristine shores of Kerala in the south. The large format film depicts India’s holy places, festivals and spiritual traditions on a giant screen that is over six stories high. NeelkanthDarshan is the first ever wide format film filmed in India and produced by an Indian organisation. • http://www.mysticindia.com/

15. Several scenes from the film follow this slide.

19. The Boat Ride • A 12-minute spectacular boat-ride experience of the 10,000 year old India’s glorious heritage. • Savor the world’s oldest Vedic village life and bazaar • Sail through Takshashila – the world’s first university • Journey through the labyrinth of ancient discoveries and inventions by the great rishi-scientists of India

20. Musical Fountains • The fascinating web of life on earth is intricate, precise and beautiful. Its fragile network shows an uncompromising interdependency between man, nature and God. Therefore what we receive for sustenance by way of earth, water, fire, air and space, we need to repay and sacrifice with body, mind and heart. To fulfill this function in life, India’s great sages and rishis established the yagna tradition. They chanted mantras, offered grains and ghee in a sacrificial fire (yagnakund) to appease the deities of earth, water, fire, air, etc. Yagna means to sacrifice or generously give in appreciation to others.

21. The Yagnapurush Kund is a fascinating combination of a Vedic yagna kund and a musical fountain. It is the world's largest yagna kund measuring 300' X 300' with 2,870 steps and 108 small shrines. In its center lies an 8-petaled lotus shaped yagna kund designed according to the Jayaakhya Samhita of the Panchratra scripture.

25. Garden of India • Through the millenniums people have always looked up to role models for inspiration, guidance, peace and courage. Their sterling lives radiate a perennial glow for the whole of mankind, regardless of all human, geographical and cultural distinctions. India, which has the most ancient civilization in the world, that hosts one sixth of humanity and has the largest democracy in the world, has produced from its vast cultural matrix a legion of role models for the world to emulate. Bharat Upvan exudes a magnificent natural and cultural ambience through its manicured lawns, lush gardens and wonderful bronze statues of the great role models of India. India's child gems, valorous warriors, freedom fighters, national figures and great women personalities inspire visitors with values and pride for our great nation.

26. Ever since time immemorial great thinkers, scientists, writers, international personalities, saints and sages from every corner of our earth have expressed their prolific faith in the religious scriptures, God and man. Here, every petal inspires with messages from internationally renowned personages about faith in God and faith in man. An iota of this faith can transform the face of our world, and also one’s own life.