01Stone from four continents
The mandir follows the Shilpa Shastra, with no structural steel. Limestone, granite and marble came from quarries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, were carved in India by thousands of artisans, and were assembled in New Jersey. BAPS reports that more than 12,500 volunteers from across North America gave time to the build. Every surface carries carving: devas and rishis, the avatars, bhaktas from many sampradayas, musical instruments and dance forms of Bharat.
02Dedication in 2023
Mahant Swami Maharaj performed the murti pratishtha and dedicated the mandir on 8 October 2023, and it opened to the public on 18 October. The campus also holds a stepwell-style pond fed with water gathered from rivers of Bharat and around the world, and a smaller mandir that had served the community during the years of building. For Hindus of the eastern United States it has become a place of pilgrimage, and for many Americans their first close look at a Hindu temple.
The life of this place
- 8 October 2023Mahant Swami Maharaj dedicated the mandir.
- 18 October 2023Opened to the public.
About an hour by road from both New York and Philadelphia. Entry is free; check the BAPS website for darshan hours and dress code.
