History, Timing, Architecture, Interesting Facts and Travel Guide of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Atlanta, Georgia, America
There is a Swaminarayan Mandir located in Atlanta, Georgia (the USA). It is a conventional Hindu temple. On the 26th of August, 2007, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha inaugurated the temple. The Sanstha is a unit of the Swaminarayan division of Hinduism led by Mahant Swami Maharaj. The temple construction was inspired by the oldest Hindu architectural designs. This Swaminarayan Mandir is the largest of its type, outside India. The temple complex is very big including a large assembly hall, classrooms, an exhibition on Hinduism, and a family activity center.
A small group of people started to gather in each other’s homes to hold spiritual congregations in the 1980s. Eventually, the congregations started to arrange large community halls to involve more people. The congregation acquired a skating ring in Clarkston, Georgia in 1988. They recreated the place into a temple. The total plot was 29 acres. It was bought in February 2000. Pramukh Swami Maharaj visited the place and performed rituals to make the land sacred.
In 2004, Pramukh Swami Maharaj visited the place again to perform the foundation of the stone-laying ritual. The ceremony was four days long. The ceremony was followed by cultural events and religious programs. The building of the temple started in 2005. It took two years to complete the temple. When the temple construction was completed in 2007, Maharaj came to inaugurate it. On the day of the inauguration, the worshippers organized a Vishvashanti Mahayagna for global peace and family harmony in the occurrence of 10,000 people.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj consecrated the temple with a customary ritual called the murti pratistha. In this ritual, sanctity is infused into the statues inside the temple. This ritual marked the opening of the temple for visitors. This was the second inauguration of Maharaj in the same year, after the Swaminarayan Mandir in Houston.
BAPS Swaminarayana Temple Atlanta Architecture
The temple is built on a plot of 30 acres of land. It is made of about 34,450 units of hand-carved stone pieces. They were purchased from India to complete the assembly of other ingredients. About 106,000 cubic feet of Italian marble were used to construct the temple. Apart from this, Indian oink sandstone and Turkish limestone were also used. The huge temple complex consists of a large assembly hall, classrooms, an exhibition on Hinduism, and a family activity center. The architecture of the temple mainly followed the pattern of the North Indian style of architecture. The main temple has statues of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami. They are worshipped together as Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj. Apart from this, there are other temples of Shiva Parvati, Ram Sita, Radha Krishna, Ganesha, and Hanuman also present.
Diwali is the major festival celebrated in the Swaminarayan temple. The temple gets beautifully decorated with lights during the festival. People gathering here celebrates the festival for 3 days. They perform all the rituals and enjoy themselves a lot during these days. Apart from the Hindu residents, foreign people also visit the temple during Diwali. The traditional ceremonies of Dhanteras and Annakut are also performed during these days. People offer various types of food to the deity to perform Annakut. It is an interesting thing to watch for the visitors.
The temple gate opens for visitors at 9.00 am every day. The entry time is from 9.00 am to 12 noon and 3.30 pm to 6.00 pm. The morning Arati is performed at around 11.15 am. Devotees can participate in this ritual.
Diwali is a festival celebrated here beautifully. The most number of visitors are found at this time. They take part in the rituals performed during the days of the festival.
To know more about the temple, people can contact the temple authority at info.atlanta@usa or (678) 906-2277.
One of the most famous Hindu temples in the USA is the Swaminarayan temple of Atlanta. It is home to thousands of devotees. The temple is equally popular as the temple of Texas. Every year visitor from different parts of the world comes here to visit the temple.
How to BAPS Swaminarayana Temple, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
There are many ways to reach the temple. If you are traveling from India, catch a flight to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Cab facilities are available outside the airport to reach the temple. Buses are also available to reach there. The nearest bus stop is the Lawrenceville Hwy & Rockbridge Rd.