Thursday, August 23, 2007

The Mandir



For the past 17 months, the largest traditional Hindu mandir outside of India has been under construction right here in the Atlanta suburbs. (I had no idea until I saw it in the paper today). Based on ancient Hindu architectural guidelines over 5,000 years old, the temple is made of 34,671 pieces of Italian marble, Turkish limestone and Indian pink sandstones. Hand carved stone domes cover some of the mandir’s 97 ceilings.

According to NPR, "The temple is an engineering marvel. No steel or metals have been used in the construction, and each piece, hand-carved and imported from India, was numbered, divided into sections and eventually set in place. The whole structure fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle".

As of September first, the BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha) Shri Swaminarayan Mandir will be open to the the public. Visitors are required to dress within specific guidelines. For more information and photos, see the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.

12 comments:

The Peak of Chic said...

I only learned about this a few days ago too! Rather amazing, and it would be interesting to visit.

Habitually Chic said...

WOW!!! The architecture is amazing! You both must visit and report back!

TIG said...

It's stunning! And I'm certain it's even more impressive in person.

goldenfiddle said...

wtf

Unknown said...

Unbelievable...It looks like it could be a sugar castle or an ice castle from the mnovie Dr Zhivago.

Anonymous said...

amazing. it makes me so hopeful to know that this kind of building is still going on here.

Anonymous said...

Yes, most of the Indian(Hindu) temples are engineering marvels. And you can't beat also intricate carvings so laden with life and stories!

trisha said...

WOW! that is amazing to think something like that is being built today! goin' to show the architect-hubby, he's going to love it!

Style Court said...

Great post! Again, thanks.

Vineeta said...

Thanx for dropping by- Im just loving the internet which lets me see so much talent & lets me see & share- I can see yr interest in art, decor & architecture which are similar to mine- so i now have another blog to regularly visit :)

katiedid said...

OMG stunning. It really is beautiful.

diana murphy said...

Wowza. This is just fascinating.