Swaminaraya Akshardam Temple

When Indians decide to build a monument, they do it right. Not just a statue, or a garden, or even a small building. When there’s something worth celebrating, it’s worth at least a couple of acres worth of gardens and crenellations.

So it is with Swaminaraya Akshardam. Named for Swaminaraya, a master yogi from the 18th century, this temple is large in every way. From its sweeping Lotus Garden to the 27 foot tall statue of the young yogi, the Akshardam is more a tourist attraction than a Hindu temple.

While anyone who works at the temple will tell you that it was built between 2000 and 2005, in reality there is still work being done on it today. The amount of construction is hardly noticeable, however, beside the amazing beauty and size of the temple grounds.

One enters the temple after what is the most exhausting security search I have yet been through. I’m fine being patted down for guns, knives, and whatnot, but when they ask me to check my bag and any electronics at the door, including cell phones, I get a bit nervous. Megan and I did so, however, and after the metal detectors and pat down, we found ourselves on the grounds.

A left took us to an information center, and another right then took us to the most beautiful structure my eyes have ever beheld. The temple itself is situated at the center of the grounds, is a tannish copper in color, and is maybe 50 feet tall, seated on a series of steps that perhaps double its height. Every inch, and I do mean every inch, of the outside of the temple is decorated with intricate stonework. A pillar might have its weight held by eight symmetrical foot-tall human statues, or you might see a herd of elephants lifting from the temple’s base.

A walkway forms a square around the temple itself, and is equally ornate. It is perhaps half a mile in perimeter, and every so often branches into a lookout where you can get a good view of the temple artwork.

To your left as you face the temple is a fountain, and that is where Megan and I first headed. The fountain was under repairs, but the surrounding area must seat thousands of Hindu yogis and scholars during their ceremonies. At the far end, facing the temple, is a 27 foot tall statue of Swaminaraya at around 11 years old, as he began a 7 year journey through India on his way to becoming a yogi and a master.

Megan and I head past all this without inspecting the statue and make our way to the first exhibition. That’s right, an exhibition, like a theme park ride. In a religious temple. The exhibition depicted the life of Swaminaraya from his journey at age 11, through the miracles he performed, and past his ascension to master to the impact he has had on the world since his death. It focuses in particular on his message of peace on earth and nonviolence towards all creatures great and small (yes – Swaminaraya’s followers are all vegetarians). According to the Hindu religion, his first miracle was actually bringing fish back to life and making them disappear, then convincing the fishermen to give up their ways and become nonviolent.

As all Hindu yogis, Swaminaraya began a journey of prayer and meditation, but unlike the others, he did it at the tender age of 11. This trek led him to face carnivorous animals, the cold of the Himalayan winters, and even the roaring sea with nothing but love and his bare feet. During this time he became a yogi, and at the end of the journey, he ran into the old master, who made Swaminaraya into the new master, calling him “the one true master” and saying that he was only Swaminaraya’s servant.

The most interesting part of this exhibition was the plea towards vegetarianism at the end. It had pictures of different animals all complaining about how their lives were hurt by human plundering. My favorite was a lion who complained that he had paws and teeth for hunting, but humans didn’t and were taking his prey anyway. Before I could find the nearest person to expound the virtues of canine teeth and opposable thumbs to, Megan found me and whisked me off.

Next we went on a ride that Megan described as “It’s a small India after all.” The basic scheme is that you get on a boat, and you ride through this dark maze while they tell you all about the different parts of Indian culture. Sound like an accurate name? You betcha.

I have to say I found it a little…inaccurate, though. According to the ride, India is the land that discovered gravity, invented the zero, created chess, flew the first airplane, created plastic surgery, and was the birthplace of democracy. And yes, it seriously claimed all that. No joking. It was fun and air conditioned, though.

Next, after food and checking out that 27-foot tall statue, came an Imax movie about Swaminaraya. Basically the same things as the first exhibit, but with some more detailed information.

Next came the temple itself. To enter, you must first remove your shoes, then walk up about 50 steps onto the raised dais where the temple sits. It is then, as you slowly walk into the temple, that you see a 10-foot tall golden statue of the yogi himself in prayer, surrounded by supplicants.

The inside of the temple is solid marble and is, if anything, even more ornate than the outside. Every inch of marble is covered by intricate, detailed designs, each working into a larger design and into the pattern as a whole. Pictures of the yogi, his life, and many Hindu gods and goddesses line the walls. While many Hindu men, each wearing the dot on his forehead to symbolize his faith, hold up signs asking for silence, a quiet chatter can be heard throughout the temple. Megan and I look around and then exit.

Next is the lotus gardens, which are unremarkable except for the great samosas at the food court. We eat, then leave, without checking out the gardens below the temple’s entrance.

On our way back we perform the best bargaining of our careers. We get a horde of auto rickshaw drivers to surround us, and then talk them down. Our original price is 75, but they won’t go below 100, because it’s touristy here and we’re white. Finally, I mention to Megan that she should call a cab, and she gets on the phone with EZ Cab. We actually purchase a cab and begin to walk away before the rickshaw drivers relent. It goes quickly to 75 after that.

Next comes shopping at Sector 18. We begin with some food at this amazingly nice, very expensive restaurant on the second floor of the building. The price of a meal there? $6. And yes, that includes the swing you’re sitting on as your seat with the plush cushions, and the waiter who refuses to let you serve yourself ANYTHING. And part of that was that they charged 50 rupees ($1.25) for a bottle of water.

I racked up at Sector 18. I got three nice shirts (two Van Heusen shirts I could use to go to a bar, and a pink button-down), a pair of black Diesel jeans, a belt, and some Indian formalwear. Grand total? About $100. Megan tried to get an Indian dress, but they totally screwed up the tailoring and she had to get her money back.

When we got back to the guest house at the end of the day, they had set up an open air farmer’s market. We got some mangos, some bananas, and some fruit that I had never heard of and have no idea how to pronounce or spell, but is still reaaaaally good. Just when I was starting to feel like a local, though, I realized that I had no idea how to bargain for fruit, and there is definitely a great video of me trying to bargain while the rest of the Indian world laughs at me. The video, by the way, will most likely be deleted by the time I get back to the states.