The new Swaminarayan Temple under construction in Bhuj, Gujarat, India

During November 2009 we visited the Swaminarayan Temple in Bhuj, Gujarat, India.

The magnificent Swaminarayan temple is nearly finished in Bhuj. Once completed, the Rs100 crore-structure spread over 5 acres of land will be the most expensive temple to be built in Gujarat in recent times.

The temple has been under construction for more than five years. It is being built using only marble, with intricate carvings on pillars and ceilings throughout the temple. Mahants supervising the construction work said the sinhasan (throne) on which Lord Swaminarayan's idol will be seated will be made entirely of gold. The doors of the temple, its domes and the kalash on its outer dome will also be made of gold, they said.

The mahants also said that the construction work on the temple will be over by May 2010. "Its pran pratishtha mahotsav is scheduled from May 15 to May 23," a mahant said. "We are expecting around five lakh visitors during the mahotsav, of which nearly one lakh will be NRIs." Most of the money for the temple's construction has come from NRGs.

The temple authorities said Rs90 crore was received in donations from Patel followers of the Swaminarayan sect settled in different parts of the world.

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Travel & Events

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• Swaminarayan
• Temple
• Bhuj
• Gujarat
• India
• Patel