BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta

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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta
Hindutempleatlanta.jpg
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
Deity Swaminarayan,
Radha Krishna,
Rama-Sita,
Shiva-Parvati
Location
Location Lilburn
State Georgia
Country United States
Architecture
TypeNorth Indian / Shilpa Shastras
Creator Pramukh Swami Maharaj / BAPS
CompletedSeptember 2005 (groundbreaking) to August 2007
Website
http://www.baps.org/atlanta

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia is a traditional Hindu mandir, or place of worship, inaugurated on August 26, 2007 by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a denomination of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism headed by Mahant Swami Maharaj. The mandir is located in the Lilburn suburb of Atlanta and was constructed in accordance with the Shilpa shastras, which are ancient Hindu architectural scriptures. It was the largest mandir of its kind outside of India. [1] The mandir is made of 34,450 pieces of hand-carved Italian marble, Turkish Limestone and Indian pink sandstone, [2] and are all situated on over 30 acres of landscaped grounds. The mandir complex also includes a large assembly hall, family activity center, classrooms, and an exhibition on the key tenets of Hinduism.

Contents

Deities

Within the mandir, murtis (sacred images of the deities) have been ritually installed. The central shrine holds the murti of Swaminarayan, with Gunatitanand Swami to his left, together worshipped as Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj. Similarly, other shrines hold murtis of other Hindu deities, such as Radha Krishna, Shiva Parvati, Sita Ram, Hanuman, Ganapati and the lineage of BAPS gurus, who are Swaminarayan's spiritual successors. [3] [4] Daily darshan and participation in the Aarti ritual are welcomed by the mandir. [5]

History

BAPS followers in the greater Atlanta area began gathering in the 1980s at various devotees’ houses for worship. In 1988, followers purchased a skating rink which was renovated and re-established as a mandir in Clarkston, Georgia. [6] In February 2000, the twenty-nine-acre plot of the current mandir was purchased in Lilburn, Georgia. Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed religious rites to sanctify the land. He visited the site again in 2004 and performed the foundation stone-laying ceremony, and inaugurated the mandir upon completion of construction in 2007. [6]

Commencement

In February 2000, with the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a 29-acre plot of land was purchased in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn. [6] The mandir is a type of ‘Shikarbaddha’ mandir, built according to principles laid out in the Shilpa Shastras, Hindu texts prescribing standards of sacred architecture. [7] On June 13, 2004, the shilanyas vidhi, a Vedic ceremony to purify the land and bless those working on the temple's construction, was performed when stones were placed at the foundation of the future temple. [8] Pramukh Swami Maharaj led senior BAPS swamis and several thousand people participated in the ceremony. The shilanyas vidhi was commemorated with a four-day celebration which included spiritual programs conducted for senior citizens, children, and youth. Each day, a yajman pujan was performed and discourses on the Taitreya Upanishad were held. [8]

Construction began in September 2005, [6] and the concrete for the foundation was poured on January 2006. [4] On March 2006, a specialty crane was assembled to install the 106,000 cubic feet of Italian carrara marble. [4] Over 34,000 hand carved pieces of stone were shipped from India to be finished and assembled at the site. [4] The construction of the mandir was completed in just under two years, and Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated the mandir in August 2007. [6] [9]

Mandir inauguration

On August 24, 2007, a Vishvashanti Mahayagna was performed for world peace and family unity in the presence of over ten thousand people. [9] A festival to mark the centenary of BAPS’ establishment as a formal organization was also celebrated on August 25, 2007.

On August 26, 2007, Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated the mandir through a traditional Vedic ritual called the murti pratishtha to consecrate the murtis. On this occasion, Pramukh Swami Maharaj noted that “this mandir is open to all. Whoever sincerely offers his prayers will attain happiness and peace.” Dignitaries present at this event included Congressman Henry Johnson Jr., Lilburn's mayor, Jack Bolton, and Commissioner of Gwinnett County, Charles Bannister. [9] This was the second opening of a traditional Hindu mandir by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in North America in the same year. The other mandir was the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto, which was inaugurated on July 22, 2007. [9]

Tenth anniversary

The tenth anniversary of the mandir was celebrated on July 1, 2017 in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj and Lilburn Mayor Johnny Crist. [10]

Spiritual assemblies

The mandir holds weekly satsang sabhas on Sundays serving all age groups. [11] The weekly sabha includes the singing of devotional hymns and spiritual discourses on Hindu scriptures and their teachings. [11] [9]

Charitable initiatives

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, BAPS Charities has provided relief and assistance worldwide. [12] [13] [14] On March 29, 2020, all six BAPS shikharbaddha mandirs in North America broadcast a special mahapuja performed by the swamis to pray on behalf of all those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 12,000 families in North America participated. [15] [16]

On March 28, 2021, BAPS Charities hosted a vaccination drive in conjunction with Kennesaw Clinic and ValueCare Pharmacy at the mandir. A second drive was hosted on April 4, 2021 in conjunction with West End Pharmacy. [17] US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy praised BAPS Charities for hosting vaccination clinics at mandirs which increased accessibility for the elderly. [18] [19]

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References

  1. ↑ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir". Official Georgia Tourism & Travel Website | Explore Georgia.org. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  2. ↑ "Gleaming Hindu Temple to Open in Atlanta Suburb". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  3. ↑ Kim, Hanna (2001). "Being Swaminarayan: The Ontology and Significance of Belief in the Construction of a Gujarati Diaspora". Columbia University Press. pp. 347–349.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - Atlanta - Manidr Info". BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  5. ↑ "Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (BAPS)". hwpi.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "WRSP - BAPS Mandir Profile Atlanta". wrldrels.org. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  7. ↑ Mukundcharan Das, Sadhu (2005). Hindu Rites and Rituals. Ahemadabad, India: Aksharpith. p. 7. ISBN   81-7526-356-3.
  8. 1 2 "NRIPulse.com^^^Home Of The Indian American Family". www.nripulse.com. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir's Inauguration Ceremony -Atlanta Dunia -". atlantadunia.com. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  10. ↑ Bodiwala, Community Contributor Suresh. "Grand 10th Anniversary Celebration of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir". Naperville Sun. Retrieved 2017-11-08.{{cite news}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  11. 1 2 "Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (BAPS) | The Pluralism Project". www.pluralism.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  12. ↑ Nath, Rhea (8 April 2020). "BAPS: 'There is no spirituality without social service'". Indian Link. Archived from the original on 2020-08-03.
  13. ↑ "COVID-19: BAPS launches community care programme in UK". Eastern Eye. April 8, 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25.
  14. ↑ "BAPS Charities Volunteers Continue Global Response to Coronavirus Pandemic". India West. May 10, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-25.
  15. ↑ "Over 12,000 Indian American Families Join BAPS Hindu Mandirs in Online Prayer". India West. April 1, 2020.
  16. ↑ "BAPS online Mahapuja: Well-being for all". India Post. April 10, 2020.
  17. ↑ "COVID-19 Vaccination Drive 2021 in Atlanta, GA • BAPS Charities". BAPS Charities. 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  18. ↑ Jha, Lalit (May 7, 2021). "US surgeon general praises BAPS charities for turning its temples into vaccination centres". Yahoo News India. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  19. ↑ "Vice President Kamala Harris on India's Covid Situation: 'Nothing Short of Heartbreaking'". India West. May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
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