Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhuj (New temple)

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhuj
The Temple just after inauguration
Geography
Country	India
State	Gujarat
Location	Bhuj
Culture
Primary deity	Nar Narayan
History and governance
Date built	18 May 2010

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a temple complex in Bhuj, Kutch district, Gujarat which is managed by Nar Narayan Dev Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, a sect ofHinduism. The inauguration ceremony of the temple held from 15 to 23 May 2010.^[1]^[2]

HistoryEdit

An earthquake on 26 January 2001 shattered most parts of the city of Bhuj, including the original Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhuj built by Swaminarayan in 1824. To replace this, the new temple is built of only marble and gold. The throne for the idol of Swaminarayan, the temple domes and doors are made of gold while the pillars and ceilings are made of marble.^[1] The original central deity images of Nar Narayan and Swaminarayan in the form of Hari Krishnawere moved from the old temple to the new one along with those of Radha Krishna, Swaminarayan in the form of Ghanshyam andSukh Shaiya and others.^[3]

The new temple was built at a cost of 1 billionIndian rupees (100 crore) on 5 acres (20,000 m²) of land. Made in marbe, intricate carvings adorn the pillars and ceiling of the most expensive temple built in the Indian state of Gujarat recently.^[4]

A large number of people to attended the opening ceremony of the temple including those from overseas, including from United Kingdom and various parts of Africa. According to an estimate by a member of the Bhuj Hoteliers' Association, as of October 2009, 75% of the hotel rooms in Bhuj had been booked for the period during which the opening ceremony is scheduled to take place.^[1] To manage influx of vehicles, Jubilee ground and Khasda ground, the two biggest grounds in Bhuj will be used for parking arrangements.^[1] Temple authorities are expecting around 500,000 visitors during this period.^[4]

A 3-D film, the first of its kind on the life and teachings of Swaminarayan titled 'Sahajanand' was screened as a part of the opening celebrations of the temple. Shot by S3D cameras, it is claimed to be the first of its kind in India.^[5]