Akshardham Temple in New Delhi is the latest tourist attraction of this city. Located on the banks of the river Yamuna near Noida in East Delhi, this huge temple is considered as one of the wonders of modern India. This article explains what makes this temple so special to all the visitors.

Architecture of Akshardham
Spread over swooping 30 acres area, this grand beautiful structure of Akshardham Temple at once attracts your eyes while you travel from Gazipur crossing towards Nizamuddin Bridge. Built without using steel, the architecture of this palatial temple is quite unique. Constructed of pink sandstone and white marble, the design of Akshardham Temple is believed to be inspired by India’s historical temples like Badrinath (Uttaranchal), Somnath (Gujarat) and Konark (Orissa).

This palace-like monument temple has 234 intricately carved ornate pillars, 9 ornate domes and 20 quadrangle shikhars. There are around 20,000 idols and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities along with the spectacular Gajendra peeth (a plinth of stone elephants) in the temple.

Attractions at the Akshardham
Inside its grand building, the huge temple complex has two huge exhibition halls also where you can get a chance to enjoy the visual journey of India’s cultural heritage and moral values. To entertain you more, there is also an IMAX cinema and a research centre for “social harmony”. Meditating in the quiet gardens amidst fountains and beautiful bronze sculptures gives immense pleasure and relaxation to the tired body and mind.

An eye-opening experience at Akshardham Temple is the ‘musical fountain show’ that can be enjoyed at night only. It is really a visual treat to watch that 10-mintues show which depicts how the Hindu trinity of Gods; Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh play their role in this universe.

Then there are various shopping options too inside the complex but you only get things related to Hindu mythology like books, souvenirs, calendars, etc. You can also shop for unique herbal medicines at the Ayurvedic bazaar in the complex. To satisfy your hunger and thirst, there is a restaurant inside this temple complex. Modeled on the Ajanta and Ellora caves, the restaurant can accommodate around 5000 people in one sitting only.

Since this temple depicts the Hindu mythology and Indian culture, it promises to attract a large number of tourists’ every year under religious tourism. Remember, you are not allowed to carry camera, mobiles, eatable and leather-made items inside. This care is mainly taken due to security purpose, but in case you must carry them then you will have to deposit them before you can enter the main temple.

Anyway all these restrictions are worth once you visit the temple complex which took around five years to complete. So next when you plan your trip to New Delhi, you must include this must-to-see monument of Delhi and I am sure you will enjoy the trip.