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BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta Georgia
Early Sunday morning, yet another milestone towards the completion of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Atlanta was celebrated by saints and devotees with the consecration of the first carved pillar.

On June 18, 2006, first marble pillar was installed in the temple which is constructed to stand for nearly 1,000 years. The ceremony, called the Stambh Sthapan Vidhi, was blessed and conducted in accordance with the traditional Hindu rituals by Pujya Bhaktipriya Swami. While blessing the congregation, he expressed his joy for the unity and sacrifice shown by the volunteers, saints and devotees. He continued by saying, that those who come and pray to these pillars will achieve peace of mind and purity of heart.

Among distinguished guests present, Pujya Bhaktipriya Swami garlanded chief guest Dr. Naveen Nanda, an admired cardiologist with almost 700 publications to his name. Dr. Nanda expressed how humbled he felt by being in the presence of such honorable saints and devotees. He cited the event as being important steps towards the preservation of Indian culture in the West and the upliftment of society. Activities and Schedule

The Atlanta mandir offers Swaminarayan devotees opportunities for daily worship, arti and darshan. Additionally, it holds weekly gatherings on Sundays from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m., which consist of satsang sabha for the large group and smaller meetings for children and youth. The temple celebrates a number of annual Hindu festivals with great pomp and devotion. For details of the schedule, a list of festival celebrations, and directions to the temple, please refer to the mandir's official website: http://www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/america/ATLANTA.htm. As a service to the community, the temple hosts a weekly medical clinic called BAPS Medical Care, which offers routine medical treatments for people without health care coverage. The medical clinic is just outside the temple on Sundays from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Growth of the Atlanta Swaminarayan Satsang

Before the Atlanta temple was established in 1988, John Y. Fenton conducted a survey of Asian Indians in Atlanta, Georgia (in 1985), and estimated that there were approximately fifteen to twenty core Swaminarayan families who met regularly in their private homes (Fenton 1988). During the time I began to visit in 1993, the temple in Atlanta filled each Sunday with up to two hundred people and had as many as one thousand attend the larger festivals. The numbers of worshippers in the Atlanta BAPS temple grew dramatically in the last decade of the 20th century as they did in temples all over the United States. Current estimates have grown to about 900 regular members and as many as 5,000 to 6,000 worshippers on special festival days in Atlanta (Nurse 2001). The Atlanta temple leadership has become so strong that it has assumed the role of regional headquarters in the southeastern United States. Until a few years ago, the day-to-day, week-to-week leadership of the temple in Atlanta depended primarily on the laymen, who also maintained professional careers, and secondarily on temporary leadership from the sadhus (or saints) whenever they visited. As in other BAPS temples in this country, the members of the temple in Atlanta anxiously anticipated the frequent trips made by the sadhus from India who maintained close contact with the American male lay leaders and adherents of all ages. Until the 1990s sadhus were not permitted to live outside of India, and now, because of the enormous transnational growth of BAPS, and as a response to the pleas of the United States sanstha expressing the need for religious inspiration for their children, seven sadhus reside in this country and travel throughout the five regions in order to guide adherents (Williams 2001). Two of these sadhus reside in the Atlanta temple and serve the southeastern United States. Regardless of the fact that religious specialists now reside in Atlanta, devotees here most desire visits from their guru, His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who has visited the United States with an entourage of saints, on several occasions. His last visit to Atlanta occurred in 2000, and devotees are still abuzz with delight when reminiscing about it. Visits from the guru and saints renew the spirits of American followers and enliven their activities, while assuring the preservation of the tradition on foreign soil. Through the 1980s Swaminarayans spent less energy and money acquiring and decorating temples in the United States than they spent in the promotion and organization of BAPS. In 1993, the Atlanta temple, housed modestly in a former skating rink, represented one of only six BAPS mandirs in the United States. Through the 1990s, the religion experienced enormous growth and prosperity resulting in a dramatic increase in BAPS temples, which now number at thirty-two. The structure of the current Atlanta temple is not as grand as some of its Hindu temple neighbors, especially, the Hindu Temple of Atlanta. But devotees here boast that their mandir offers more programs for children than any other Hindu temple in Atlanta. For the Atlanta sanstha, the importance of the activities that go on inside the temple, by far, outweigh what the temple may lack in outward appearance. In recent years the temple has begun to burst at the seams, especially on festival days, and Atlantans have determined that the current structure will not continue to serve their needs. While elaborate temples are no doubt part of the BAPS initiative around the globe, these enterprises only come about after successful implementation of first priorities to establish centers, and hari mandirs, other buildings converted into temples, where spiritual and cultural values may be transmitted to youth. Once this occurs and the community grows both financially and in numbers, then Swaminarayans invest in larger Cultural Festivals, like the month long Cultural Festival of India held in New Jersey in 1991, and grander, more traditional temples with capacity for housing a number of sadhus. Landmark temples built from the ground up with sadhus in residence, shikhar-badha mandirs, such as the Akshardam temple in Amdavad, or the elaborate mandir in the London suburb of Neasden, are currently under construction in the metro areas of Houston and Chicago. The Edison, New Jersey temple currently houses the sect's United States headquarters, and plans for an additional cultural center in Edison the size of Akshardam in Gandhinagar, India have begun. In Barlett, Illinois, the Chicago sanstha has already begun building what may become a larger temple complex than the one in London. Atlantans too have made plans to accommodate their expansion. In fact, the two regional sadhus of Atlanta now reside in what seems to many a less than adequate accommodation, a former medical office building adjacent to the temple, which Atlanta devotees purchased for for use as an educational wing. In 2001, fundraising efforts allowed the Atlanta BAPS community to purchase land in suburban Lilburn, Georgia on which they intend to build an elaborate temple that will serve as the region’s primary temple, cultural center and pilgrimage site. The Atlanta Constitution reports: "The climax of the multi-phase project will be a 40,000 square - foot marble temple assembled by Indian craftsmen. It will be patterned after the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on the outskirts of London... The Hindu congregation expects to spend up to $20 million on the complex and has already started work on a $300,000 community center" (Nurse 2001). Swaminarayans in Atlanta expect to fundraise for the next several years in order achieve this dream and to accommodate the needs incumbent to their role as the leading temple of the southeastern United States. Works Cited

Fenton, John Y. 1988. Transplanting religious traditions: Asian Indians in America. New York: Praeger. Nurse, Doug. 2001. Ornate marble Hindu temple planned in Lilburn. The Atlanta Constitution, March 27. Williams, Raymond Brady. 1988. Religions of immigrants from India and Pakistan: New threads in the American tapestry. Cambridge,England; New York: Cambridge University Press. ________. 2001. An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. Gender and Swaminarayan Hinduism: MA Thesis Abstract

From an initial glance into a Swaminarayan temple, one may conclude that women hold subordinate or marginal status in the sect. Because of the sect's commitment to a strict ethical code that requires an uncompromising institutional segregation of the genders, women and men operate separate programs and worship separately. Likewise, women are not allowed contact with the tradition's only religious specialists, the guru, or his saints. Satsangis attest that men and women are separate but equal. While I find it difficult to substantiate the argument of equality, so too do I find difficulty in the argument of women's marginality. Williams describes the separateness as unequal, but even so, he does not express this unequivocally, "[A]pologists maintain that the separation is mutual and does not imply inferiority, but there is some justification for the feeling that women are separate and not equal in the sect" (Williams 169, emphasis added). I argue in my thesis that separate gender roles in Swaminarayan religion, even when not equal, do not necessarily marginalize or subjugate women. The question of equality between religious roles of women and men is more complicated than one gender acting as ordinate and another acting as subordinate. Vasudha Narayanan states that, “Hindu women have both been empowered and subjugated by religious traditions over the centuries” (Narayanan 34). I find this statement fitting within the Swaminarayan sect as well as in almost any non-Hindu religious sect. In the observation of inequities between the genders in Swaminarayan Hinduism, one must take into serious account the historical and religious reasons for the separation of men and women at the movement's origin in the early 19th century as a tradition seeking to reform religious and social practices of its day. Moreover, the historical record of the movement's founder, Lord Swaminarayan, includes the instigation of social and moral reforms in support of women's rights, and devotees readily acknowledge his efforts for the "uplift of women" during a time of harsh discrimination. In my thesis, I carefully consider inequities in light of these facts, but my most significant findings have come from fieldwork in the BAPS Swaminarayan mandir in Atlanta, Georgia. Time spent in the temple has enabled me to identify modes of empowerment, yet distinguish those from gender equality, as “power and equality are not the same thing” (Narayanan 34). I discuss in detail women's authoritative roles in food preparation, social service work, festival organization, and most importantly, in the education of youth, as various modes of empowerment. In addition, women satsangis adhere to their Swaminarayan faith by choice. In each of my visits to the Atlanta temple, women have by far outnumbered men in attendance of the mixed assemblies. Both men and women devotees assure me that "it's always like that." Not only do Swaminarayan women exhibit tremendous faith, but they also show evidence of thriving in temple life, home life and careers. Regardless of an apparent lack of prestige of the women’s wing, because of its lack of female religious specialists, women do find power within it. Laywomen leaders serve as trusted friends and role models. Weekly group educational meetings, sabhas, provide not only religious education, but also a place for participants to voice concerns, share joys and form long lasting friendships and alliances. Uncensored by male participants or leaders, women voice issues concerning constructed gender roles and creatively begin to change them. In joining voices together, they form an allegiance and find ways in which to assert their power from within their ascribed roles. This power may not be obvious at first glance. During the 1991 Cultural Festival of India women engineered the production of food for masses of people. They did this behind the scenes, but it was no small undertaking as the festival drew over one million people in its month long duration. Indian immigrants regard food as an integral facet of Indian culture, and therefore the preparation of food for festivals and for prashad in temples embodies a vital function in the transmission of culture. Such transmission is the Swaminarayans' stated first goal in a new land. Women certainly demonstrate a strong presence in Swaminarayan religion, and to quickly equate gender separation with marginalization of women would be a fallacy. They have worked within the confines of separate spaces, and have created a system of power uniquely their own. Working without a great deal of prestige and with less visibility than men, women determine what facets of the religion are important and available to them and they thrive within those realms. Swaminarayan women find pride and empowerment from within their religious tradition, which rightfully claims a contribution to the struggle for gender equality, rather than from Western feminist theory. In their own way, they have translated cherished traditional domestic roles into valuable temple services. In negotiating their own forms of power, they have taken their "uplifted" position to greater heights. Globally, in the United States, and in Atlanta specifically, such new roles of power for women in the temple are vital, especially the role of teaching. In their responsibility as the inherently more faithful bearers of culture or keepers of the faith, women perform the task which has been identified as the most fundamental of all in a new land, that of transmission to future generations. In this role as teachers and perpetuators of culture, women's power proves itself parallel to that of men. Works Cited

Narayanan, Vasudha. "Brimming with Bhakti, Embodiments of Shakti: Devotees, Deities, Performers, Reformers, and Other Women of Power in the Hindu Tradition." Feminism and World Religions. Eds. Arvind Sharma and Katherine K. Young. Albany: SUNY Press, 1999. Williams, Raymond Brady. An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Fieldwork Notes

The Atlanta temple serves as an excellent case study for BAPS Swaminarayan temples in the United States because of its tremendous growth over the past two decades and because of its status as the southeast region's lead temple. My contact with devotees in the Atlanta temple began over ten years ago. I have had the unique experience of engaging in participant observation in the early 1990s, then after a long break, again from 2002 to the present. I have observed the astonishing growth that has taken place in the temple community between my early and current involvement with the Atlanta satsangis. Women's participation has become more dynamic and more varied, immediately apparent to me when I reentered the temple in 2002 for the first time in nine years. In the study, I gathered general information about the roles of women from talking to as many people as possible (mostly women) in the temple during my three visits during the summer of 2003, which included opportunities like chopping cilantro with women in the kitchen before the celebration of Lord Krishna's birthday, Janmashtami, and listening in on a temple fundraising meeting of women leaders. My research also includes a visit to the Atlanta mandir's grand Dewali celebration in 2002, and a few visits in 1993, one where I was fortunate enough to participate in an all women's festival. From questionnaires and interviews I sought personal narratives of devotees. I asked women questions regarding why they come to the temple, how they feel about the separation of genders in temple spaces, issues of equality or inequality, how they communicate with their guru, their feelings toward their guru, their knowledge of Lord Swaminarayan's advocacy of women's rights in the early 19th century, women's faith and devotion, and ideal female role models in the absence of women saints. Informants were selected from those women who attend regular Sunday sabhas, group meetings, which occur before the weekly mixed assemblies of men and women. I therefore cannot claim to have gathered a cross-section of informants from the temple, but rather, a cross-section from the group of women most involved. From the group with whom I engaged, approximately fifteen women volunteered to participate in the study by filling out questionnaires and surveys. Their ages ranged from nineteen to forty-five. Five from that group volunteered to participate further in personal interviews. Their stories provide texture to a thesis study that would otherwise seem flat and lifeless. My informants gave generously of their time, which is in much demand between multi-layered responsibilities to families, temple and careers. I deeply appreciate their participation. The peripatetic, highly energetic, and indefatigable, beloved Guru, His Highness Divine Pramukh Swami Maharaj has arrived in Atlanta on a 15 day visit to inspire and bless the inauguration festivities comprising of various cultural programs, including folk dances, religious discourses, Centenary Celebrations, Festival Parade and dramas. H.D.H. Pramukh Swami will perform the much anticipated Murti Pratishtha (Temple inauguration) ceremony of the traditional BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir-Atlanta, located on 460 Rockbridge Road NE, Lilburn, Georgia, on Sunday August 2007. The ceremony will be in accordance with the Vedic rituals to infuse divinity into the sacred images inside the Mandir and will be performed in presence of community leaders, dignitaries, Government Officials, devotees and well wishers from the US and abroad. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on 3 Indian TV Channels. The Mandir, which is a 3rd Shikharbaddha Mandir in the US and the first in Atlanta, Georgia, is an architectural jewel. The ground breaking ceremony was performed by H.D.H.Pramukh Swami Maharaj in September 2005. This marvel of a Mandir, on a 30 acre site in Lilburn, with mind-boggling intricate carving and design is constructed of over 106,000 cubic feet and 34671 pieces of Italian Carrara marble, Turkish Limestone, and Indian pink Sandstone, meticulously hand-carved by Indian artisans according to a 5,000 year old tradition and shipped from India in containers. The magnificent Mandir’s height, width and length are 74 feet, 136 feet and 239 feet respectively. 1.3 million Man hours of construction by dedicated and selfless volunteers have been contributed to this magnificent temple in such a short time. On Wednesday, August 22, 2007, Director, Media Relations, Mitesh Patel, Umangi Patel, Anand Mehta and Jitubhai Patel briefed representatives of the mainstream media and ethnic media about the Temple and various festivities leading upto the inauguration ceremony. After a very informative Press Conference, the representatives were given a guided tour of the Temple by well-trained, cheerful and courteous Media and Public Relations representatives ,Ritesh Desai, Sheetal Desai, Komal Parikh,Ashini Parikh, to name a few and volunteer-guides All are welcome to experience the unique festivities over the three days: Friday, August 24, 2007: A grand Centenary Celebration in honor of 100 years of BAPS history Saturday, August 25, 2007: A Vishvashanti Mahayag (traditional yagna for world peace) followed by a Nagar Yatra (Festival Parade) showcasing a beautiful collage of Indian Culture. The yatra will take place at 4.30 p.m.commencing at Lilburn Middle School proceeding down Lawrenceville Highway toward Rockbridge Road. It will include numerous decorative floats, folk dances in colorful traditional costumes, devotional hymns, and classical Indian instruments. The sacred images to be installed in the Mandir on Sunday will also be paraded around the city in which they will reside. Sunday, August 26, 2007: HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj will perform the Murti Pratistha (Temple inauguration) ceremony in the morning. The Mandir will be open to the general public on September 1, 2007. Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha(BAPS)established in 1907, is a worldwide civic and religious organization dedicated to the spirituality of the individual while promoting harmony between individuals ,within families and within diverse communities. Currently, there are 57 BAPS Mandirs and Cultural Centers in North America. H.D.H. Pramukh Swami Maharaj is the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the present leader of BAPS, since 1970. He leads an austere and celibate life. His compassion for humanity and caring nature have touched and inspired countless people. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta is the sixth BAPS traditional Hindu stone temple built outside of India. It is also the largest Hindu temple of its kind outside of India. It is currently open to the public. The 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) temple, officially called the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, sits on 30 acres (120,000 m2). With hand-carved stone spires that tower 75 feet (23 m), it is the the tallest building in Lilburn, Georgia, dominating the intersection of Rockbridge Road and Lawrenceville Highway. More than 1,300 craftsmen and 900 volunteers dedicated their time in putting this 34,450-piece stone marvel together. More than 4,500 tons of Italian Carrara marble, 4,300 tons of Turkish limestone, and 3,500 tons of Indian pink sandstone was quarried and shipped to the craftsmen in India. Then, all of the nearly 35,000 pieces were shipped to the United States. It serves members of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism, which originated in India more than 200 years ago. The traditional design features custom-carved stonework, a wraparound veranda and five prominent pinnacles reminiscent of the Himalayan hills.

The Lilburn location is the largest temple in North America for BAPS. Built at an estimated cost of $19 million, the temple complex is only the third of its kind in the country, surpassing BAPS temples in Houston and Chicago. A similar mandir was recently opened in Toronto as well.

The temple's sanctuary is open to all, as it is in Chicago, Houston, and Toronto.

The organization’s current spiritual guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, came to Lilburn in 2004 and blessed the first foundation stones. The guru, who celebrated his 86th birthday in 2006, returned to Lilburn in August 2007 to sanctify the completed temple. Upon completion, a keystone weighing more than 5 tons was twisted into place on the ceiling of the central dome inside.

ATLANTA: The latest BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir - a majestic white structure at the intersection of Lawrenceville Highway and Rockbridge Road - is set to open its doors to the general public on August 26. The opening of the Mandir is scheduled to coincide with the visit of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who will be in Atlanta from August 16 to August 30. As a regular volunteer for over two years, engineer Manish Patel explained that "the Mandir, apart from being a socio-spiritual haven, brings true Indian architecture and culture to life on American grounds.

This has truly been a community effort and we really appreciate the city of Lilburn and its people for their support." The Atlanta Mandir follows in the footsteps of similar Mandirs consecrated in Houston, Chicago, and most recently, Toronto. It is a Shikharbaddha Mandir, which is built according to guidelines dictated in the ancient Shilp-Shastras.

This Mandir is unique as there will be both an inside and outside parikrama, areas in which visitors can circumambulate around the images. The Atlanta Mandir will also have a tapered ceiling. Adorning the ceiling by the main Mandir entrance will be a sankalp vruksh, at which devotees can ask for anything they wish, as long as they do it with a pure heart. Festivities for the opening weekend will begin on Thursday, August 23, in which a Kirtan Aradhana with delightful devotional music and vocals will be performed by some of the most accomplished BAPS saints.

On Friday, August 24, BAPS will be celebrating its centenary, and reflect on its spiritual, cultural and social activities through speeches by respected sadhus, jubilant dances from youths, dramas performed by devotees, and multimedia presentations. On Saturday, August 25, followers will pray for world peace during the Vishwa Shanti Mahayag. Later that evening will be the Nagar Yatra, a colorful procession parading the sacred images which then confer their blessings upon all. And on Sunday, August 26 at, Pramukh Swami Maharaj will perform the murti pratishtha ceremony. The event will be telecast live on TV Asia, Sahara One and Aastha TV. It will also be webcasted live on www.baps.org. August 15, 2007 · The city of Lilburn, Ga., looks like an ordinary Atlanta suburb. Modest homes give way to commercial plazas with a barber shop, a sporting goods store and a large supermarket chain.

But down the road, rising out of a cloud of dust, is a spectacular vision — a gleaming white Hindu temple, one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Made of Turkish limestone, Italian marble and Indian pink sandstone, the temple rises 72 feet into the sky and looks a bit like the Taj Mahal, with its soft white spires and 13 domes.

The $19 million temple has been under construction for a year and a half, and this month it will be completed and dedicated in a ceremony expected to draw thousands of people from Georgia and across the U.S.

Lilburn is known for its good schools and affordable housing. Mayor Jack Bolton says that the Indian community approached the city about five years ago with plans to build the giant structure, a reflection of the city's changing demographics: The community is predominantly white, but the Hispanic and Indian populations are growing.

"Lilburn has become a very diverse community, very international. As community leaders, we've embraced that diversity, and so we welcome it and see it as a very positive sign," Bolton says.

The temple is an engineering marvel. No steel or metals have been used in the construction, and each piece, hand-carved and imported from India, was numbered, divided into sections and eventually set in place. The whole structure fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

The effort to build the temple involved hundreds of volunteers, among them Manish Patel, who gave up his job as an engineer to work as the site manager, administrator and secretary.

"When they come inside, we want them to feel the atmosphere," Patel says. "When they come out, they'll have some kind of message in their life."

Ritesh Desai, a volunteer in Atlanta with the global Hindu organization BAPS, hopes the temple will draw together an increasingly diverse community.

"Many of us have assimilated into the mainstream American culture. Yet the mainstream American culture does not know about India per se, or they might not have been to India. We're bringing a little bit of India to you," Desai says. The Hindu temple, or mandir, in Lilburn, Ga., is a traditional structure made of stone and marble, constructed in 18 months. It will be dedicated by the spiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, on Aug. 26, 2007.

The outside of the temple is Turkish limestone. The interior and carved pillars are made of Italian marble, and the foundation is built from Indian pink sandstone, symbolizing that the culture and roots of the temple are in India. The outside of the temple is Turkish limestone. The interior and carved pillars are made of Italian marble, and the foundation is built from Indian pink sandstone, symbolizing that the culture and roots of the temple are in India. A Closer Look Height: 72 feet

Land: 29 acres

Domes (ghumat): 12 small, one large

Spires (shikhars): 5, with red and white flags flying on top to represent the battle of good and evil Interior: 27,000 square feet Materials: 106,000 cubic feet of stone, including Turkish limestone, Italian marble and Indian pink sandstone This close-up of the outside railings shows the detailed carving. All of the stone was hand-carved in India and imported to the United States.Workers finish construction on the stairs and the entrance to the temple. When completed, it will be the largest in the United States. Glimpse of New BAPS Mandir being constructed in Lilburn, Atlanta. In 2001, fundraising efforts allowed the Atlanta BAPS community to purchase land in suburban Lilburn, Georgia on which they intend to build an elaborate temple that will serve as the region’s primary temple, cultural center and pilgrimage site. The Atlanta Constitution reports: "The climax of the multi-phase project will be a 40,000 square - foot marble temple assembled by Indian craftsmen. It will be patterned after the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on the outskirts of London... The Hindu congregation expects to spend up to $20 million on the complex and has already started work on a $300,000 community center" (Nurse 2001). Swaminarayans in Atlanta expect to fundraise for the next several years in order achieve this dream and to accommodate the needs incumbent to their role as the leading temple of the southeastern United States. Hindu temple in Atlanta suburbs will be largest in US The Associated PressPublished: August 22, 2007

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LILBURN, Georgia: When members of Atlanta's Hindu community unveil a new religious and cultural center on Sunday, it will be the largest temple of its kind in the United States.

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a $19 million (€14 million) structure that will serve Hindus throughout the U.S. Southeast, is one of only three in the nation built using guidelines from scriptures that date back 5,000 years.

Adherents say the temple will offer a rare opportunity to worship in an environment almost identical to the ones experienced by their forefathers thousands of years ago. Until now, the congregation has been meeting in a converted roller rink.

"To me, it is just amazing — the possibility to leave my home and, in minutes, come to a traditional Hindu mandir," said Jigar Patel, one of more than 300 volunteers who have helped build the temple.

"Mandir" is a Sanskrit word for a spiritual place where the mind becomes still and the soul seeks the bliss of God.

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Obama meets with Gore for talks on environment The temples are built from marble, limestone and sandstone and are designed to last more than 1,000 years. Their stones interlock; no nails, screws or other metal that one day could corrode are used in construction.

For the Georgia structure, more than 34,000 stones — including more than 2,000 hand-carved figurines — were shipped from India. The heaviest weighed 8 tons (7.3 metric tons). Upon their arrival, volunteers spent 17 months fashioning the stone into a temple that regularly will host a congregation of about 500.

"It's an amazing jigsaw puzzle," Patel said.

The temple was built by members of BAPS, the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha.

BAPS, a fast growing segment of Hinduism, is a worldwide organization within the faith that builds temples, organizes charity and relief work and emphasizes the preservation of Indian culture.

Adherents say the location was chosen because of Atlanta's burgeoning Hindu population.

In 2005, Gwinnett County's population was about 69 percent white, 19 percent black, 16 percent Hispanic and 9 percent Asian, according to U.S. Census data.

The Census does not track religious affiliation.

Members of BAPS are devotees of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a social reformer who was born in northern India in 1781 and is believed to have been God in human form. The group's current spiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, is in Atlanta for the dedication of the new mandir. Visit to this temple is worth the visit. It is new world marvel of architecture. The stone carving inside the temple is breathtaking and awesome. It is only seen to be believing. The serenity outside relieves stress. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir staged a spectacular Nagar Yatra (Grand Procession) in the presence of His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, on Saturday, August 25, 2007. Despite scorching heat, thousands thronged the streets to witness one of the most elaborate nagar yatra in BAPS history. The procession, a beautiful tapestry of India’s rich and vibrant culture and traditions took off at 4.00 p.m. from Lilburn Middle School, along the Lawrenceville Highway. The procession, with its ten imaginative and artistic floats carrying sacred images to be installed in the Mandir and other participants carrying big banners, music and dancing elicited awe and admiration from all who were present as well as those who watched it aired live on various TV Channels. Carrying the banner,’BAPS Ladies Wing’, women in colorful saris, carried sparkling kalash on their heads, as they walked cheerfully, singing devotional songs. Another group carried sacred ‘Shikshapatri’ on their heads as they marched behind the floats. Saffron-clad sants marched behind the banner,” BAPS Sant Mandal”. BAPS representatives from various States in the US walked proudly behind the banner ‘BAPS United States.” While a group of smartly dressed children and youths marched to the cadence of drums in a band, another group danced exuberantly to the beat of traditional drums and other musical instruments. The cherries on the cake were of course the fetching floats, Akshar Purushottam Maharaj float carried by Lions; Ghanshyam Maharaj Float carried by a Mandir, a Shastra and sants sitting near the Mandir; Nilkanth Varni Float with a Map of India and a Mountain range as backdrop; Bhagatji Maharaj and Shastriji Maharaj on a chariot pulled by Dolphins; Yogiji Maharaj and Swamishri being carried on a chariot pulled by Dolphins; a float depicting a yagna,being performed by BAPS Sants; Lord Ram and Sita on a float carried by swans; Hari Krishna Maharaj on a float carried by a bullock cart; Lord Krishna and Radha float carried by peacocks and Lord Shiv and Parvati float carried by Sheshnag. The riveting procession arrived at the Temple and the evening ended with a magical fireworks display. Dazzling fireworks lit up the sky over the many-splendored new Lilburn Mandir bathed in a soft-blue glow. It was a slice of heaven! The Nagar Yatra provided a rare opportunity for the community to experience the diversity and rich spiritual heritage of India on Lilburn streets. True to the Mandir inauguration theme-“Celebrating Heritage, Nurturing the Future”-the Nagar Yatra amply proved that! Courtesy: BAPS Media Relations. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta is the fifth largest Hindu temple outside of India. It is currently still under construction and will open to visitors late August. The 27,243-square-foot temple, officially called Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, is rising on 30 acres. With hand-carved stone spires that tower 75 feet, it will be the tallest building in Lilburn, dominating the intersection of Rockbridge Road and Lawrenceville Highway. It will serve members of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism, which originated in India more than 200 years ago. The traditional design will feature custom-carved stonework, a wraparound veranda and five prominent pinnacles reminiscent of the Himalayan hills.

The Lilburn location will be the largest temple in the United States for the BAPS sect. Built at an estimated cost of $19 million, the temple complex is only the third of its kind in the country, surpassing BAPS temples in Houston and Chicago.

The BAPS leadership says the temple's sanctuary will be open to all.

The Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism originated with the 18th century spiritual leader Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Leaders say there are now more than 1 million Swaminarayan followers worldwide who have taken lifetime vows of no alcohol, no addictions, no adultery, no meat and no impurity of body and mind.

The sect’s current guru, Brahmaswarup Pramukh Swami Maharaj, came to Lilburn last year and blessed the first foundation stones. The guru, who celebrated his 85th birthday this month, is scheduled to return to Lilburn in 2007 to sanctify the completed temple. Once nearly complete, a keystone weighing more than 5 tons will be twisted into place on the ceiling of the central dome inside. That, according to tradition, is the final piece of the puzzle.

LILBURN: When members of Atlanta's Hindu community unveil a new religious and cultural centre on Sunday, it will be the largest temple of its kind in the United StatesThe BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a $19 million (euro14 million) structure that will serve Hindus throughout the US Southeast, is one of only three in the nation built using guidelines from scriptures that date back 5,000 years.

Adherents say the temple will offer a rare opportunity to worship in an environment almost identical to the ones experienced by their forefathers thousands of years ago. Until now, the local congregation of about 500 has been meeting in a converted roller rink.

“To me, it is just amazing - the possibility to leave my home and, in minutes, come to a traditional Hindu mandir ,'' said Jigar Patel, one of more than 300 volunteers who have helped build the temple.

Mandir is a Sanskrit word for a spiritual place where the mind becomes still and the soul seeks the bliss of God.

The temples are built from marble, limestone and sandstone and are designed to last more than 1,000 years. Their stones interlock; no nails, screws or other metal that one day could corrode are used in construction.

For the Georgia structure, more than 34,000 stones - including more than 2,000 hand-carved figurines - were shipped from India.

The heaviest weighed 8 tons (7.3 metric tons). Upon their arrival, volunteers spent 17 months fashioning the stone into a temple that is almost as long as 2 1/2 football fields and about a field and a half wide.

“It's an amazing jigsaw puzzle,'' Patel said. The temple was built by members of BAPS, the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha.

BAPS, a fast growing segment of Hinduism, is a worldwide organisation within the faith that builds temples, organises charity and relief work and emphasises the preservation of Indian culture.

Adherents say the location was chosen because of Atlanta's burgeoning Hindu population.

In 2005, Gwinnett County's population was about 69 percent white, 19 percent black, 16 percent Hispanic and 9 percent Asian, according to US Census data. People who identify their origin as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino may be of any race.

The Census does not track religious affiliation. Members of BAPS are devotees of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a social reformer who was born in northern India in 1781 and is believed to have been God in human form.

The group's current spiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, is in Atlanta for the dedication of the new mandir. ATLANTA: The latest BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir - a majestic white structure at the intersection of Lawrenceville Highway and Rockbridge Road - is set to open its doors to the general public on August 26. The opening of the Mandir is scheduled to coincide with the visit of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who will be in Atlanta from August 16 to August 30. As a regular volunteer for over two years, engineer Manish Patel explained that "the Mandir, apart from being a socio-spiritual haven, brings true Indian architecture and culture to life on American grounds.

This has truly been a community effort and we really appreciate the city of Lilburn and its people for their support." The Atlanta Mandir follows in the footsteps of similar Mandirs consecrated in Houston, Chicago, and most recently, Toronto. It is a Shikharbaddha Mandir, which is built according to guidelines dictated in the ancient Shilp-Shastras.

This Mandir is unique as there will be both an inside and outside parikrama, areas in which visitors can circumambulate around the images. The Atlanta Mandir will also have a tapered ceiling. Adorning the ceiling by the main Mandir entrance will be a sankalp vruksh, at which devotees can ask for anything they wish, as long as they do it with a pure heart. Festivities for the opening weekend will begin on Thursday, August 23, in which a Kirtan Aradhana with delightful devotional music and vocals will be performed by some of the most accomplished BAPS saints.

On Friday, August 24, BAPS will be celebrating its centenary, and reflect on its spiritual, cultural and social activities through speeches by respected sadhus, jubilant dances from youths, dramas performed by devotees, and multimedia presentations. On Saturday, August 25, followers will pray for world peace during the Vishwa Shanti Mahayag. Later that evening will be the Nagar Yatra, a colorful procession parading the sacred images which then confer their blessings upon all. And on Sunday, August 26 at, Pramukh Swami Maharaj will perform the murti pratishtha ceremony. The event will be telecast live on TV Asia, Sahara One and Aastha TV. It will also be webcasted live on www.baps.org.

Finally! This BAPS Hindu temple is going to be opened in mid August.

It sounds stupid to say, but this Hindu temple looks like a for-real, in-Asia Hindu temple. I can't believe we have something like this here. In Lilburn of all places.

Like, this is how Angkor Wat or Prambanan must have looked when they were shiny & new.

See it at the intersection of Lawrenceville Highway and Rockbridge Road in Lilburn.

Says a bystander interviewed by the AJC, "We have Cobb County beat." Take that, Big Chicken.

Don't be shy about visiting, non-Hindus! Temples are super-friendly and temple-goers know you're curious about looking around their place. Be cool, be mannerly and enjoy visiting at public events.