Temples of India - Part 4

This article is part four in the series of articles on temples of India. Let us know about two more important Indian temples.

It is believed that Lord Rama worshiped lord Shiva in the form of linga when he was returning to Ayodhya. The temple is spread over an area of 15 acres. The famous festival of this temple is called as Bhrammotsavam and it is celebrated in the Tamil months of Aadi and Maasi. You can go there by air, train or car since Rameshwaram is connected with all major cities.

Ellora Cave Temples ' The Ellora Cave Temple is located 30 km away from the city of Aurangabad in the state of Maharashtra. It was built by Rashtrakuta rulers. Ellora is a world heritage site. It represents the Indian rock-cut architecture. It was built in between 5th and 10th century. There are 34 caves and it symbolizes the three faiths of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism since there are twelve Buddhist caves, seventeen Hindu caves and five Jain caves rock cut temples.

Lotus temple - The Lotus temple is the place of worship of the Baha'i community. It is a wonderful temple in the city of New Delhi. It is called the Lotus temple because it is built in the shape of lotus flower. It is the 7th largest house of worship of the Baha'i in the world.

Akshardham Temple - Akshardham Temple in New Delhi is one of the most popular and recently built temples in India. The temple was constructed by Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) inspired by shree Pramukh Swami Maharaj - the spiritual leader of BAPS. The temple is dedicated to the lord Swaminarayana or lord Krishna. It is is located on the banks of Yamuna river. It is spread over 100 acres of area. The structure is built without steel and is supported by around 234 carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 Shikhers, and 20,000 statues of great devotees, acharyas and sadhus of India. The base of the temple is made of Gajendra Pith (name of the stone). Pink stones and white marbles were used to construct the temple. Pink stones symbolised Bhakti (devotion) and white marbles symbolized peace. The statue of lord Swaminarayana is made up of Panch Dhatu (five metals) and is 11 ft high. There are many other statues of gods and saints. The temple was inaugurated on November 2005 by shree Pramukhswami maharaj in the presence of the President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr. Lal Krishna Advani. The temple is recorded as the world's most comprehensive and largest Hindu temple in Guinness world records. There are many other attractions like Hall of value which displays the life of Swaminarayana and a theater named as Nilkanth Yatra which has Delhi's biggest screen. Musical fountains, gardens, boat rides, etc. are also available. A similar temple also exists in Gandhinagar near Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat.

This concludes our article series on the important temples of India.

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