BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

What is the context?

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Bartlett, IL, only around an hour away from Chicago. It includes the Stone Mandir, the Wooden Haveli, and an Understanding Hindu Dharma Exhibition. There are several other locations in the United States, like in Houston, TX, Atlanta, GA, and Toronto, ON. BAPS stands for Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Puroshottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, which is a Hindu organization centered on social service and seeking spirituality. It was discovered by Bhagwan Swaminarayan in the late eighteenth century and founded by Shastriji Maharaj in 1907. What this organization does is it addresses challenges, both social and moral as well as spiritual, that are faced in the world. There are a total of 3,850 centers around the world which assist in the cause of caring for others. They promote peace and harmony and encourage devotion to God in the Hindu culture. 

The Mandir is the place where Hindus come to worship and pray. The structure of it is built dependent on an architectural treaty they have that has been used in Indian architecture for many years. Ceremonies done in the Mandir are said to elevate the soul the realization of God. The Haveli is next to the Mandir and acts as a cultural center where certain events are held. The Haveli, which is a traditional type of mansion in India, is made of wood and has many intricate designs on the front carved into it. 

  

What is the artist communicating and how?

By building this place of worship, the people of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir wanted to create an area that expressed the peace and harmony that lays the foundation of the organization from which it was founded. The building, both inside and out, is symmetrical in the designs on the marble pillars and the layout of certain structures. Once you step inside and come to the second floor, there is a bluish cast in the room, and the ceiling is dome-shaped in areas. This blueness helps promote the feeling of peace and tranquility, as well as an attraction to the architecture of it.

The Haveli has absolutely stunning carvings of wood at the front of it. There are several symbolic motifs represented in the carvings in the pillars, arches, and balconies. All of these handcrafted details portray the amount of hard work put into the building of this temple and thus the meaning of it to the Hindu culture and the organization. Seeing such intricate details leaves the viewer further wanting to be enlightened and inspired while visiting. Inside the structure is very open and includes the vivid wooden carvings as well. Both of these buildings combined achieve the goal of BAPS to create a space where one could find God and experience transcending power of peace and harmony.  

Why do you find it beautiful?

When I first visited this place a while back, I remember being astonished by the beauty of it and the intricacy of the designs in the marble. From what I first recalled, it was deeply blue and radiantly white wherever I looked. We were not allowed to take pictures once inside and I remember being disappointed by that, but once I set foot inside the temple, I was glad they had that rule because no picture could capture what I was seeing and experiencing. It was so utterly peaceful and serene and not a sound disturbed the silence. I remember feeling the cold marble against my bare feet. At the time I did not know about the organization and their values, but I felt completely at peace, taking in everything I saw around me, admiring all the tiny details of the carvings on the walls and the shrines dedicated to certain Hindu gods.

I not only find it beautiful now for the physical beauty it holds, but also for the story behind BAPS and the work put into it to make this place of peace. Even the Dalai Lama commended the organization for the work it has done in promoting peace and harmony. I hope that I can visit the other locations around the world someday.