World’s Largest Hindu Temple Outside India Opens In Mercer County

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – Nestled amid 183 acres of lush land in Robbinsville, is the stunning BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple.

Mercer County residents have known of the temple for years now as it employed thousands of artisans and is built entirely of marble.

On Oct. 8, a dedication ceremony was held with some parts of the temple open for worship. On Oct. 18 it will be entirely accessible to the general public.

“One can actually see what the Hindu or Indian experience is,” said Yogi Trivedi, a temple volunteer and scholar at Columbia University.

“One can have an experience of its architecture, the sounds of the music, the sights, the way people dress, the way people talk, the way people pray... It is a house of worship and a center for all Americans to come together. But think of it as a cultural ambassador, that brings together the Hindu experience, the Indian experience to the broader world, and especially to this beautiful, diverse community in Robbinsville and Mercer County.”

The marble and limestone structure tells the story of bhakti (devotion) and seva (service) which form the core values of the followers of Swaminarayan, a sect in Hinduism.

“Seva is not just a way to get things done. But it is a way to spiritually progress on the path. Our Guru said on the day of the opening, that now that the actual temple is complete, we must continue to build one within - that is a very poetic way to say that selfless service and volunteerism is a way not just to give back to the community but to help those who are in need,” Trivedi said.

Over the past 14 years, about 12,500 volunteers have come together to help put this entire temple complex together. It took a total of 4.7 million man hours to build the temple, Trivedi said.

The temple is the largest outside India in the modern era. The largest temple complex in the world is at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which was built by King Suryavarman II and dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Currently it is described as a Hindu-Buddhist temple and is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.

“It is definitely the largest temples outside India. There’s definitely competition over which is the largest or grandest. I would say this Robbinsville temple is a sign of bhakti. It is large and tall because it is what we wanted to offer to God, and that is the sort of intention of the community,” Trivedi said.

There was also controversy surrounding the temple when a lawsuit was filed in 2021 alleging forced labor, wage theft, and trafficking.

According to the lawsuit, temple leadership recruited Indian nationals belonging to the marginalized Dalit caste — considered “untouchables” — for construction and stone working jobs in the U.S. The workers alleged they were underpaid and forced to work in grim working conditions.

Since then, 12 of the plaintiffs have withdrawn their allegations, as the temple authorities continue to cooperate with law enforcement, Trivedi said.

“People who come to the temple will see that everyone serves alongside each other, they live alongside each other, and they pray alongside each other. So, the arguments about certain castes or certain strata of society being unable to integrate really weighed heavily upon us, because that is not who we are,” Trivedi said.

The sect’s fifth spiritual successor was “progressive” and the first Indian guru to initiate the Dalits and indigenous Indians as full-fledged saffron-clad monks, Trivedi said.

This past week, people from across the globe have been visiting the temple to partake in the celebrations.

“You don't have to be a Hindu to visit the temple. You can visit to experience the art, architecture, culture and cuisine. You walk around and see lessons and images from Martin Luther King Jr., President Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Socrates and even Rumi,” Trivedi said.

“It’s not just a Hindu experience - it's truly an American and global experience and everyone is welcome.”

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