Elaborate Hindu temple opens its door to public

by Barry ORegan | July 22, 2007 at 06:29 am

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Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple will certainly be a sight to behold and a testament to Ancient Indian craftsmenship. Not only will it be the pride and joy of Indian Culture, but hopefully a Canadian Landmark as worthy as the Parliament buildings, Quebec City Citadel and other notable Tourist attractions.
This temple deserves this status as it was constructed using ancient tradition using hand carved stones using only hammers and chisels and is about as environmentally friendly as you can get. There is no word yet if anyone in the Environment Industry ever thought to honour it with "LEEDs Status". LEEDs (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). As a Free Mason, one thing is for certain, this lost art of stone masonry by Indian artisans will be enjoyed by, Historians, Architects Engineers and building design students alike, not to mention generations of Canadians and Tourists as these artisans have left a legacy to their children and their children's children, hopefully for centuries to come. It is nice to see Mankind can build beauty.

Final Thought
In a world currently undergoing trying times with wars and unrest, it is nice to see a rose in a world of despair.

It will be the pride and joy of the Hindu community and a testament to their devotion to their culture.

After 18 months of construction, 24,000 hand carved stones and $40 million in fundraising, a holy temple - the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, is set to open today.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to be on hand for the grand opening.

Located at Hwy 427 and Finch Avenue in north-west Toronto, the temple is an architectural masterpiece. Built with Turkish limestone and Italian marble, the temple was built by artisans armed with chisels, hammers and ancient Hindu doctrine outlining how a holy place should be constructed.

The entire project was created by the Hindu community both in Canada and in India. About 2,000 Indian craftsmen were hired to bring the temple to life. About 100 were brought to Toronto to construct the temple while about 1,800 were hired in India to carve out some of the intricate, detailed carvings that adorn the temple.