Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhuj
Lord Shree Swaminarayan was always attracted by the divine
attributes of Kutch and decided to build
a temple here on the request of his devotees. The Gujarat Earthquake of January
2001 caused irreparable damage to the temple. After a mutual agreement between
Acharya Maharajshree, Saints and the devotees from all around the world, it was
decided to construct this new temple a short distance away from the original
site. The first brick installation was done in 2003, and seven years later in
2010, the new monumental shrine was inaugurated.
Location Gujarat, Kutch, Gandhinagar
Legend
Bhuj is one of the six places where Lord Shree Swaminarayan
constructed the temple himself. Senior devotees like Gangarambhai, Sundarjibhai
and others from the Bhuj went to Gadhada where Lord Shree Swaminarayan was
attending the famous fuldol festival. The devotees requested him to construct a
temple in Bhuj, which the Lord agreed to. On 15th May 1823, the Murti's were
installed by Lord Shree Swaminarayan himself. The Gujarat Earthquake of January
2001 caused irreparable damage to the
temple. After a mutual agreement between Acharya Maharajshree, Saints and the
devotees from all around the world, it was decided that the idols would be
placed inside a new grand temple. It was agreed to construct this new temple a
short distance away from the original site.
Architecture
The temple built in white marble and gold exudes beauty,
peace and charm. The temple is east facing, with 7 high pinnacles. There are
many small shrines in the temple, and the one in the middle, with the deity
Shree Nar-Narayan Dev is the prominent among them. The pillars, the ceiling and
the walls are filled with intricate marble carvings. On the outer walls are
carvings depicting hindu mythological stories.
Culture
Bhuj is a city in the Kutch district of Gujarat. Bhuj is a
famous destination for shopping of handicraft work like bandhni (tie-dye) and
leatherwork. In 1956 as well in 2001, the city was struck by a major earthquake
which caused a great loss of life and property. Many parts of Bhuj were
demolished due to the extensive damage while the rest were repaired.
Picture Courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org
Darsan Info
Temple timings : 5.00 AM to 12.00 PM, 4.00 PM to 9.00 PM
There is an online streaming of live darshan at the
Swaminarayan temple.
Darsan Dresscode
Devotees are advised to wear clean and conservative attire
Famous Festival
July -Rath Yatra
October - Navrathri
Temple Rituals
The priests perform puja to the deity of Lord NarNarayan.
There are daily aartis in the morning, evening and night.
Additional Info
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U.K Pizza
Hotel Radhakrishna Kutch
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Supermarket : Available