Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhuj

Gujarat, Kutch, Gandhinagar

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.

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.

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

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.