[1][2] The central shrine is dedicated to its founders Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami, worshiped together as Akshar Purushottam Maharaj (supreme God).
[6] In May 2021, a lawsuit was filed against BAPS by several artisans from India, who were involved in the construction alleging that the temple administrators violated labor laws.
The lawsuit alleged that over 200 Indian men, mostly of the Dalit caste, were brought from India to the US and were subject to wage theft, forced labor, and human trafficking.
[6][16] His vision was to create a place of worship in North America for followers that could also enable visitors of different backgrounds to experience Hindu spirituality, architecture, and peace.
[18][19] On October 6, 2011, Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed the rituals sanctifying the foundation stones (shilanyas pujan) in Mumbai.
[18] The first marble pillar installation ceremony took place on September 4, 2017, in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj, the sixth spiritual leader of BAPS.
[29][30] The Days of Giving initiative donated over 12,000 school supplies, hygiene essentials, and food items to the local community.
Daily themes included celebrating Indian culture, non-violence, women's contributions to society, interfaith harmony, and community day.
On October 5, 2023, Robbinsville Mayor, David Fried, joined the community unity day program and said, "Every time I reached out to BAPS, they never failed to answer the call, and for that, I'm incredibly grateful."
During the program, Fried and Mayor John Higdom from Matthews, North Carolina, both offered the "Key to the City" to Mahant Swami Maharaj.
[18][17][39] Above the foundational base plinth is the main outer wall of the mandir, called the mandovar,[18] made of Bulgarian and Turkish limestone.
Individuals include Shabari, Vidura, Veda Vyas, Tulsidas, Shankaracharya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Bhagiratha and Mirabai.
[44] Due to granite's durability, hardiness and diverse range of colors it has been used throughout the campus' walking paths such as Nilkanth Plaza, parikrama, and jagati.
The carved stones and pillars were then assembled through a process called dry setting, where mortar and cement is not used, to determine how the structure would look before final placement in Robbinsville.
[44] During its construction, BAPS also incorporated sustainable practices by utilizing a fly ash concrete mix, planting over two million trees worldwide over several decades, and building a six-acre solar farm that supplies electricity to the Akshardham campus.
The sacred image of Swaminarayan is 15.5 ft (4.7 m) tall and is crafted from panchdhatu (an alloy of five metals - gold, silver, copper, zinc, and iron).
The other 12 shrines display the sacred images of Hindu deities including Radha-Krishna, Venkateshwara-Padmavati, Sita-Rama, Lakshman, Hanuman, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya, as well as Swaminarayan's spiritual successors.
[6] Nilkanth Varni began a spiritual journey across India at the age of eleven, which lasted seven years and covered 8,000 miles (12,000 km).
During his travels in the Himalayas, he attained proficiency in yoga, and he practiced rigorous austerities for six months, standing on one leg in a yogic stance.
[55][56] In May 2021, a lawsuit was filed against BAPS by several volunteer artisans from India[6] who were involved in the construction alleging that the temple administrators violated labor laws.
"[57][58] The lawsuit alleges that over 200 Indian men, mostly of the Dalit caste, were brought from India to the US and were subject to forced labor, human trafficking and were paid $1 an hour for their work.
Aaditya Soni, their lawyer, stated that the plaintiffs believed the facts of the case were false and cited religious convictions as the basis for their withdrawal.
[6] Some news outlets characterized the trial as raising questions about the ability of US labor laws to account for certain forms of religious volunteerism.