EXPERIENCES
Where Happiness and Peace Reside The majestic mandir invites visitors to embrace stillness and reflection—and experience ancient Hindu rituals. BY KATJA RIDDERBUSCH
he Lilburn police department doesn’t keep statistics on how many car accidents occur around Lawrenceville Highway, but there have been a few. That’s because this road, in addition to a slew of fast-food restaurants, gas stations, and tire stores, is home to a building that rises from the flat suburban scenery like a white cake with particularly ornate frosting. It’s a stunning sight, to say the least. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is one of the largest Hindu temples in North America. Opened in 2007, it is set on 30 acres of meticulously landscaped grounds. The mandir is made of more than 34,000 blocks of stone— Italian Carrara marble and Turkish limestone for the outside, and Indian pink sandstone for the inside. Following the rules of ancient Hindu scripture, the pieces were hand-carved in India, then shipped to Lilburn and assembled like a majestic 3D puzzle. Tourist blogs have likened it to “a giant Lego set.”
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