Akshardham, Hindu temple in Gandhinagar, India

Akshardham is a Hindu temple in Gandhinagar, India, set on a wide site that includes several exhibition halls, landscaped gardens, and a tall central shrine. The facades show finely worked reliefs in pink sandstone, while marble highlights details inside.

Inspired by Yogiji Maharaj and created by Pramukh Swami Maharaj of BAPS, the complex took 13 years to build as a tribute to Swaminarayan's life and teachings. On 24 September 2002, two attackers from Lashkar-e-Taiba stormed the temple, killing 33 worshippers and wounding 70. The Abhishek Mandapam was inaugurated on 14 December 2015 by Mahant Swami.

The name Akshardham denotes the divine abode where, in BAPS belief, the soul goes after moksha. At the Abhishek Mandapam, opened in 2015, visitors tie a kalava thread on the wrist and pour sanctified water over a murti of Neelkanth Varni while praying for personal wishes. The Sat-Chit-Anand water show, inaugurated in 2010, performs the Nachiketa parable from the Kathopanishad.

Visitors must remove shoes before entering, and wheelchair-friendly paths run through most areas. Guided tours are available, and audio devices offer explanations in several languages.

The grounds hold a research center preserving ancient texts and religious teachings from the Swaminarayan tradition. In the evening, a water show with light and music transforms part of the complex into a moving spectacle.