Largest Hindu temple in North America to hold first Sunday service in New Jersey

Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The largest Hindu temple in North America will hold an inauguration ceremony Sunday to officially dedicate the new cultural landmark in New Jersey.

The service at BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville Township is planned from 4:45 to 8 p.m. EDT, with the temple's spiritual leader Mahant Swami Maharaj delivering a message that will be live-streamed over the Internet.

The 183-acre church campus features a magnificent central temple -- steeped in the rich tradition of Indian architecture and replete with ornate carvings and intricate motifs -- standing like a monument among the surrounding buildings.

Additionally, the church campus boasts a spacious pool, statues of historical figures, finely landscaped gardens, as well as a sprawling courtyard.

Inside the building, a captivating visual spectacle unfolds, with opulent marble structures 7-feet high, and a wealth of ornate design elements from floor to ceiling that leave visitors awestruck by the rich tapestry of Indian aesthetics and spirituality.

Some who have already toured the church said they came away feeling as if they had actually visited India.

The church is open to the public, with educational facilities and museum exhibits that offer a deeper exploration of Indian culture and its ancient traditions.

The massive church and its surrounding facilities took 12 years to build in an effort by more than 12,000 volunteers from around the world.

The global organization that oversees the church is called the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, more commonly known as BAPS, which operates several massive Hindu temples worldwide.

While the New Jersey church was being built, a group of nearly two dozen immigrant laborers filed a class-action lawsuit against BAPS, claiming they were forced to work in harsh conditions for little to no pay.

The church maintained that the workers understood their roles as volunteers and the legal action was on hold as many of the plaintiffs withdrew from the case out of respect for the temple.