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LynnH | all galleries >> 2010 - 2019 PBASE CHALLENGES >> MAY 2011 CHALLENGE ~ OBSERVANCES & HOLIDAYS > ~ DAY OF PRAYER ~
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26-MAY-2011 LynnH

~ DAY OF PRAYER ~

Stafford TX

BAPS Mandir, East Gate
To See My Mandir Gallery - Press here for Link


The Mandir is a house of God. It is very sacred.

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Houston is the first traditional Hindu Mandir of stone and marble to be constructed in the United States.
Created entirely according to ancient Hindu architectural manuscripts known as the Shilpa-Shastras and meeting all the modern regulations of today,
it was constructed in a mere 16 months starting from the day its first stone was laid. Limestone from Turkey and marble from Italy was shipped
to India where it was hand-carved. More than 33,000 carved pieces were shipped from India to Houston to build such a beautiful Mandir.
The Mandir opened to devotees, well-wishers, and visitors after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony performed by His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj on July 25, 2004.


Mandir Facts:

· Stones:

Outside: Turkish limestone (29,000 cu. ft.)
Inside: Italian marble from Italy (22,000 cu. ft.)
Total: 3826 tonnes
Size: Smallest stone 15 gm to largest stone of 5.2 tonnes.
Features:

5 Pinnacles (Shikhar)
1 Central Dome (22 ft. in diameter)
11 Small Domes
136 Pillars ( 7 Unique designs)
70 ceilings (24 Unique designs)
4 Small Pinnacles (Saamran)
11 Garba Gruha
122 Arches (Kamaan)
· Infrastructure:

Approximately 33,000 stone pieces
51,000 cu. ft total stone structure
No iron or steel used
Fiber optic lighting

Sony DSLR-A700 ,Sigma 18-250 F3.5-6.3 DS OS HSM
1/2500s f/3.5 at 18.0mm iso320 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Bill Taylor01-Jun-2011 15:06
Great shot!
Jola Dziubinska30-May-2011 22:06
Beautiful sanctuary, great capture. V.
larose forest photos28-May-2011 22:41
Gorgeous! I love your shots of this beautiful structure. V
Guest 28-May-2011 20:08
Thses days they should use a month!
j>a>e>17 :):):)28-May-2011 08:19
super sunnny peace vibes flowing & growing!!!! :):):):)
Mieke WA Minkjan28-May-2011 07:29
beautiful composition of a beautiful temple
Cindi Smith28-May-2011 04:48
It is such a beautiful building. I love when you take pics of it. :) V
Graeme28-May-2011 00:00
Superb details and composition Lynn.Voted
Karen Stuebing27-May-2011 22:15
Beautifully framed with the curved gate. This is a beautiful ornate temple. V.
Janice Dunn27-May-2011 21:23
I looked at your link - what an impressive place it is.
Carol Rollins27-May-2011 15:11
Beautifully seen and composed, Lynn. Lots of great detail. ~
Walter Otto Koenig27-May-2011 13:54
Nice perspective through the ornate gate. Lots of interesting details.
Ceya27-May-2011 13:45
Beautiful view, full of lovely details. V
Stephanie27-May-2011 13:09
Lovely architectural details!