BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Nairobi
Encyclopedia
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nairobi is a Hindu temple in Nairobi
, Kenya. Although there were temples in Africa before this, it is the first traditional stone and marble Hindu temple to be constructed on the African continent and was built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, an international Hindu
organisation belonging to the Swaminarayan faith of Hinduism. It was opened on August 29 1999 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj
, the spiritual leader of BAPS
Swaminarayan Sanstha.
and is made from 350 tonnes of yellow sandstone
from Jesalmer mined from Rajasthan
, India. The stone was mined and transported to Pindwada, some 400km to Jesalmer where it was hand-carved by 150 craftsmen. Following two years of carving work, the pieces were shipped to Mombasa, Kenya and assembled in Nairobi like a giant three dimensional jigsaw puzzle.
The interior of the Mandir is unique in that it is made from intricately carved wood. Most traditional Hindu temples have stone interiors but this BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir uses indigenous timber from East Africa, such as camphor
, mahogany
, mvuli, Mt. Elgon teak
and meru oak
. This was exported to India and carved by approximately 250 craftsmen.
The Mandir comes complete with shikhars (pinnacles), sthambhas (pillars) and ghummats (domes). A team from Kenya visited some of the famous temples and monuments in Rajasthan, Kerala and elsewhere in India before the temple design was finalised.
Shri Swaminarayan Haveli. The Haveli, a cultural complex, is a large building which comprises a Prayer Hall, Kitchen, Dining Hall, Concourse, Assembly Hall, Administrative Offices, Gymnasium, Dispensary, Youth Hall and a Centre for social services.
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya. Although there were temples in Africa before this, it is the first traditional stone and marble Hindu temple to be constructed on the African continent and was built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, an international Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
organisation belonging to the Swaminarayan faith of Hinduism. It was opened on August 29 1999 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj
Pramukh Swami Maharaj
Pramukh Swami Maharaj is the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a Hindu organization, and the current guru of the sect....
, the spiritual leader of BAPS
BAPS
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha , often abbreviated as BAPS , is a major organization within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism...
Swaminarayan Sanstha.
Mandir
The Mandir was designed according to the ancient Hindu shilpa shastrasShilpa shastras
Shilpa Shastras is an umbrella term for numerous Hindu texts that describe manual arts, the standards for religious Hindu iconography, prescribing among other things, the proportions of a sculptured figure, as well as rules of Hindu architecture.Sixty-four such arts or crafts, sometimes called ...
and is made from 350 tonnes of yellow sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from Jesalmer mined from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India. The stone was mined and transported to Pindwada, some 400km to Jesalmer where it was hand-carved by 150 craftsmen. Following two years of carving work, the pieces were shipped to Mombasa, Kenya and assembled in Nairobi like a giant three dimensional jigsaw puzzle.
The interior of the Mandir is unique in that it is made from intricately carved wood. Most traditional Hindu temples have stone interiors but this BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir uses indigenous timber from East Africa, such as camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
, mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
, mvuli, Mt. Elgon teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
and meru oak
Vitex keniensis
Vitex keniensis is a species of plant in the Verbenaceae family. It is endemic to Kenya. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is a magnificent tree when mature, being one of the largest trees that are native to Kenya...
. This was exported to India and carved by approximately 250 craftsmen.
The Mandir comes complete with shikhars (pinnacles), sthambhas (pillars) and ghummats (domes). A team from Kenya visited some of the famous temples and monuments in Rajasthan, Kerala and elsewhere in India before the temple design was finalised.
Haveli
Adjacent to the Mandir is BAPSBAPS
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha , often abbreviated as BAPS , is a major organization within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism...
Shri Swaminarayan Haveli. The Haveli, a cultural complex, is a large building which comprises a Prayer Hall, Kitchen, Dining Hall, Concourse, Assembly Hall, Administrative Offices, Gymnasium, Dispensary, Youth Hall and a Centre for social services.
Awards
- On June 27, 2000, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was awarded The Architectural Association of KenyaArchitectural Association of KenyaThe Architectural Association of Kenya is a building professionals organization in Kenya. Membership is drawn from five major disciplines:*Architects*Quantity surveyors*Engineers*Town planners*Landscape architects...
's Millennium Award for Excellence in Architecture.
