The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn Atlanta is the largest traditional Vedic Hindu Temple of stone and marble to be constructed in the United States. It is located at 460 Rockbridge Road NW, Lilburn, GA 30047. More details about Atlanta Swaminarayan temple can be found here.
Location and Direction of Swaminarayan Temple Lilburn Atlanta on Google Map
The address of Swami Narayan Mandir Atlanta
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
460 Rockbridge Road NW
Lilburn, GA 30047. USA
Tel: (1-404) 297 0501
Fax: (1-404) 297 1834
The temple is open from 0900 hrs to 1800 hrs. There are separate idol darshan timings. The temple is open for longer periods during weekends and on festival days.
17 comments:
The temple is lovely, but if you are a woman be prepared for the segregation shock: men sit in the front, and women are cowed to the back of the room. My husband and I felt so offended we both stood against the wall in the back of the room. Of course we decided we are not going back. Atlanta has another great Hindu temple where everybody is treated equally regardless of gender, caste, or race. Indian or not, we don't need to put up with this heinous discrimination.
Firstly, the person who has commented has not mentioned her name.
But still...
If there is such a segregation as mentioned, then it is bad. And I guess you have all the right to be angry. You should have raised it with the temple officials or priests.
Always remember the real worship in Santana Dharma or Hinduism is not in temples but in realizing the Brahman present in you and in all the animate and inanimate in this universe. It is hard to practice but when you realize it, you will smile at the futility of temples.
I have visited ATLANTA Temple. The first annonymous writer seemed to be a naive person. I also inquired about this front and back thing and they have a very good and pure explanation for this. Here is what I found.
The front for men and back for women is only when the saints are there. this is because saints practice ASTANG brahmacharya mentioned in vedas, so to respect their such strong vairagya.
When there is no saints, all are equal.
Look at tons of positives of temple. I know it is hard to go back to a temple when a person's ego is hurt but we humans today get our ego's hurt at so many small things, rather than looking at the big picture. So the request to first annonymous visitor is that OPEN YOUR EYES AND EMBRACE THE OBVIOUS.
ABHI: BEFORE AGREEING WITH THE WRITER, TRY TO INQUIRE THE REASONS OR EXPLANATION BEHIND THEM. you are doing a great job and I amire them. I just hink that you as a writer have greater responsibility in promoting HINDU Unity. Thanks for your efforts.
I agree with the first anonymous writer.
There is segregation. Saints or no saints coz when I went there I didn't see any holy person.
And I got to go near the idol only after all the men had finished.
Gayatri
I visited de temple on dis Xmas day, no such discrimination was there. all r treated equally. Such a marvellous temple. such an elegant construction. i felt soo proud when people frm different countries, who were there at dat time whn i visited, admiring abt it.
Bottom line, you went to their place of worship. Who are you to place judgement on what they believe? I too recently visited the Mandir. I saw a few of the saints and even asked if we should move away. The tour guides explained that the saints will actually avoid us. Even though I was not required to leave the area, I was completely willing to in order to be respectful of their religion. They are so kind to open their doors to us so that they can share the beauty inside, that you should respect them. Also, you are not considered less of a human, but a powerful being that may sway them from their calling. They explained this to us in the beginning of the tour and also included money as another great temptation. I am a woman who considers herself capable of doing whatever I choose to do, but I also like the doors being opened for me and will respect other religions without judging them. I am sorry for you.
hmmm i read everyone's opinion n i think i shuld say sumthings that i observe, though i havent seen all but i saw the iscrimination thing and being a man i was ashamed at that n other thing i am Hindu and hav read Gita probably 4 tyms and havent seen anything anywhere like u hav to put the pics of those who were not Bhagwan's incarnation inside the temple and more so alongside Bhagwan own image, this is absurd; though many would say they were all saints but they r not incarnations and the beauty of our religion is if we hav to pray we can pray anywhere as Bhagwan is inside us and Om is the biggest power that can bestow whatever we desire then y one shuld take all the trouble to go there n be segregated n then see some so called saints pics instead of Bhagwan's nobel murtis.... and what ab their religion n ours we are all Hindus n plz stop this ghastly discrimination of cults n groupism.....
I take exception to the REASON behind the segregation, not to the segregation itself. There are temples I have attended where, during puja times men sit on one side and women on the other.
The REASON behind the segregation at Swaminarayan temples is so that if sadhus, who are bhramacharyas, ie have taken vows of celibacy, are present, then they are not tempted by the presence of women being close by. This whole thing is taken to ridiculous extremes, in some Swaminarayan temples, even small babies are not allowed to be taken to the front of the temple in their father's arms!! Also if a sadhu from this sect visits a home, then the owners have to remove all pictures/phones in which ANY female (even babies) are present!!!
The taking of vows of celibacy, poverty are admirable, but if such ridiculous steps have to be taken so that these men are not tempted then perhaps some of them are not quite ready yet to take such vows....Further to "explain" it away by saying YOU are a POWERFUL being who could sway them, is so bad...it feeds our ego!!
One is suppose to live like a lotus in the muddy pond, where the mud does not stick to you as it doesn't to the lotus. The scriptures do not say -take the lotus and stick it in a magnificent stone carved cage (err..I mean temple!)
It probably makes it harder for some of the younger sadhus....its like when you have to fast or diet..you think about food and being hungry MORE then if the whole thing isn't made into a big deal/issue!
Pooram
I just don't get it. isn't there a good side for segregation.
a) IT is not discriminative, I assume, but a tradition.
b) There so many Kaali or Amman temples in India and outside India where women take forefront.
c)In many temples men stand on one side and women the other. Men generally on the left.
I understand we go to temples to pray and concentrate as one of the commentators earlier said to -more of a matter of a spiritual thing- than see who is standing or sitting where!
I personally know many temples where women sit in the front!And NOBODY complains!
this is such a beautiful Hindu temple. i pass by it all the time and was wondering if it is accessible to everyone, or if it is limited access. the reason for this inquiry; i would love to take some pictures of the outside, but i do not wish to offend anyone. email me: weldingatitsbest@gmail.com
Today I visited a SwamiNarayan temple in Chino Hills, California. I have got the worst experience of my life. I have been to this temple before as well and I have seen the segregation between men and women which I feel is very bad. But today when I visited the temple with my family and my husband without knowingly entered the area near the alter in the front (which is for men) with my 3 year old daughter, he was told by one of the temple person to take the daughter outside. My husband was so shell shocked to hear this that he couldn't utter a single word and came outside while the aarti was going. I asked the temple person the reason for this and he gave me this stupid reason that it’s in their faith that even a new born female child can not entered the area near the alter.
I want to question this stupidity of this faith. We have all hear this since child that “Kids are God's image". Then why discrimination against child lest the women. I was more hurt when I saw all those ladies sitting there and living with this discrimination since their childhood. I want to ask all those women who follow this faith to wake up and change this stupid rule. This is the world where inequality against women is a crime. You all can stand against this and I know many more will join you even if they are not the believer of this faith. Because I know I'm going to fight this fight first for my daughter and then for all those ladies who have no guts to stand against something that for which they are discrimated.
I agree with the previous posting whole-heartedly.
I was born into a family following Swaminarayan Dharma and I had a similar experience with my 9 month son. I was entering the men's section with him and was stopped by one of the temple officials inquiring if the baby was a boy or a girl. I am looking for a legit reason for that question but have not found one yet that is rational. I really find it hard to believe that sadhus need to worry about their vow of celibacy in the presence of children. If that's the case, it brings a very different word in my mind describing them, which I dont want to as I know they are holy.
I agree with both the above anonymous comments, I had same experience with my daughter too. I cant forgive them for that. And to top it off, my Mother in law beleives in this Swaminarayan Dharam and i found it ridiculous that when she invited those Saints at my house, she removed all other Gods idols from my mandir at home and just kept Swaminarayan pics and I had to stay with my girls in the bedroom upstairs so they dont accidently run into them. They are never coming back in my house again. No disrespect to the Swaminarayan Bhagwan but their followers are way too disrespectful.
Could you please tell me which direction the temple is facing? I am staying in India, therefore it is impossible to me to find out myself. Thank you
does the temple in Atlanta have an exhibition space?
I too questioned the segregation component of Swaminarayan Mandirs and was curious about the rationale. After speaking with some of the sadhus at the Swaminarayan Mandir, I found out that hundreds of years ago, Bhagwan Swaminarayan recommended separating men and women at the mandir after traveling throughout the Indian Subcontinent and observing how many temple goers had a hard time keeping their mind focused when with the opposite sex. I was also told that Swaminarayan Sadhus avoid contact with women (of any age) not out of disrespect – but to observe their brahmacharya vrat. Although I respect the lifestyles of the sadhus and the seating arrangements, I do think there is an opportunity for the mandir to effectively communicate the rationale behind the rules.
If the segregation is left and right ,we can still understand . But the back and front thing is really inhuman. I could hardly pray .
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