The $40 million structure is a monument to faith in religion and faith in Canada's tolerant diversity, say Community leaders. It's also an authentic world class structure, sure to be a major tourist draw.
Sitting like a snow-capped Himalayan mountain in north east part of the city, home to over 200,000 Hindus, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (temple) was opened for worship in the presence of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Mayor David Miller and other dignitaries.
The massive $40-million Hindu temple is being hailed as an architectural wonder, constructed with ancient techniques and 2,000 volunteers, had its official opening Sunday near Toronto's airport.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty helped open the 95,000-square-foot building — Canada's first marble Hindu temple — on Sunday.
In a release, McGuinty noted Ontario's "large, vibrant Indo-Canadian community" and its "strong commitment to celebrating our diversity.
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a monument to the Indo-Canadian Community, a structure like none other in Canada.
The local Indian and South Asian community raised the money to build the temple.
Made of Turkish limestone and Italian marble, hundreds of artisans in India, trained in the ancient Vedic tradition, carved 24,000 pieces using a chisel and hammer. These pieces were shipped to Toronto by boat and then assembled much like a massive jigsaw puzzle with interlocking sections.
"So this whole thing has no nails, no steel," explains Sejal Maisuri to CBC News. Maisuri is among the countless volunteers who spent two years helping put the temple together. "It's all put together through the sheer force of gravity."
The exterior is a confection of creamy hand-carved limestone and sparkling Italian Carrara marble. Pink sandstone decorates the interior spaces.
Interior walls and ceilings are embellished with carved figures, both human and animal, everything from dancing women to elephants and peacocks. These are images of divinity, sensuality and serenity.
Together with the exotic ambient sounds and smells, the experience can add to warm'n'fuzzy, non-drug trip.
The temple is also a monument to skills largely lost in to modern technology, which meant scouring India for workers with the necessary skill before the project could get off the ground.
As project manager, engineer Naren Sachdev, one of many who have donated their time and expertise to the building of the temple, explained, each piece was marked with a bar code to facilitate construction. This unique combination of ancient techniques and modern technology, allowed the complex to be finished in record time.
"The project started in 2005 and despite the use of computers and high-tech equipment, it took almost two years to complete," he said.
Even the delicately carved interiors of the domes are sculpted from marble and held in place with stone keys. The building, Sachdev pointed out, will last a thousand years; but the mechanical systems, all as up to date as can be, will need replacing within 25 years.
"Beneath the mandir, is the Indo-Canadian Museum of Cultural Heritage. This will be the specifically Canadian addition to what is otherwise a traditional complex, a nod to multiculturalism. This is a place open to all and we are hoping all Canadians will make use of it".says community leader Suresh Thakrar.
Classic Vedic Hindu Temple Opens in Toronto
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