New Jersey Welcomes Largest Hindu Temple Outside India
The largest Hindu temple outside of India in the modern era has opened in New Jersey. The temple, built by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), took about 4.7 million hours of work to hand-carve 2 million cubic feet of stone. The temple, which stands on a 126-acre tract, is the third Akshardham complex built by BAPS, following ones in New Delhi and Gujarat. The project faced scrutiny and criticism due to a civil lawsuit alleging forced labor and poor working conditions, but many of the plaintiffs have retracted their allegations. The temple aims to promote universal values and welcomes people of all religions and communities.