When was BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chino Hills built?
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chino Hills is a traditional Hindu mandir. It’s construction was completed in 2012.
Background of Construction
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a Hindu temple complex located in Chino Hills, in southwestern San Bernardino County in southern California. The temple belongs to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha denomination of Hinduism. However, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is open to visitors of all faiths.
The complex is the first earthquake-proof Mandir in the world. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a traditional Hindu mandir that was completed in 2012.
Situated on a 20-acre site with a 91-foot lotus-shaped pond, the complex has a cultural center, gymnasium and classrooms and a Food Stall.
Approximately 900 volunteers, including many second-generation Indian-Americans, volunteered approximately 1.3 million man hours to construct the Mandir. This mandir uses a solar power system to generate electricity and reduce adverse effects on the environment. The solar panel power system is expected to reduce 1,556 tons of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of planting 62,244 trees, over a 25-year period.
In 1977 the former spiritual leader of visited California. During his first visit, he encouraged a small group of individuals to hold regular assemblies. He, and other senior swamis, returned nearly every year, nurturing and inspiring devotees.
In 1984, Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated a small center in Los Angeles County.Nineteen years later, in 1996, the local group made a proposal to build a larger facility, including a traditional stone mandir, to fulfill Pramukh Swami’s vision that he had shared with them almost two decades earlier and to accommodate their growing congregation.With his blessing, the group began searching for land.
After reviewing a half-dozen parcels, Pramukh Swami Maharaj guided the group to a plot next to the City of Chino Hills.With this thrust from their guru, the group successfully acquired the land and obtained all the necessary permits, studies and approvals to build the mandir and ten other buildings—a process that proved much more arduous and lengthy than they had anticipated. Before the first public hearing, city staff misinterpreted that church and institutional zones are allowed to have towers up to 80 feet high. But only are institutional zones allowed to have such high towers, official said.
The 17 June 2003 meeting continued and led to a July hearing despite voting unanimously in favor of the project, with the height matter outstanding. In August 2003, the City delayed plans to review the proposed Temple because of confusion surrounding the 164,000 square foot facility.Plans for the temple will not be reviewing by the City Council on Aug. 12 2003, as originally scheduled.” “Instead, city staff will meet 26 August, taking two additional weeks to investigate information noted by residents about the temple that has not been previously revealed is causing concern.” On 14 September 2004, after a seven and half hour meeting with a crowd between 1200 and 1500 individuals, the Chino Hills City Council voted 4–1 to deny a code change that would allow the temple to be traditionally constructed.
“Several residents sharply criticized the BAPS public relations firm for conducting a publicity campaign that they say brought hundreds of non-residents to the meeting, including, council members from Artesia, Norwalk, and Diamond Bar,
- 5 Shikhar (pinnacle)
- 2 intricately carved domes
- 4 balconies with hundreds of carved motifs
- 35,000 individual stone pieces placed together like a puzzle
- 122 hand-carved pillars
- 129 seamlessly placed archways
- 6,600 hand-carved motifs and images
- 1,500 craftsmen in India
- 91 foot, Lotus-shaped reflection pond and fountain
- 40 base-isolator units to protect against seismic activity
- 597 kW of clean energy generated annually by state-of-the-art solar system
- 20 skylights for Natural and Energy Saving Lighting
- 900 volunteers gave their services
- 1.3 million man hours of construction.
- Built to last 1000 years
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