I’d been wanting to check out the Robbinsville Mandir (technically the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir) in Robbinsville, since it opened in 2023. It’s been a year now, and my in-laws were coming in town. A perfect time to visit. Though it turns out they had already been on a previous trip with another family member. Oops!
So this post will be less about the actual history and more about what you’ll see there. Note that on weekends, national holidays and Hindu festivals, you need a (free) reservation. They do check those before you enter the complex. Of course going to the Robbinsville temple with kids is easier on a weekend or holiday!
Nilkanth Plaza
You can enter Nilkanth Plaza without reservations. It is the first place you’ll get to after the parking lot. You’ll notice the 49 foot statue of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in his youthful days. In the plaza you can read about his journey on the stones in the center with information about him and his teachings, and the display as you enter showing the journey he took in his youth to spread his message.
Kids will like the flowing path on the ground in the middle (connecting the planters leading up to the statue), that has sea creatures and what looks like a stream carved into it.
You’ll walk around the giant stepped pond with fountains to get to the welcome center. We had to wait in line here after they checked our reservations in several places. And then those who were not dressed properly (see the “if you go to the Robbinsville temple with kids” section at the bottom) received a sarong to wear.
Welcome center
The welcome center is a long hall decorated with sacred texts, paintings, and statues. It is designed in a 17th century Indian haveli architectural style using Burmese teak wood, hand carved. There’s a restroom in there as well – I advise you to use it!
After exiting the welcome center, you’ll now be in the courtyard area and have an unencumbered view of the main reason you’re there: the mandir. When we were visiting, the two smaller pools/fountains in the middle were empty. But you’ll also see a sculpture of feet, with money surrounding it.
The Askshardham Mahamandir
We waited in a long line to enter the mandir, the large building you’re mainly there to see. Lots of carvings and décor you can look at while you wait (if you have to wait). When you get up closer, to the left of the building you’ll see a statue of elephants – also with coins and dollar bills folded up and stuck into the crevices.
When you go inside the mandir, you’ll need to remove your shoes and leave them on one of the many racks. You’ll then walk through a hallway (showing some of the volunteers who worked on the complex – see note below about “volunteers”) before climbing the stairs to the main area. Note that you cannot take pictures inside, so put those phones away.
The inside is breathtaking. White marble floors and so many intricate carvings, 20,000 statues and statuettes, and stories being told. Here’s where a tour would come in handy. Inside it’s 255 feet wide, 345 feet long and 191 feet tall. Don’t forget to look up, because there are intricately carved domes – multiple – throughout. And they’re all different. They used 1.9 million cubic feet of stones and 548 stone pillars.
This is the largest Hindu mandir in the U.S. and the second largest globally. The stone includes marble from Turkey, Italy and Greece, pink sandstone and granite from India, and limestone from Turkey and Bulgaria.
Once you leave the mandir and get your shoes on, you’ll come across a parallel statue of elephants, these have 7 trunks each.
The next building
Here you’ll find more bathrooms – and you can get some drinks and a quick snack. As you walk down the hallway, you’ll see some explanations about the building process and timeline – kids may like learning a bit here. Then you’ll pass the Shayona Café with vegetarian food. It was super crowded with a long line when we were there, so I didn’t peek in. Across the hall is the Shayona Snack and Sweet Shop – again too crowded. I’ve gotten snacks and frozen Indian food from the BAPS temple in Edison before, and it’s fun to shop there when it’s not too crowded. We always like trying new things.
Lastly, there is a gift shop which is large and has an assortment of things. Fun to look through and I always appreciate seeing kids’ books about different traditions in gift shops like these.
From here you’ll exit back to the stepped pool and you can wander around the plaza some more.
Labor at the Robbinsville mandir
Also let’s address the elephant in the room (an appropriate metaphor since you’ll see lots of elephants there – carvings and statues, not live ones). The temple has made international news with accusations (and a lawsuit) of importing low caste members from India, allegedly forcing them to work for low wages (about $1/hour) in sometimes poor/dangerous working conditions. You can read about it in the New York Times (gift link).
You’ll see a big display in the main temple about all the volunteers who worked on the temple, and after reading this article, you may laugh uncomfortably about that. The photos showed volunteers in the U.S., professionals like doctors coming to serve the faith in helping build this temple. The organization says that the people who came from India were also volunteers.
If you go to the Robbinsville temple with kids
Here’s a tip: Don’t visit the Robbinsville temple with kids on a holiday like Labor Day. Not only are there no tours, but it was a zoo. We had to park in a dirt lot far from the temple (fine for us, but not good for people who have difficulty walking). Then take a shuttle to the front of the paved parking lot. And wait in line after line. Don’t do that! Go on a weekday – when they have an actual tour. And it’s not crowded.
When: It’s open to visitors daily except for Tuesday. If you have a group of 15+ and plan to visit on a weekend (not Tuesday) you can request a tour. They have guided tours on weekdays as well – advanced booking is not required. Details here.
Dress code and etiquette: Come prepared! No sleeveless or low-cut tops. No shorts, skirts or dresses above knee length. No revealing clothing, and nothing with offensive language or imagery. They did have some sarongs available to borrow if you were not dressed appropriately. Be aware that you’ll need to remove your shoes (socks are okay) in the main temple. They will also check your purse/bag on entry.
Reservations: Reservations are free and needed on weekends, national holidays and select Hindu festivals.
Have you been? What did you think?