Travel

Visiting the 2nd Largest Hindu Temple in the World

Spiritual thoughts at a new temple site

Monica Ray, M.Ed, MS
Globetrotters
Published in
5 min readDec 20, 2023

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BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey
BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey (credit: Monica Ray)

“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset. Every sunrise begins with new eyes.”

— Richie Norton

Recently, a friend had posted breathtaking photos of a temple she’d visited in Robbinsville, New Jersey. The temple was inaugurated on October 8th, 2023.

Robbinsville is about 65 miles southwest of NYC and about 47 miles northeast of Philadelphia.

As I looked at her vibrant photos, I found myself drawn toward finding out more. I was raised Hindu but have most definitely veered toward the spiritual in recent years. There was something about her photos that moved me spiritually.

When I reached out to her and expressed an interest in visiting, she advised me to go during sunset if I could.

As you may know from a recent article of mine, I spent quite an adventurous but lovely Thanksgiving driving over to Jersey with a large turkey. I had never thought I would be back in NJ so soon, but given how beautiful the weather was and remembering what my friend had said about the sunset visit, I thought that this was a good opportunity to get out there.

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Monica Ray, M.Ed, MS
Globetrotters

Top and Boosted Writer. I write food/travel pieces centered around the UK, India, and the US. I also cover writing. Follow me on Instagram @monicaonthemoveray