Akshardham : It is the famous temple
of "Swaminarayan Sect" which is the
richest sect in the world. It is a unique cultural
complex built in Gandhinagar in memory of Lord
Swaminrayan. Inspired by H. D. Pramukh Swami Maharaj,
Akshardham is a miracle worked by the service
and devotion of thousands of volunteers. It is
an intricately carved, majestic monuments of 6000
tons of pink sand stone awash with spiritual stillness.
The entire monument was built without the use
of steel. Besides a 7 feet gold leafed idol of
Lord Swaminarayan and his holy relics, there are
three exhibitions on Indian Culture with light
and Sound shows, a multimedia show and an animatronic
show. Games, rides and food refreshments are other
attractions of Akshardham.
Sarita Udyan : In sector
9 and along the river front is the lovely Sarita
Udyan, an ideal spot for picnickers. The entire
area is being developed to provide full recreational
facilities. Deer Park - Adjacent to Sarita Udyan,
at Indroda village, on the outskirts of the capital
city, is the sprawling deer park - a big draw
for both children and adults.
Craftsmen's Village : Craftsmen's
Village - Located near Gandhinagar, on the Sabarmati
river back, is Pethapur village, only 7kms from
the capital. Once famous for its colourful `Bandhani'
saris, the village also used to export wooden
printing blocks to Singapore. The wooden blocks,
with exquisite patterns carved on them, are used
for the hand-printing of cloth. They are still
in demand in the major hand, printing centres
of India like Ahmedabad, Bombay, Jetpur and Rajkot.
The Pethapur craftsmen are mainly Gujjar Suthars.
Architectural Marvel - Adalaj Stepwell, 15 kms
from the capital on the National Highway, is famous
for its unique architecture with a huge artistic
edifice and a flight of steps that enables one
to reach the water, whatever be its level. The
Adalaj stepwell is considered to be the best of
all stepwells in Gujarat.
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