BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple

In 1972 there were only six devotees in Chicago. The Sunday Satsang assembly was inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Through his continuous guidance during his visits in 1974, 1977 and 1980, the Satsang in Chicago area saw dramatic growth. A small building on a four acre plot of land was acquired in the Glen Ellyn suburb of Chicago. The building was renovated to meet our needs. In 1984, Pramukh Swami Maharaj consecrated the first BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chicagoland.

With the growth of Satsang over many years, there was a need of larger facilities. The current land in Bartlett met our requirements. In 1994, this land was acquired along Route 59. Pramukh Swami Maharaj sanctified the land for building of a Mandir. He guided the building of the cultural complex, known as a ‘Haveli’. This Haveli includes a large assembly hall, facilities for children, youth and adult Satsang activities. The ground-breaking ceremony and placing of the foundational stone was done in 1998 by Pujya Viveksagar Swami. The Governor of Illinois at the time, Jim Edgar, proclaimed that day as ‘Pramukh Swami Maharaj Day in Illinois’ and honored Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

The construction of the Haveli began on November 17, 1999. On October 29, 2000 Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated the Haveli in Chicago with Vedic ceremonies. A ten day divine and memorable ‘Haveli Mahotsav’ was held, which included a ceremonious yagna. Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed the pratishta rituals (consecration) of Akshar Purushottam Maharaj in the Haveli.

On July 7, 2002 the Mandir foundation was placed under the expert supervision and guidance of foundation technologists. Stones for the interior of the Mandir consisting of Italian Carrara marble and the exterior of the Mandir consisting of Turkish Limestone were carved in Rajasthan, in western India, by 3000 stone artisans over a period of over two years. On November 9, 2002 the first batch of 240 containers of sculpted stone sailed from Kandla (India) to Chicago. The Shikharbaddha Mandir in Chicago was completed in 16 months with the help of 2.5 million volunteer hours. On the auspicious day of August 8, 2004, the Mandir was consecrated by Pramukh Swami Maharaj and made open to the public.

Construction of the complex took place over various phases, beginning with the haveli and culminating with the opening of the shikarbaddha mandir. The haveli was inaugurated on 29 October 2000 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

The limestone and marble stones for the Mandir were quarried from Turkey and Italy and shipped to Gujarat, India. From here, the stones were transported to Rajasthan where they were hewn and carved by 2000 craftsmen. In total, 70,000 cubic feet of stone was chiseled and shaped with intricate patterns and designs. Once the stones were sculpted, they were shipped to Chicago. In total, 40,000 pieces of stone were shipped to Chicago where they were fitted together like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. The entire complex is situated on 27 acres. The mandir exterior is Turkish limestone and the interior is Italian Carrara marble. The mandir occupies 22,000 square feet, and is 78-feet high, 112-feet wide and 215-feet long. It is topped by 16 domes and has 151 pillars, 117 arches, five pinnacles and four balconies.
The mandir was constructed over 16 months and was officially inaugurated on 7 August 2004 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Congressman Henry Hyde and State Representative of Illinois John Miller were in attendance at the ceremony.

The mandir opening took place in the midst of a 16-day celebration, which also included a Vishvashanti Maha yagna (collective prayer for world peace) and a shobhyatra (colorful procession) through downtown Chicago.