Majestically standing tall at 78 feet in the suburb of Bartlett, Illinois, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir attracts visitors from all backgrounds. Its Turkish limestone exterior and Italian Carrara/Indian Makrana marble interior leaves one in constant wonder as to how this beautiful structure came to exist.

Over 40,000 intricately carved stone pieces representing Hindu deities and scriptural messages, all handcrafted by Indian artisans, have been used in the construction of this mandir. This architectural masterpiece leaves one in awe at some of its main features: towering pinnacles (shikhars), domes (ghummat), kalash, pillars (sthambha), etc.

Volunteers put in 2,500,000 man-hours to help build this magnificent Mandir from foundation to pinnacle in an unbelievable 16 months. This building was officially transformed into a Mandir when Swamishri instilled the spirit of God into the sacred murtis. Swamishri gracefully opened the gateway to peace, harmony, and ultimately, God.