Main entrance of Shri Swaminarayan Haveli,
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What
is it?
Adjoining
the mandir on a 2.35 acre site is a unique cultural complex –
an intricately designed traditional wooden Haveli. Representing
a revival of wooden craftmanship, not in the last 100 years has
such a huge Haveli been created – in India or elsewhere.
Traditionally, Haveli means courtyard architecture – an architectual
style fashioned from wood, involving intricate carving with various
floral patterns.
The idea of using the style for the cultural complex was to create
an authentic Gujarati atmosphere.
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Main foyer
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Haveli
Foyer
The
adjoining cultural complex is entered through a richly hand-carved
wooden courtyard that opens into a magnificient foyer with soaring
wooden columns and panels. Dancing peacocks, delicate lotus
flowers and royal elephants beckon in greeting.
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Haveli
Prayer Hall |
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Haveli
Prayer Hall
This
unique designed pillarless hall spans 50 meters in width. The
carpets are lavishly designed and patterned in symbolic emblems,
colors and designs.
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Why was it
created?
As well
as serving the prime role of a cultural and spiritual centre,
the complex also caters for other needs through a variety of
different activities.
The main assembly hall (prayer hall) has a capacity to accommodate
over 4000 people. 50m by 45m in area, the hall has no columns
and allows natural light to enter through 4 lightwells.
The multi-purpose
gymnasium is designed with the younger generation in mind –
'those who come to play can also learn to pray'.
A kitchen
fully-equipped with modern technology has been adapted to suit
traditional styles of cooking.
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Skylight
above the main haveli foyer |
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Eco-friendly
Two
types of wood were used for the Haveli carvings – Burmese Teak
and English Oak.
Burmese Teak is a good quality hardwood and has traditionally
been used in Havelis in India. It is also a controlled tree species
and was harvested from a sustainable forest with several trees
being planted for each one felled.
English Oak was chosen to meet the design criteria of the supporting
structural frame and beams of the complex. A total of 226 English
Oak trees were used. 2,300 English Oak saplings have been planted
in Devon and India to compensate for the 226 trees used in construction.
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Intricately sculpted wood construction
in the haveli
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Craftsmanship
A total
of 169 skilled craftsmen carried out the woodcarving at 8 key
sites throughout India in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar
Pradesh and Bengal. Prior to this project, this form of wooden
crafstmanship had not been practised for some 100 years so it
was a difficult task to find and organize a skilled workforce.
17,760 sq-ft
of intricate Haveli design carvings were done within 2 years.
Construction on the Cultural Complex commenced in December 1993.
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