Grand and contentious, the world's largest Hindu temple is opening in New Jersey

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. − "Grand" hardly does justice to the majestic Hindu temple that has risen out of a field here in central New Jersey.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham campus occupies roughly 180 acres in the township just east of the state Capitol in Trenton, a property large enough to swallow MetLife Stadium almost four times. The gleaming edifice of marble and stone is graced with decorative arches, intricate carvings depicting stories from Hindu scripture and about 10,000 statues. Its spire reaches 191 feet into the sky.

Almost 13,000 people from around the world spent 12 years working on the project, constructing what the congregation says is the largest Hindu temple in the world. Ahead of its official opening and dedication on Sunday − which included dedicating not just the temple but also a welcome center and religious museum − devotees said it would be a landmark moment for America's large and growing Hindu community, including almost 300,000 living in New Jersey.

"This is the largest Hindu temple to be built in modern times," said Darshan Patel, a volunteer from Pennington, New Jersey, who serves as a temple spokesman. "The fact that something of this scale was possible here in America is a great sense of pride to American Hindus − that we can be part of the American fabric and still keep our identity intact."

That the project has also been dogged by controversy − including a lawsuit and a federal investigation into the alleged mistreatment of hundreds of workers − has not appeared to dampen the excitement of devotees. Sunday's ceremony was expected to include a visit from Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of the BAPS congregation, which claims more than 1,100 centers and roughly 1 million adherents around the globe.

BAPS stands for Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a congregation named after Bhagwan Swaminarayan, an Indian religious leader of the late 1700s. The denomination emphasizes faith and humanitarian service. Its volunteers are known for contributing countless hours of selfless service, or "seva," every year, said Patel. Millions of hours of labor went into the construction of the Robbinsville campus.

That is a source of immense pride for the organization − and continuing accusations.

Workers say they were abused and held as virtual prisoners

The volunteers are at the center of a 2021 lawsuit against the sect, charging they were abused and held as virtual prisoners on the worksite, as well as a criminal investigation by federal authorities that followed a raid on the complex in 2021.

The suit accuses BAPS of trafficking hundreds of laborers from India and forcing them to work in poor conditions and for below-minimum-wage pay.

Workers were subjected to "shocking mistreatment," including 12½-hour days seven days a week and little time off throughout the year, said Patricia Kakalec, a Brooklyn attorney representing the plaintiffs.

They have asked a court to grant class-action status to the suit and expand it to as many as 600 workers at BAPS centers around the U.S., including in suburbs of Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, Kakalec said.

But the case has been put on hold so the criminal inquiry can proceed, she added.

Matthew Reilly, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark, would neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation, citing Justice Department policy. But attorneys for both sides in the lawsuit confirmed the project is under investigation.

Ronak Patel, a BAPS spokesperson, said that "the parties agreed to put the lawsuit on hold pending an investigation, with which BAPS continues to cooperate fully." The lawsuit, however, has hit another snag. Twelve of the plaintiffs have retained new counsel and are asking a judge to be removed from the case, said Patel, who is not related to Darshan Patel.

Kakalec confirmed the departure but declined to discuss why the workers left the suit. She said she still represents nine other plaintiffs.

According to the lawsuit, workers' passports were confiscated by BAPS when they arrived in the U.S. and kept during their time in New Jersey to prevent them from leaving the country. It also says laborers were forced to work in a guarded compound on the temple grounds and not allowed to leave without overseers affiliated with the temple.

At least three workers have died at the site, according to published news reports. One was a 15-year-old who fell 45 feet in 2017, leading to an out-of-court settlement with the child's family. In 2021, a 57-year-old who was operating curbing equipment also died. Ronak Patel said their deaths were "unrelated to safety conditions."

Another claim was filed against the temple by relatives of a worker who died at the temple in 2020. The man was a stonecutter from India in his 30s who, according to the case, died because of a lack of treatment after suffering a medical problem at the temple.

Ronak Patel said the death was "tragic" but denied the allegations, asserting that "BAPS responded appropriately, and the individual was not denied medical care."

Although the volunteers were technically offering their services free of charge, he added, BAPS paid them by taking care of their needs in the U.S., "including travel, lodging, food, medical care, internet and prepaid phone cards so they could stay in touch with their families." The organization also supported the volunteers' families in India "so they did not suffer financial hardship as a result of the artisans’ seva, or selfless service, in the U.S.”

$20,000 in fines

In March, the Robbinsville Township Police Department responded to a medical emergency at a home where temple volunteers were being housed and discovered dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and various code violations.

In an interview, Robbinsville Mayor David Fried declined to discuss details of the incident but said that any township issues "regarding BAPS and its related associations have been resolved, other than the ongoing federal investigation that Robbinsville is not privy to."

"All fines have been paid for any previous violations," he added.     

The fines collected totaled about $20,000, said John Nalbone, a spokesman for Robbinsville Township.

The impetus for the construction of the temple in Robbinsville was the vision of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual leader, or guru, of the BAPS denomination. He chose the location, according to Ronak Patel. The tri-state area has a large Hindu population, and the site − surrounded by a diverse community with a vibrant town center of shops, residences and open space − is about 60 miles from Manhattan.

There are 1.1 billion Hindus worldwide, according to the Pew Research Center. Roughly 2.5 million live in America, most of them immigrants from India.

Important moment in Hindu American history

Sunday's dedication ceremony was expected to feature religious rituals and prayers and performances highlighting Indian cultural heritage. The opening marks an important moment in Hindu American history.

"It is the first time where a place of this magnitude is available for everyone to learn about Hinduism," said Darshan Patel, the Pennington volunteer. "Beyond the beautiful architecture of the Akshardham temple are stories of devotion and volunteerism. Akshardham is a living experience of spirituality and humanity. The temple was only possible because people from all walks of life came together to give life to the stones."

The temple will open for regular services on Wednesday. The campus will also be open to the general public to tour almost every day. "People are invited to visit the grounds and learn about the Hindu religion," he said. Visitors are welcome to attend prayer services as well.

"The impact of this is not just about a building," Darshan Patel said. "This edifice also represents a love story about a people's attachment to the temple."

A hub for selfless service

The project was funded by donations from people around the world, said Patel, who was unable to provide construction costs.

Among the volunteers were students, business executives, physicians and architects who put their lives on hold to volunteer. They were all drawn to the effort because of the influence that the guru had on their lives, according to Darshan Patel, and the hope that the temple will serve as a hub for selfless service and have a positive influence on society.

One of them was Yogesh Patel of South River, in Middlesex County. He began volunteering on the project 12 years ago and left his job at Citibank last year to work on the temple full time. Patel was tasked primarily with working through township permits and building regulations and spent his time onsite with other volunteers from morning until night.

"I met over 1,000 volunteers from throughout the nation, including high school kids from Florida and adults from California and Indiana," he said. "One thing I felt from everyone was that this was a project that was near and dear to many people. We were all excited to be a part of a project of this magnitude, which will positively impact the lives of anyone who visits."

Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, and can be reached at yellin@northjersey.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @deenayellin.