Akshardham

Delhi now boasts a wonder . Akshardham Temple , considered the largest Hindu temple in the world , has been included in the list of "Seven Wonders of the 21st Century " by Reader's Digest . The 100-acre complex with its stunning main temple ranked fifth in a list topped by the Buddha statue in Lushan County , China .

Akshardham authorities are pleased , though slightly baffled by the honour . "I'm not sure what logic they have followed. There are different parameters for different things ," says spokesperson Janak Dave . The seven wonders , according to the popular magazine , include two natural wonders that have existed for millennia but were discovered in the 21st century — the Cave of Crystals in Mexico and the Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan . The two occupy the second and fifth positions , respectively . Dave , understandably , wonders at the criteria for selection . As far as the designers of Akshardham — an "in-house team " of sadhus and Somapuras (traditional designers of temples ), enlisted as consultants — are concerned , they were just doing their job. Monuments that consistently feature in wonders lists — the Great Wall of China , Great Pyramid of Giza — were engineering marvels for their time . Akshardham , ironically , won a place by doing things the way they've been done for centuries . It's built in the Nagari style of temple architecture .

Photo Gallery- Akshardham Mandir