Explore
HomeOur VoicesAboutThe Response
VolunteerismCasteFair TreatmentMedia BiasWe Are 12,500 Volunteers. This Is Our Voice.
We came together to build a mandir for our community in Robbinsville, NJ. For five years, the media and others have chosen to defame our faith, our families, and our service. But our story didn't start there — it began over a decade ago, when we first broke ground on Akshardham, and it will carry on long after the headlines fade.
Our story is ours to tell. We have a voice. We hope you will listen.
12,500
Volunteers Who Served
12
Years of Service
Who We Are
We are volunteers from all walks of life who served in the making of BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey.
For years, lay volunteers and artisan volunteers all served side-by-side, united and in harmony.
We are speaking because we were there. We saw friendship, service, worship, discipline, care, and cooperation.
What this site preserves:
Firsthand volunteer stories, the heritage of service, the timeline of Robbinsville Akshardham, public media coverage, volunteer recognition, and testimonies from leaders who know BAPS through decades of service.
What We Fight For
In May 2021, the FBI raided the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Robbinsville, NJ. What followed was four years of investigation, global headlines, and a relentless media campaign against our faith and our community. In September 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice closed its investigation with zero criminal charges filed (opens in a new tab). We knew the truth would prevail — because we lived it.
Our volunteers have been the subject of a sustained, one-sided narrative. We are not here to fight the media. We are here to share the truth that has been intentionally ignored by storytellers with a designed agenda. Their goal was to stop the building of Akshardham and denigrate the Hindu faith — but 12,500 volunteers completed Robbinsville Akshardham.
The Campaign We've Endured
- Selective media coverage that ignored our voices and our decades of unblemished service.
- Dismissing the DOJ's decision to end its investigation after four years with no charges filed.
- Disregarding the testimony of the volunteers who withdrew from the lawsuit and stated they had been misled.
- Overlooking the years of seva done by 12,500 volunteers.
What We Stand For:
- Truth — the full account of what was built, by whom, and how.
- The common sense, first-hand accounts and evidence that has been overlooked.
- Voices of the volunteer artisans themselves, in their own words.
- The testimony of 12,500 volunteers whose service made Robbinsville Akshardham possible.
Building Robbinsville Akshardham: A Timeline of Service (2011-2023)
In 1984, Pramukh Swami Maharaj understood the need of Hindus in America and shared a vision for a grand mandir in America. Over the following decades, devotees turned that vision into Robbinsville Akshardham. The timeline below records the milestones — and the headlines — that shaped this journey.
Shilanyas Pujan - Foundation Ceremony
Six sacred Vedic ceremonies over three days marked the start of Akshardham construction in Robbinsville, NJ.
First Pillar Installed in Robbinsville
The first carved pillar is installed at the Robbinsville site, beginning the visible rise of the mandir.
Mandovar Completion
The mandovar — the outer wall of the mandir — is completed by volunteer artisans.
Raid, Lawsuit, and DOJ Investigation Begin
Coordinated attack on BAPS and its volunteers through a lawsuit and pre-planned media campaign — all in conjunction with an FBI raid and the beginning of a DOJ investigation.
Construction Completion
The mahashikhar amalak — the final stone at the pinnacle of the mandir — is placed, marking the completion of construction.
Volunteer Artisans Speak Out
Twelve artisans who volunteered to come to Robbinsville withdraw from the lawsuit, stating they had been misled by lawyers.
Consecration and Grand Opening
Swaminarayan Akshardham was consecrated and opened to the public.
DOJ Closes Investigation — Zero Charges
After more than four years of investigating, the DOJ closes its investigation. No charges are filed.
Explore Our Full Response
Each section opens as its own page. Find what matters to you.
Our VoicesFirsthand stories from 12,500 volunteersHear their stories →VolunteerismThe tradition of selfless serviceWhat service means →CasteThe tradition of selfless serviceSee the record →Fair TreatmentHow artisans were treated with dignityHow artisans were treated →Media BiasDocumenting the coverage gapWhat coverage missed →
Questions People Ask
Did the DOJ charge BAPS over the Robbinsville Akshardham construction?
No. In September 2025 the U.S. Department of Justice closed its multi-year criminal investigation into BAPS and its affiliates without filing any charges.
Sources: Religion News Service (opens in a new tab), Community News (opens in a new tab)
What did the federal investigation into BAPS find?
The U.S. Department of Justice's four-year criminal investigation into the Robbinsville Akshardham construction closed in 2025 without any charges against BAPS or its leaders.
Did the artisans withdraw their claims against BAPS?
Yes. Of the 19 people named in the original 2021 complaint, 12 voluntarily withdrew their claims, formally dismissed in 2023, and several said they had been misled or pressured into joining.
Sources: Diya TV (opens in a new tab)
Were the stone artisans BAPS volunteers or paid employees?
BAPS says the artisans took part as volunteers performing seva — selfless service within the Swaminarayan tradition — not as employees. Reporting by Religion News Service has described seva as an imperfect fit for Western categories of paid labor, and noted that the artisans came knowing the work was unpaid service rather than a job.
Sources: Complexified (Religion News Service) (opens in a new tab)
We are speaking because we were there.— The volunteers of Robbinsville Akshardham