Bulgarian limestone was selected after stone experts made numerous trips to the remote town of Vratza in the Balkan Mountains foothills in north-west Bulgaria. They studied the stone in quarries, and examined old buildings made from the Vratza limestone to assess long-term effects of the environment. Finding it to be remarkably impervious to the country’s harsh weather – temperatures range there from -15°C to 30°C – and with minimal degradation of exposed carvings, the dense, creamy-white and finely grained stone was deemed ideal for the Mandir’s exterior.
The Bulgarian limestone was transported from Vratza to the Black Sea port of Varna, from where it was shipped to Kandla port on the west coast of Gujarat. The first of three consignments departed on 5 December 1992. The 315 blocks weighing 1,351 tonnes made the 3,800-mile voyage in almost 2 months. A further 343 blocks weighing 1,604 tonnes and 9 blocks weighing 40 tons reached Gujarat in January 1994 and March 1995, respectively.
The Italian marble had a slightly longer route, reaching Kandla from La Spezia via Dubai. Over 2 years, 25 consignments carrying a total of 1,200 tonnes were shipped more than 4,800 miles.
https://londonmandir.baps.org/the-mandir/how-it-was-made-in-detail/
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Size and Significance:
The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham is hailed as the largest Hindu temple outside India in the modern era.
It occupies a sprawling 126-acre tract in Robbinsville, New Jersey.
The temple complex is a spiritual and architectural masterpiece, meticulously crafted over many years.
Materials and Craftsmanship:
The temple’s construction involved a remarkable collaboration of artisans and volunteers.
Approximately 2 million cubic feet of stone were hand-carved, requiring a combined total of about 4.7 million hours of work.
The temple features four varieties of marble from Italy and limestone from Bulgaria.
These stones were shipped from their respective countries to India and then transported over 8,000 miles to New Jersey.
The artisans meticulously fitted the stones together like a giant jigsaw puzzle, resulting in the temple’s grandeur.
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Located in Łagiewniki, within convenient 15mins walking distance of the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, the ambitious ‘Have No Fear!’ John Paul II Centre (the official name of which refers to his famous words during his inauguration speech) is a large complex devoted to the legacy and spiritual teachings of every Pole’s favourite Pope, including many facilities for pilgrims. The primary highlights for visitors are the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II - a chapel with relics of the former pope, including a vial of his blood and the blood-stained cossack he was wearing during the 1981 assassination attempt on his life.
The material used is mainly Bulgarian Vratza limestone and native Strzegom granite.
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The Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevski is the largest Orthodox temple on the entire Balkan Peninsula.
Machines, factory-made bricks and covering stone from the Vurbeshki quarries near Vratsa were used for this purpose. I would like to highlight that the masonry and the stone coverings were done simultaneously so that the building was visibly growing to its full height as evident from the pictures taken at the time. The gypsum models of the cornices, the capitels and the rest of the external decorations were assigned to Willem Gloss.
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The main materials used in its construction have been the white limestone (Vratsa) Danube for the facade, exterior and interior ceilings, walls and floors in all areas for visitors and access cores.
In the exhibition rooms the floors were covered with oak parquet and visible metals are patinated brass.
30,000 m2 of facade tiles, external flooring and steps.
Phone: +359 (0) 897 485758
Email: office@vratza-stone.com