and 1980. The growing attendance necessitated a larger permanent space for worship. A building on a four-acre plot of land was acquired in Glen Ellyn, a suburb of Chicago. In 1984, Pramukh Swami Maharaj consecrated murtis in the building and inaugurated the first Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in the Chicago area. Within several years, the number of devotees outgrew the mandir in Glen Ellyn. In 1994, land for the current mandir complex in Bartlett was purchased. Construction The mandir complex is situated on 27 acres. The mandir is classified as a traditional Hindu shikharbaddha mandir and has been built according to principles laid out in the Shilpa Shastras. The Shilpa Shastras are Hindu texts prescribing standards of sacred architecture. Construction of the complex took place over various phases, beginning with the haveli and culminating with the opening of the shikharbaddha mandir. The haveli is a cultural center wherein weekly spiritual assemblies are held. The limestone and marble stones used in the mandir were quarried from Turkey and Italy and shipped to Gujarat, India. From here, the stones were transported to Rajasthan where they were carved by 2000 craftsmen. In total, 70,000 cubic feet of stone was chiseled and shaped with intricate patterns and designs. Once the stones were sculpted, they were shipped to Chicago. In total, 40,000 pieces of stone were shipped to Chicago, where they were fitted together like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. The mandir exterior is Turkish limestone and the interior is Italian Carrara marble. The mandir occupies 22,000 square feet, and is 78-feet high, 112-feet wide and 215-feet long. It is topped by 16 domes and has 151 pillars, 117 arches, five pinnacles and four balconies. Mandir Inauguration The haveli was inaugurated by Pramukh Swami Maharaj on October 29, 2000. The mandir was constructed in 16 months and inaugurated on August 7, 2004 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Congressman Henry Hyde and State Representative of Illinois John Miller were in attendance at the ceremony. The mandir's inauguration was celebrated with a 16-day celebration, which included a Vishvashanti Maha yagna (collective prayer for world peace) and a shobhyatra (colorful procession) through downtown Chicago. Architectural recognition In 2004, the BAPS mandir complex was awarded the Chicago Building Congress Merit Award for its unique style of Indian stone architecture and engineering, as well as its positive cultural and spiritual impact on Bartlett. Also in 2005, the mandir was recognized in Stone World