New Delhi, India - The Hindu temple in India which is part of the same movement as UK's flagship Neasden temple in north-west London has been listed as the largest Hindu temple in the world by the latest Guinness World Records book, published Wednesday.
The New Delhi temple, which covers 86,000 square feet, has been visited by 12 million people from 113 countries since it opened in November 2005.
Measuring more than 100 metres long and 96 metres wide, the Swaminarayan Akshardham is the centrepiece of a 100-acre complex which has become a point of world pilgrimage for the ancient art, culture and spiritual heritage of Hinduism.
The temple joins other world record holders in the 2009 edition of the classic bestseller, including the world's tallest and shortest living men. The new book reveals Edna Parker in the US as the world's oldest living person, at 114 years and 115 days, and the UK's Edith Gulliford as the world's oldest bridesmaid at 105. The longest dog is Irish Wolfhound Mon Ami von der Oelmuhle, who measures 232 cm nose-to-tail.
In the religious section, Guinness World Records lists:
Highest Pilgrimage
A route on Mount Kailash in western Tibet, which measures 33 miles and reaches an altitude of 6,714 m. The mountain is sacred to followers of Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and Bonpo, a pre-Buddhist religion.
Largest Gathering of Sikhs
More than eight million Sikhs gathered at the Anandpur Sahib gurdwara in Punjab, India, from 13 to 17 April 1999 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Sikh Khalsa, an order of the Sikh religion.
Longest Religous Circuit
The longest religious circuit around a spiritual site as part of a pilgrimage is 53 miles and goes around Lake Manasarovar in Tibet.
Longest Irregular Religous War
The Reconquista - the series of campaigns in the Iberian Peninsula to recover the region from the Islamic Moors ? began in 718 and continued intermittently for 774 years until 1492, when Granada, the last Moorish stronghold, was finally conquered.
Most Threatened Religion
As of 2006, only four members of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearance, otherwise known as the Shakers, remain, making theirs the most threatened religion. The remaining members of the faithful live in a small community, the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, near New Gloucester, Maine, USA.
Most Valuable Object of Religion
The most valuable religious artefact is the 15th-century gold Buddha in Wat Trimitr Temple in Bangkok, Thailand. It is 3m tall and weighs an estimated 5.5 tonnes, and is estimated to be worth nearly £40 million.