Carl F.
Yelp
With all due respect to Martin Landau and Halle Berry, I think *this* version of BAPS may have just bumped their flick down a spot on list of favorite BAPS... but don't worry Nisi, I've still got mad love for those up-dos.
Moving on... a quick Google search of really cool FREE sh*t to do/see west of Chicago turned up this little Swami gem and had me moving BAPS, the closest thing to suburban Shangri-La, up to the numero uno item on my to-do list for the weekend.
It's a bit hidden off route 59, so if your head isn't turned at a 90 degree angle (not recommended while driving) and looking just beyond the tree-lined perimeter, you might miss this masterpiece.
As soon as you pull in it's like freebie Disney world with neat-o topiaries of giraffes, elephants, deer, dolphins, and more. A botanical zoo, for sure. You pull around the circle and you can park right in front of the two massive temples, almost entirely hand-carved out of marble and wood by over 2,000 artisans. It is... unreal. Truly. One you go in, you'll receive a bit of instruction. You must check any cameras you may have at the front desk as well as remove your shoes and place them in the walls of cubbies- so make a mental reminder if you're coming to not wear your sh*tty socks. To lower right side of the front desk is a whole restaurant that we forgot to patronize after getting so caught up in the temples and services that we somehow let several hours slip away when we'd initially only meant to pop in for 20 or 30 minutes.
In the main temple where you enter we were able to get some assistance and bit of a guided tour from the guy who makes sure you take your shoes off. He told us a bit about the religion, but mostly how the building was made and showed us some of pics they had of other Swami temples across the world. It was SUPER neat. Especially for religion-type stuff, of which I'm generally not a fan of. No offense to those who are believers of any sort.
Once you check out the carvings in the first building, take the stairs to the left underground and across the way to the next temple, all of carved marble, but be sure to take note of the signs in the hallways as there is a point at which you cannot speak once you pass the line, that I, like a typical American jerk-off, just breezed right by without reading. Luckily, my much more detail-oriented boo took note of my ignorance, and dragged me back to carefully read the sign.
Once you go across the the path and a few smaller rooms for services, you'll need to go up a flight or two of stairs to the 'main event' temple, which looks like it's out of a movie, depicting a palace where the gods would live. It's honestly indescribable. I don't think I've ever been without words for so long in my life.
We appeared to be the only non-practicing people at the temple and shortly realized that we'd just walked ourselves into their afternoon services. I didn't know what the proper protocol for non-swami visitors was, but everyone seemed friendly (for being completely silent, at least) so I just did like everybody else and sat on the ground Indian-style, watched the gold gates open to pray to the gold statues of the founding Swami principles and did some laps around the place as it seems to be part of the service for most. It was so neat. I noticed something new each time I did a lap and before we knew it, several hours had passed and our stomachs were growling so we decided to pack it up and head back out.
On the way back over to the temple that still housed our shoes, we were able to catch another smaller different kind service where people got bracelets and then after we got our shoes and reclaimed our camera we went outside to capture a few sunset pics when we saw one of the temple let out a group of white peacocks. Not the kind you see in the zoo, but the kind you see in fairy-tails and the second Kung-Fu Panda with the more majestic look and really wispy feathers. It was awesome! Totally felt like I was at a palace in another land and not Bartlett, Illinois.
We watched the sun set from the reflection pond and before we headed out we promised to make this visit the first of many.