Lunchtime stop at the Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir that is a few miles away. It has a large complex with gardens, fountains, a school, a monestary,
meeting hall etc. I have a gallery about the Mandir, so if you are curious... go to http://www.pbase.com/lynnh/baps

It is a wonderful place to visit, but there are strict rules about dress and about cameras. I can only take photos from the garden and fountain area.
I have gone inside for tours and also for religious services. The Diwali festival will be coming and they have wonderful night lights!

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Houston is the first traditional Hindu Mandir of stone and marble to be constructed in the United States.
Created entirely according to ancient Hindu architectural manuscripts known as the Shilpa-Shastras and meeting all the modern regulations of today,
it was constructed in a mere 16 months starting from the day its first stone was laid.

There is no iron or steel in this structure. Limestone from Turkey and marble from Italy was shipped to India where it was hand-carved.
More than 33,000 carved pieces were shipped from India to Houston to build this beautiful Mandir.