Amazing temple made fro hand-carved marble, limestone and sandstone. Unique structure with unique atmosphere. Volunteers meet you and explain everything.

About 20-30 min drive from downtown Toronto, BAPS stands out as a hidden immaculate gem among gray business and industrial boxed type buildings.

There is no fee to get in and for parking. To get in the seasonal exhibit, however, there is a 5$ adult and $2 child's fee. On a Saturday afternoon, it was pretty busy but still a lot of parking space.

As soon as you get inside the compound, you'll see a series of white temples or Mandirs. From the outside, the elaborately carved Burmese teak, Turkish limestone and Italian marble temples are an impressive site. Considering the size of this temple, it is amazing that these are all handmade using traditional tools.

Be advised to wear pants or for women skirts that are not higher than the knee. This is a religious temple, so common sense should dictate that visitors like us be respectful in clothing and behavior as people come here to pray.

For grown-ups, coming here would be a treat, especially for those who can appreciate architecture and history. For those with kids like us, it was a bit of a challenge reading the descriptions as the kids can get bored. Make sure they come well fed so you don't have to leave in hurry to get food or risk being with hAngry kids.

Overall, our experience was a good and enriching one. Take time to stroll around and even alongside the perimeter of the temple by the lawn. Don't be shy to talk to those who come to pray to ask about the meaning of the icons. I learned from a couple of men praying for example that the term "Shri" means someone blessed or holy to honor one's lifelong efforts to help people in their spiritual life.

Come and have a quiet visit away from the busyness of the other tourist sites.