The Patna-based Mahavir Mandir Trust is going to start the construction of the largest Hindu temple in the world at Bahuara-Kathwalia on Kesaria-Chakiya road in East Champaran for which the Trust has obtained about 200 acres of land. The place is hallowed by the arrival of lord Ram and Janaki while they were returning from Janakpur to Ayodhya after their marriage. The temple would cost over `500 crore and be completed in three years.
"This largest temple in the world will be known as Viraat Ramayan Mandir. It will have architectural designs from Angkor Wat temple of Cambodia and Rameshwaram and Madurai temples in Tamil Nadu. The spires will be designed after Angkor Wat temple which has got nine spires, but the Viraat Ramayan temple will have 12 such spires. In addition, the designs of six other spires have been taken from the south Indian temples," said Trust secretary Acharya Kishore Kunal on Monday. He said there is no Ramayan temple anywhere in the world.
The temple will have five layers and the entire temple area will cover 2,500 ft in length, 1,296 ft in width and the main temple will be 379 ft in height, said Kunal, a retired IPS officer, and added it will have 18 sanctum sanctorum. The main sanctum sanctorum will consist of idols of lord Ram, Sita, lava-Kush and Maharishi Valmiki.
All major incidents of Ramayan will be presented in the temple premises either in the sanctum sanctorum or in the galleries which will have the electronic gadgets brought from Spain for the purpose, he said.
Valecha Construction Company, Mumbai, has been selected for the construction while Ingenious Studio Pvt. ltd, Gurgaon is looking after architectural aspects. Kunal, who is chairman of Bihar Board of Religious Trusts, said the temple premise will have the largest Shivalinga in one of its sanctum sanctorum for which granite is coming from Tamil Nadu.
After the construction of the temple Mahavir Mandir Trust which has established four charitable hospitals in Patna will establish a school where the students of below the poverty line will be imparted free education, said Kunal. In addition, it will establish a charitable hospital which will be the branch of cancer and pediatric hospitals run by the temple trust in Patna, he added.