There could be a difference of opinion within the ruling JD(U) over the bestowment of Bharat Ratna on Sachin Tendulkar, but regardless of the buzz the issue is generating across the country, the dusty village of Atraulia in Kaimur district of the State is impervious to this brouhaha.
The village has a very valid reason to be unfazed by the controversy raging in the country, as they are busy gearing up for a special occasion on Tuesday — the foundation stone laying ceremony of a temple for the ‘God of cricket.’ Not surprisingly, the batting maestro will be the presiding deity.
The first of its kind in the country, the temple is the brainchild of famous Bhojpuri singer-turned-actor Manoj Tiwari, who was born in the village. To be built at a cost of Rs 3 crore, the temple will also have the idols of Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.
Tiwari said he decided to construct the temple with deities of Sachin Tendulkar and other cricketers of the country when India won the World Cup in 2011. “The temple will provide an opportunity to cricket lovers the world over to pay their respects and obeisance to these cricketers who are like gods in the country,” Tiwari maintained.
To construct the temple, the Bhojpuri actor has acquired four acres of land in his village and he plans to buy more land to build a world-class cricket stadium adjacent to the temple. “Apart from the temple and the cricket stadium, I also plan to set up a training centre for budding cricketers from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh,” said Tiwari, elaborating his grand plans.
The idol of Sachin Tendulkar will be made of marble and will be 5’ 5” in height — the same as the ‘little Master’ in reality. A renowned architect from Mumbai has been roped in to design the idol while a famous sculptor of Jaipur has been hired to make the idols of the other cricketers. Sachin will be seen wielding a bat in his hands.
“A huge replica of a cricket bat and ball would also be constructed atop the temple in order to make the structure visible from afar,” Tewari said. Significantly, like all other temples, daily rituals and chores will be performed here also. Puja, shringar of the idol, aarti and bhog will be a daily affair at the temple, said the Bhojpuri actor, an ardent fan of the game and Sachin. Incidentally, the celebrated actor-cum-singer has already composed the aarti in his own voice.