Vrindavan Chandrodaya
Mandir
The ambitious $50 million Vrindavan Chandrodaya temple
project by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) -- whose
foundation was laid in the holy city of Vrindavan in north India on March 16,
2014 -- when completed, will be the world's tallest temple, rising to a height
of 210 metres!
Tall Boy among the giants
The temple, when completed, will be taller than other
legendary landmarks and wonders of the world, including the Colosseum of Rome,
the Taj Mahal of Agra, the Qutub Minar of Delhi, St Peter’s Basilica in Rome,
or the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Being built on 62 acres of land, with a
built-up area of 5,40,000 sq ft, it has an area of about 5 acres and rises to a
height of about 700 ft, equivalent to 70 floors.
Temple rests on the
mythical snake
Eight months after the foundation stone was laid, India’s
President Pranab Mukherjee performed the ritual of 'Ananta Shesha Sthapana
Puja' – a ceremony to mark the Hindu belief that the entire temple rests on the
hoods of holy mythical snake 'Ananta Shesha'.
A cameo of our rich
heritage
The plan is to make the temple “a vibrant platform for
reviving the lost glories of our rich heritage through festivals, besides
cultural and social activities, throughout the year.”
Grand structure
The grand structure, with monumental proportions and
iconic architecture, shall harmoniously combine elements of both Indian temple
architecture and modern architecture.
A religious awakening
The Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir aims to bring about “an
awakening among Indians and create a nation that is not only full of talent,
creativity and energy, but also adorned with exalted values and character.”
The forests of Vrindavan
A look-alike of the legendary verdant forests of
Vrindavan will be recreated around this magnificent temple, with varieties of
lush vegetation, green pastures, elegant vistas of fruit-bearing trees and
flower laden creepers, serenaded by bird songs.
As in Krishna’s time
Clear water lakes, with lotuses and lilies, and
waterfalls that tumble from small artificial hillocks - all recreated from
descriptions in the Srimad Bhagavatam and other source books of Lord Krishna –
will transport the visitors to Krishna's time in Vrindavan.
Yamuna forms the
backdrop
While the Yamuna creek will provide a boating opportunity
for the visitors and the Krishna Lila attractions in the forest will entertain
the entire family, the Bhagavad Gita Expo will ignite minds and invigorate the
intellect with the stupendous wisdom given by Lord Krishna.
Heritage Museum
The Krishna Heritage Museum within the temple premises
will showcase the rich heritage and artistic celebration of Lord Krishna, in
the diverse cultures of India, practiced and perfected over thousands of years.
A capsule elevator will take visitors from the ground level to the 700 ft tall
viewing gallery, which will grant visitors an superb 3D sound-and-light
experience of the different planetary systems as described in the Vedic
literature.
An iconic tribute to
Krishna
According to ISKCON, it is their aspiration to create a
world-class and iconic monument for Krishna in the holy land of Vrindavan and
proudly place Krishna on the world mindscape and Vrindavan on the world map – a
realization of their founder Swami Prabhupada’s dream.
A spiritual capital
“A tall and imposing skyscraper temple should proclaim
the status of Vrindavan as one of India’s spiritual capitals. This should
attract the attention of the world’s thinkers, leaders and other enquiring
minds to know more about Sri Krishna and his soothing, healing message for a
harried world…”
Vedic values
“We wish to inculcate the glorious Vedic values in
today's youth and thereby develop the exalted character of a true Indian with
examples and life philosophy drawn from the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam,” said
ISKCON in a statement.
Bhagavad Gita proof of
Indian civilization
The President of India, in his speech after the ceremony
at Vrindavan, stated: “India is one of the oldest and culturally rich civilizations
in the world, and it is imperative that we reconnect to our spiritual
dimensions. There can be no better way of doing this than spreading the
Bhagavad Gita’s message of universal love and humanity.”
New levels of spiritual
consciousness
According to the President, the temple would be an
architectural marvel seeking to recreate the glory and times of Lord Krishna
and give thousands of pilgrims who congregate in Vrindavan every year, the
opportunity to experience new levels of spiritual consciousness.
The holy city of
Vrindavan
Vrindavan is revered as a holy town replete with Krishna
temples. Some say there are as many as 5,000 Krishna temples of different
sizes, dating back to different points in history. It was the great saint and
philosopher, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who - along with his disciples -
established temples in Vrindavan and led the cultural renaissance in the 15th
century.
Seat of bhakti
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was instrumental in making
Vrindavan the seat of bhakti and in disseminating its principles, as enunciated
in our ancient texts, throughout India. ISKCON wishes to make a bold statement
about the importance of Lord Krishna and his divine mission in the world, using
the contemporary language of architecture.
Sri Krishna’s values
Srimad Bhagavatam describes the four pillars of
spirituality as – truthfulness, compassion, austerity and purity. Civilized
societies exist and operate within the framework of these values. Lord Krishna,
through his timeless teachings in the Bhagavad Gita, has shaped the
intellectual, cultural and spiritual mindscape of India for several millennia.
World’s greatest temple
It is, thus, only appropriate that Vrindavan strives to
become a world-renowned centre for spiritual enlightenment, from where the
message of divinity and peace will resonate across all humanity. The President
of India also congratulated ISKCON for their efforts in highlighting and
propagating the timeless teachings of Lord Krishna across the world.
Relevant spiritualism
The President expressed happiness that the Vrindavan
Chandrodaya Mandir would strive to disseminate the philosophical message of the
Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam in an easy to understand way, as it was
particularly relevant for Indian society today.
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