Headlines
Bihar's Muslims donate land for world's largest Hindu temple
By
By Imran KhanPatna, May 19
Muslims in Bihar, in a stellar
demonstration of communal harmony, have donated land to help build the
world's largest Hindu temple which will have the capacity to seat a
staggering 20,000 people.
"Muslims have not only donated land,
they have also provided land at a nominal rate for construction of the
world's largest Hindu temple. Without help of Muslims, it would have
been difficult realise this dream project," Acharya Kishore Kunal,
secretary of the Patna-based cash-rich Mahavir Mandir Trust that is
undertaking the ambitious project, told IANS.
Kunal, a former
Indian Police Service officer, said that Muslims have come forward to
ensure that the temple comes up soon. The construction of the temple
will commence in June at Janki Nagar near Kesaria in East Champaran
district, about 150 km from here. It will cost over Rs.500 crore.
"It
is usual for Hindus to donate land for temple, but it is unusual for
Muslims to donate land for the construction of temple," he said and
added that Muslims should be lauded for joining hands with Hindus to
donate land for a pious cause.
Kunal said that more than three
dozen Muslim families have their land in the middle of the proposed
location of the temple and some Muslims families have land along the
main road that connects to the project site.
"Some Muslims
donated lands and others helped and supported us to purchase their land
for the temple. If Muslims had not come forward, the temple project was
sure to have got delayed..."
He said that Mahavir Mandir Trust
has obtained 200 acres of land. "Hindus and Muslims have donated about
50 acres of land and the remaining has been purchased."
Earlier,
some Muslims had helped build a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Durga
in Gaya district, another temple was dedicated to God Shiva in Begusarai
district and in Sitamarhi district.
Mumbai-based Valecha
Construction Company will construct the temple, which will be 2,500 feet
long, 1,296 feet wide and 379 feet high.
"The temple will be earthquake proof (since it) is near the Nepal border," Kunal said.
Gurgaon based Radheyshyam Sharma, director of Indgenious Studio Pvt Ltd, will look after the architectural aspects.
He
said the Virat Ramayan Mandir will be taller than the world famous 12th
century Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia, which is 215 feet high.
The complex will comprise 18 temples with high spires and its Shiv
temple would have the largest Shivling in the world, another
distinction.
He said the temple would have a seating capacity of
20,000 people in the hall facing the main temple having the idols of
Ram, Sita, Luv and Kush. According to him, no temple in the world has
such a huge seating capacity.
He said the temple was to be named
"Virat Angkor Wat Ram Mandir", but later its name was changed following
objections by people in Cambodia.
Angkor Wat was built during king Suryavarman's rule and is today a Unesco World Heritage site.
(Imran Khan can be contacted at [email protected])