The world’s tallest religious structure is under construction at
Vrindavan, 140 km southeast of New Delhi. The 213-metre Vrindavan
Chandrodaya Mandir will be dedicated to Lord Krishna.
The skyscraper temple is “a unique project never before undertaken on
earth. It is the world’s tallest religious structure under
construction,” says a press note from Arjun Nath Das, senior executive
(Communication).
The temple complex will not be “another sacred edifice of concrete,
stone and glass,” but “a project” dedicated to play “a larger role in
shaping the future of the world,” he claims.
The project, funded by the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness (ISKCON), or the Hare Krishna Movement, will rise in
Vrindavan, Mathura District (Uttar Pradesh).
It will comprise a grand Lord Krishna temple at the centre, a theme
park and several facilities dedicated to social intervention programmes.
“The hi-tech presentations of Lord Krishna, his pastimes and his
teachings will unleash a new wave of spiritual culture in the modern day
that will uplift and divinize society with sublime character,” the
press note said. At the same time, the temple’s iconic architecture will
harmoniously combine elements of both Indian temple architecture and
modern architecture.
The great feat is the work of Thornton Tomasetti, a leading US
structural engineering consulting firm, and will cover more than five
hectares of land.
The firm is known for its world-record skyscrapers like the Petronas
Twin Towers in Malaysia, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, and the 1,000-metre
Jeddah Tower that is set to rise on the shores of the Red Sea in Saudi
Arabia.
At 213 metres, the Hindu temple will dwarf St Peter’s Basilica (128.6
metres) as well as the pyramids of Egypt (the tallest is 128.8 metres).
In addition to the temple, the complex will house a theme park with
miniature representations of 12 Vraja sacred forests where, according to
Hindu tradition, the supreme lord spent his youth on earth 5,000 years
ago.
The project also plans to become a source of support for social
intervention programmes.
They include ‘Akshaya Patra’, mid-day meal
programme for economically challenged children, which currently serves
mid-day meals to 1.5 million children daily in nearly 11,500 schools at
27 locations across India.