VRINDAVAN:The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will build a skyscraper temple-cum-heritage centre, touted to be the world’s largest religious structure, here.
Work on the foundation piles of the 700-ft tall and 70-storey ‘Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir’ — which run as deep as the height of the Qutub Minar (239.5 feet) — is getting completed. The temple will be taller than St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, which soars to 421.91 feet.
A grand temple of Lord Krishna at the centre, a theme park and facilities to hold many social programmes constitute the major components of the edifice, spread across 5.5 acres.
The goal of the project is to acknowledge and celebrate on an epic scale the depth of the ennobling influence Lord Krishna has had on humanity, said Naveena Neerada Dasa of ISKCON Sree Radha Krishna Temple in Bengaluru.
“The forests of Vrindavan will be recreated around the temple. Spread over a sprawling 26-acre campus and designed by leading international landscape designers, the 12 forests of Braj will come alive here,” said Neerada Dasa. “It is our aspiration to create a world-class and iconic monument for Sri Krishna in the holy land of Vrindavan and proudly place Krishna on the world mindscape and Vrindavan on the world map,” he added.
Espousing the mystique of Lord Krishna, the social programmes include welfare events for the widows of Vrindavan, restoration of the Yamuna river and refurbishment of important sites in Braj.
The fascinating aspect for visitors would be a capsule elevator that will rise through the temple core taking visitors through different planetary systems in the Universe according to Vedic literature, accompanied by a stunning light-and-sound show.
“The elevator will take visitors to the viewing gallery on top for a breathtaking view of Braj Mandal,” said an official communication. The project will also have apartments and villas around it, which will be sold to devotees to raise money for the skyscraper.
The construction will be earthquake-resistant and state-of-the-art. Numerous consultants of different faiths from across the world are involved in it, while its structural consultant is Thornton Tomasetti, who has designed the tallest buildings across the globe, including Petronas Towers and Shanghai Towers.
The project cost is expected to reach `800 crore, of which `50 crore has been spent for the pile foundation work. Donations from devotees are expected to fund the iconic structure.