Vrindavan to get World’s tallest religious skyscraper

VRINDAVAN:A 700-foot structure with 70 storeys — a skyscraper temple-cum-heritage centre — the world’s largest religious structure, will be built by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.
Reporters from Bengaluru were recently taken on a guided tour of ‘Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir’ to witness the ongoing construction. Work on the foundation piles, which run as deep as the height of the Qutub Minar (239.5 feet), was getting completed at the venue.  
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 carry out many social programmes form the major components of the edifice.

The goal of the project is to acknowledge and celebrate on an epic scale the depth of the ennobling influence Lord Sri Krishna has had on humanity, said Naveena Neerada Dasa, Head of Communications of ISKCON Sree Radha Krishna temple in Bengaluru.
“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 says.
Skyscraper details
The temple, planned on 5.5 acres, will have a grand temple of Lord Krishna, a theme park and several facilities for social intervention programmes.
In connection with Lord Krishna, the social programmes include welfare programmes for widows of Vrindavan, restoration of Yamuna river and restoration of important sites in Braj.
“The forests of Vrindavan will be recreated around the temple. Spread over a sprawling 26 acres and designed by leading international landscape designers, the twelve forests of Braj will come alive here,” Naveena Neerada Dasa said.

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 run into `800 crore, of which  `50 crore has been spent for piling work. Donations from devotees are expected to fund this iconic structure.