The world’s tallest religious building, a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, under construction
The structure includes a 213-metre skyscraper-temple, a theme park and facilities for social programmes. The construction, financed by the Hare Krishna movement, is being carried out by a US firm already known for breaking records in structural engineering.
New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) – 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.
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12/02/2016 15:14
01/09/2023 15:56
