Asia's largest Pagoda in Mumbai

Mumbai to have Asia's largest Pagoda

Mumbai: India's financial and entertainment hub, Mumbai is all set to have Asia's largest Pagoda, intended to be a mass meditation centre and also a major tourist attraction in the days to come. It will the house of bone relics of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhist faith and school of thoughts. Pagodas are tiered towers with multiple eaves and built to host religious functions. These are common in the lands of the Far East such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. The modern pagoda structures have been evolved from the ancient Indian Stupa, a tomb-like pillared structure where sacred relics could be kept safe and venerated. A hallmark of this gigantic Pagoda coming up at Gorai will be the original bone relics of Lord Gautam Buddha, on display here. The 325 feet tall structure with a diameter of 280-feet, has taken almost 11 years to complete. President Pratibha Patil, will formally inaugurate it on February 8, 2009. Kinshuk, coordinator of the project said, that the aim of constructing this Pagoda is to provide a platform to the students of Vipasana, one of India's ancient techniques of meditation, which means to see things as they really are. "One who wants to get out of this misery of life and live a peaceful life, can always come here and get a superb atmosphere," said Kinshuk, coordinator of the project, 'Global Pagoda'. According to the authorities, the Pagoda is expected to draw at least a lakh of devotees and tourists annually from across the globe, annually. Reportedly, the total cost of the project has been around Rupees 750 million. Genuine relics related to Buddha have been enshrined in the Pagoda. The meditation enclosure is large enough for over 8000 Vipasana practitioners to sit together and meditate.
-Jan 25, 2009

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