Mathura and Vrindavan are important places for Hindus all over the world. Vrindavan is especially a very revered and sacred place for the devotees of Lord Krishna. In fact, the Holy Land of Vrindavan can be considered to be the spiritual capital of India. It is the site where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days.
Soon the holy town of Vrindavan will be home to a unique and world’s tallest Lord Krishna temple which will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore (US$49 million) here in the next five years.
When completed, Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir will be the world’s tallest temple rising to a height of 210 meters – taller than other legendary landmarks and wonders of the world including the Colosseum of Rome, the Taj Mahal of Agra, the Qutub Minar of Delhi, the St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Pyramids of Giza.
The project is set in 62 acres of land and will includes 12 acres for parking and a helipad. This magnificent skyscraper has a footprint of about 5 acres and rises to a height of about 700 feet (210 metres or 70 floors).
The grand temple shall be of monumental proportions and its iconic architecture shall harmoniously combine elements of both Indian temple architecture and modern architecture.
The temple is planned to be vibrant with festivals and religious activities throughout the year.
Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir will not only house a temple for the worship of Lord Sri Krishna, but will also become a center for disseminating the profound message of the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, delivered in a modern context.
The temple aims to imitate Vrindavan of Krishna’s times as spelled out in the ancient texts. A look-alike of the verdant forests of Vrindavan will be recreated around this magnificent temple from descriptions in the Srimad Bhagavatam; sprawling 26 acres it will consist of the twelve forests (dvadashakanana) of Braj.
A capsule elevator will take visitors from the ground level to the 700 ft. tall viewing gallery giving an immersive 3D sound and light experience of the different planetary systems described in the Vedic literature. Visitors will be able to see the Krishna Janmabhoomi (Krishna Birthplace) and even the Taj Mahal in Agra through telescopes installed on the seventieth floor when the skies are clear.
The ‘Krishna Lila Theme Park’ attractions will include themed story telling areas, musical fountains, garden lawn and water features, Yamuna creek for boating experience, Braj heritage village and goshala to recreate the atmosphere of Vrindavan of Lord Krishna.
The indoor park will permit visitors and devotees to immerse themselves in Krishna Consciousness through-out the year, irrespective of the sometimes hostile weather conditions of Vrindavan. The indoor park also houses an expo to present the pastimes of Lord Krishna, the life of Sri Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. The park will also have a Bhagavad Gita Expo to ignite the minds and invigorate the intellect with the stupendous wisdom given by Sri Krishna, that form the bedrock of culture and philosophy of life in India.
The Krishna Heritage Museum will showcase the rich heritage and artistic celebration of Lord Krishna in diverse cultures of India, practiced and perfected over thousands of years.
The foundation stone of the temple was laid by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 16 November 2014.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said “India is one of the oldest and culturally rich civilizations in the world. As we now make the transformative change from being a developing to a developed economy, there will be immense pressures on our socio-economic and moral fabric. It is, therefore, imperative that we reconnect to our spiritual dimensions. There can be no better way of doing this than spreading the Bhagvad Gita’s message of universal love and humanity.”
The temple is conceptualized by devotees of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Bangalore. At cost of Rs 300 crore (US$49 million) it will be one of the most expensively built temple in world by ISKCON.
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