Haryana govt to spend ₹10 crore on Lord Krishna’s 50-foot statue
KARNAL: The Haryana government will spend ₹10 crore on erecting 50-foot-tall statue of Lord Krishna in Kurukshetra district.
The statue, which will be named as Virat Swaroop of Lord Krishna, will be built by the Haryana Tourism Department at Jyotisar village, 12 kilometre from Kurukshetra, which is considered as the place where the Bhagavad Gita sermon was delivered during the Mahabharata. The authorities claimed it will give a new identity to Kurukshetra and Jyotisar.
Madan Mohan Chhabra, honorary secretary of the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB), said the project was suggested by the board and approved by Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He said it will be completed in three months.
The government has roped in sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, who has also designed the 182-metre Statue of Unity in Gujarat, for the project. The statue will be made of Ashtadhatu (an alloy of eight metals often used for casting idols in Hindu and temples) and will be 50-foot-tall, including 10-foot base.
Kurukshetra deputy commissioner Mukul Kumar said the work on several other projects under the Krishna Circuit Kurukshetra is going on, and it would give a new identity to Jyotisar Dham. He said efforts are being made to bring Kurukshetra, especially Jyotisar, on the world tourism map, and several tourism spots are being developed over 1 lakh square foot area as it is expected that around 10,000 people will visit here daily after completion of all projects.
According to the KDB, the projects include the facelift to Jyotisar, Brahma Sarovar, Sannhit Sarovar, Narkatari Baan Ganga, Abhimanyu Ka Tila and Mahabharata themed park.
The Haryana government’s Saraswati Heritage Development Board has also decided to spend ₹100 crore to develop a 10 kilometre “boat-way” to boost religious tourism in Kurukshetra and nearby villages. According to the proposal, the boat service will begin at the ancient Saraswati Tirtha near Bir Pipli, located on the NH-44, and will end at Jyotisar.