A Chandroday temple replica, this pandal has star value
LUCKNOW: Durga Puja is not only an occasion for festivity and worship, it is also that time of the year when creativity is at its best, with exotic pandals drawing visitors by hordes.
This year, the star attraction for Lucknowites will be a replica of the under construction Chandroday temple coming up in Mayapur, Krishna Nagar district of West Bengal, the world headquarters of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
The 65 ft high pandal in Sahara Estates Jankipuram, which is a replica of the Rs 500 crore ISKCON temple, is already a crowd puller in the city.
“Mayapur in Bengal will soon be a proud owner of what is likely to be the world’s largest temple, commissioned by the ISKCON that is likely to get ready by 2022. We replicated the true model of the under construction temple,” said Saurav Bandyopadhyay, president of Sadbhavna Sanskritik Samiti in Jankipuram.
“About 30 labourers toiled hard for nearly two months to set up this structure. Due to excessive rain this year, the workers had a really tough time. But we continued the work despite heavy rain. The end result is very satisfying now,” he said. Last year the organisers replicated Akshar dham temple of Noida.
Saurav said the original temple would be 340 ft high with a 75 ft domed Vedic planetarium on top.
Spread over 7,00,000 square foot, the temple would have capacity to accommodate 275 visitors.
ABOUT 30 LABOURERS TOILED HARD FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS TO SET UP THIS STRUCTURE.