An ambitious project to construct the largest Hindu temple in the world in Bihar has left the Cambodian government worried, because its model is said to have been inspired by the world famous Angkor Wat shrine.
Cambodia does not want a bigger replica of its 12th-century temple, which attracts tourists and pilgrims from the world over. The country’s acting ambassador Hun Han on Sunday visited the proposed site near Kesaria in East Champaran district of Bihar, where the Viraat Ramayan Mandir is being built by a Patna-based religious trust.
Talking to reporters, Hun Han said that the Cambodian government had sought a status report on the proposed temple in Bihar as it was believed to be a replica of the Angkor Wat temple.
The model of the proposed temple, which is said to be inspired by the famous Angkor Wat shrine in Cambodia (below).
“This is a sensitive issue for Cambodia and our government has taken the media reports about its probable replication seriously,” he said.
Han said that the Cambodian government had taken up the issue with the Indian government way back in 2012 when the news about the plans to construct an Angkor Wat temple had come for the first time.
“But the chief secretary of the state had then written that the temple in Bihar would not be a replica of the Angkor Wat temple,” he said.
Acting Cambodian ambassador Hun Han (centre) at the site of the proposed temple in East Champaran district, Bihar
The envoy said that though the construction work had not started yet in Bihar, the temple’s model had a 60 to 65 per cent resemblance to the Cambodian shrine.
“This is not acceptable to us,” he said.
“We will take up the matter with the ministry of external affairs in India.”
Han said that though the replica of Angkor Wat temple existed in countries such as China, Japan and Thailand, those were smaller in size and their governments had taken prior permission from the Cambodian government.
Kishore Kunal, a former IPS officer who heads the Mahavir Mandir Trust which is constructing the temple, denied that the proposed new temple was an exact replica of the famous Angkor Wat temple.
“The apprehensions of the Cambodian authorities are unnecessary,” he said.
“The new temple was never intended to be the exact replica of the original temple.”
He said that the new temple, to be built at an estimated budget of Rs 500 crore, would be bigger in size.
“The domes and designs are different. It will have 18 towers unlike Angkor Wat which has only nine. Besides, it will also have the largest Shiva linga,” he said.
Kunal, who also heads the Bihar State Religious Trust Board, said that the upcoming temple would also have features of different temples located in India such as Rameshwaram, Madurai and many others.
He said that he had suggested the Cambodian authorities to send a team of experts to get a fair idea of its architecture and design.
“It will be one-of-its-kind temple,” he said.
“Similarities in temple architecture can be found at many places and if there is any law prohibiting it, we will make suitable changes. And if needed, we will also seek permission of the Cambodian government in writing.”
No comments:
Post a Comment