Vision of A Temple in Bihar
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I don’t know why such exciting news comes from BBC, Washington Post, Independent, Guardian and a score of other foreign news media. However, it adds perhaps a little weight and seems to be more authentic that makes me happy.I still don’t know why the national newspapers and digital media didn’t cover the news or if I just failed to notice it. The news caught my sight as few months ago my son and daughter-in-law had been talking about visiting the Angkor Wat Temple complex that is world heritage site some day. The news of the grand temple plan of Acharya Kunal Kishore replicating Cambodia’s iconic 12th century Angkor Wat temple on the banks of the Ganges River near Patna was exciting: "The Angkor Wat temple in Bihar will be as majestic as the original, and slightly larger – it will be 222ft by 222ft, and its five shikharas [towers] will also be 222ft high," according to Kishore Kunal. It will be ready in ten years and will cost at least Rs 60 crore. The news was entered by Rajesh in his face book first and today after seeing the report in Washington Post I did also expressed my excitement. Interestingly, as reported, Acharya has still not visited the original temple complex in Cambodia. I wish, he would have done it and extensively gone around and studied the details. I got somewhat educated too with the story of Rama: “The god Ram was believed to have visited the site in the course of his journey and was welcomed by King Sumati of the Vaishali kingdom.”Acharya has been doing a great service to projecting a positive image of Bihar. Once I wished him to put all his resources in education and healthcare of Bihar and become the inspiring force to add hundreds of professional colleges and hospitals. His breaching the caste gap through the appointment of the priests from the deprived castes for temples was exemplary.I wish Acharya a grand success in getting realized his Angkor Wat temple project without any obstruction because of false secular fanatics or financial resources. However, I shall like the temple to become the grandest architechural feat of the world and be one day included in the list of the seven wonders of the contemporary world? Besides Rama Temple, Acharya should plan to have at least one temple each for Lord Mahavira and Buddha, equally grand matching to the overall architecture of the temple complex. Bihar had been the land of their enlightenment and its greatest kings Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka who could realize the concept of India by integrating the whole country.Acharya’s trust could start the work of integrating the habitations around the temple through various schemes of village planning, educational and healthcare institutions to match the ambience and heritage of the temple complex. Sometimes, I get skeptical thinking about another dream project-Nalanda University that was to get established in Bihar and could have become the brightest jewel in the crown of resurgent Bihar. New Nalanda University would have easily become a knowledge hub with balanced mixture of old and new style of education with a school each built by many countries and the most sought for university to join as teacher or student. Let the people like me who may not see the project getting completed and opened to the public live the dream and enjoy.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report are purely those of the author and may not in any circumstances be regarded as the official view of BiharTimes.
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