Author:
Publication: Rediff.com
Date: August 24, 2007
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/aug/24gold.htm
A 31-year old 'godman' has built a Rs300-crore
'golden temple' at Sripuram near Vellore in Tamil Nadu.
The temple, situated in scenic landscape on
100 acres of land, has been made with 1.5 tonne of pure gold. Hundreds of
craftsmen and artisans took six years to build the temple.
The temple was conceived and designed by Sri
Narayani Amma, fondly called as 'Sakthi Amma' (powerful mother) by his devotees.
"It is meant to be a marvel in gold,
but it is a temple that offers wisdom to people who visit the place,"
he told mediapersons.
The godman, who heads the Sri Narayani Peedam,
instituted near Vellore in 1992, said he built the temple, in which Goddess
Mahalashmi is the main deity, out of unconditional love.
"If Shahjahan built Taj Mahal, it is
out of love for Mumtaz. If Amma (referring to himself) builts Sripuram, it
is out of unconditional love for mankind. That is for one, this is for everyone,"
he said.
With his devotees spread across the globe
and his foundation registered in the United States, Canada [Images] and the
United Kingdom, funds kept flowing in for the project launched in 2001.
More than 800 craftsmen, including those working
for Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, worked day and night for six years to make
the godman's dream realise.
About 1.5 tonne of gold was purchased for
the project through Minerals and Metal Trading Corporation in Chennai after
getting clearance from the Reserve Bank of India [Get Quote], he said.
The lighting is arranged in such a way that
the temple glitters even during night. With intricate carvings and sculptures,
the entire structure, except the walking space, has been plated with gold.
It has a rajagopuram, resembling the Tirupati
temple, with 36 pillars around. Even the central chandelier is made of gold.
Explaining the concept behind Sripuram, he
said, "A mother administers sugar-coated pill to the child to heal. It's
physical ailment. Likewise, I am offering this golden temple to people to
impart wisdom. This golden temple is just a tool to attract the world's attention."
People can reach the temple only through a
star-shaped pathway, laid to a distance of 1.5 km. On either side of the pathway,
the messages of 'Amma' and quotes from Bhagavad Gita, Bible and Quran will
be displayed.
Though the people's focus will be on the temple
in gold, when they leave they cannot go without taking some messages and gaining
some wisdom, he said.
"Some may ask why a golden temple for
the mankind and why not a hospital? But in Sripuram, we bring about a change
in people through messages like the nobleness of human birth and the need
to serve the humanity. This will motivate them to built lakhs of hospitals
across the globe," he said.
The Narayani Peedam has a school, hospital
and college on its own. It has also been carrying out charitable activities
in Vellore and nearby districts to the tune of Rs 50 crore.