Global Vipassana Pagoda

Coordinates: 19°13′41″N 72°48′21.79″E / 19.22806°N 72.8060528°E / 19.22806; 72.8060528

Global Vipassana Pagoda

Global Vipassana Pagoda in 2012
General information
Type Meditation Hall
Architectural style Burmese
Location Gorai Village, Borivali West, Mumbai
Construction started 2000
Completed 2008
Opened 8 February 2009
Technical details
Structural system Stone dome, with self-supporting interlocking stones
Design and construction
Architect
  • Ar. Prvez Dumasia Mumbai
  • Consulting Engineer: N.R.Varma, Sompura
  • Consultant: Chandubhai Sompura
Structural engineer Nandadeep Building Center (NPPCPL) Aurangabad M.S.

The Global Vipassana Pagoda is a Meditation Hall near Gorai, North-west of Mumbai, India. The Pagoda was inaugurated by Pratibha Patil, then President of India on 8 February 2009.[1] It is built on donated land on a peninsula between Gorai creek and the Arabian Sea. The pagoda is to serve as a monument of peace and harmony. The Global Vipassana Pagoda has been built out of gratitude to the Buddha, his teaching and the community of monks practicing his teaching. Its traditional Burmese design is an expression of gratitude towards the country of Myanmar for preserving the practice of Vipassana. The shape of the pagoda is a copy of the Shwedagon Pagoda (Golden Pagoda) in Yangon, Myanmar. It was built combining ancient Indian and modern technology to enable it to last for a thousand years.[2][3]

Description

View from the Arabian sea
Night View of Pagoda Main Entrance

The center of the Global Vipassana Pagoda contains the world's largest stone dome built without any supporting pillars. The height of the dome is approximately 29 metres, while the height of the building is 96.12 meters, which is twice the size of the previously largest hollow stone monument in the world, the Gol Gumbaz Dome in Bijapur, India. External diameter of the largest section of the dome is 97.46m and the shorter sections is 94.82m. Internal diameter of the dome is 85.15m.[4] The inside of the pagoda is hollow and serves as a very large meditation hall with an area covering more than 6000 m2 (65,000 ft2). The massive inner dome seats over 8000 people enabling them to practice the non-sectarian Vipassana meditation as taught by Mr S.N. Goenka and now being practiced in over 100 countries. An inaugural one-day meditation course was held at the pagoda on 21 December 2008, with Mr S.N. Goenka in attendance as the teacher.

The aim of the pagoda complex is, among others, to express gratitude to Gautama Buddha for dispensing what followers believe is a universal teaching for the eradication of suffering, to educate the public about the life and teaching of the Buddha, and to provide a place for the practice of meditation. 10-day vipassana meditation courses are held free of charge at the meditation centre that is part of the Global Vipassana Pagoda complex.[5]

Construction history

Timeline

Global Vipassana Pagoda under construction
Meditators seated inside the Global Pagoda dome.

Planning for the construction of the Global Vipassana Pagoda began in 1997, while actual building work started in 2000. The pagoda consists of three sub-domes. The first and largest dome was completed in October 2006 when bone relics of Gautama Buddha were enshrined in the central locking stone of the dome on 29 October 2006, making it the world's largest structure containing relics of the Buddha. The relics were originally found in the stupa at Bhattiprolu, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, South India.[6] They have been donated by the Mahabodhi Society of India and the prime minister of Sri Lanka to be kept at the Global Vipassana Pagoda.[7][8] The second and third domes sit atop the first dome. Construction of the third dome was structurally completed on 21 November 2008.

The Global Vipassana Pagoda complex is still under construction with plans to include a museum depicting the life and teaching of Gautama Buddha that is expected to draw one hundred thousand visitors annually. The Global Vipassana Pagoda's educational displays will communicate the Buddha's universal teaching as a path towards real happiness.

The Global Vipassana Pagoda complex will consist of the following structures:

The south pagoda contains 108 meditation cells for use by Vipassana students taking a meditation course at the adjoining meditation centre.

Construction materials

Motif on Global Vipassana Pagoda

The foundation of the dome consists of basalt, while the dome itself is made from sandstone brought from Rajasthan. The individual blocks of sandstone weigh 600–700 kg each and are kept in place due to the unique design of the bricks. Each of the bricks interlock with the ones adjacent to it and lime mortar is used to fill in any remaining gaps. The circumambulation path is laid in marble.

The pinnacle of the pagoda is adorned with a large crystal. The spire is covered in real gold, while the rest of the pagoda is covered in gold paint. The spire is topped with a special ornamental umbrella piece donated by the Burmese. The main doors to the pagoda are wooden and hand-carved in Myanmar (Burma).

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Global Vipassana Pagoda inaugurated in Mumbai". DNA. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  2. ↑ "Global Stone Technology Forum". Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  3. ↑ "Global Vipassana Pagoda inaugurated in Mumbai". DNA. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "Salient Features - Global Pagoda website". Retrieved 2009-02-12.
  5. ↑ "Dhamma Pattana Vipassana Centre website". Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  6. ↑ Concept and Planning of Global Vipassana Pagoda | Global Vipassana Pagoda. Globalpagoda.org. Retrieved on 2013-12-06.
  7. ↑ Goenka, S.N. (2007). For The Benefit Of Many. Vipassana Research Institute. ISBN 81-7414-230-4
  8. ↑ Goenka, S.N. (2006). Vipassana: The Practical Path to Unity in Diversity. Global Vipassana Foundation.
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