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5. Global Vipassana Pagoda

Global Vipassana pagoda a Buddhist meditation hall near Gorai, Mumbai. It is situated on a peninsula between Gorai creek and the Arabian Sea. The hall is built as a symbol of world peace and harmony and was inaugurated by then president of India, Pratibha Patil in February 2009. It is world’s largest pagoda without any supporting pillars.

The foundation is of basalt whereas the pagoda is built from sandstones procured from Rajasthan. The pagoda is built using ancient Indian and modern technology to enable it to stand for centuries. The sandstone blocks are arranged such that it fits the adjacent block perfectly with the space filled with lime mortar. The spiral of the pagoda is gold plated with an umbrella on the top, which was donated by the Burmese. The main doors are hand carved and imported from Myanmar.

The dome enshrines the relics of the Buddha which were donated to be kept there by the Mahabodhi Society of India and the prime minister of Srilanka.

The pagoda is built with the aim to spread the teachings of Buddha. The structure is an exact replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar. The pagoda aims at preserving the ancient practice of vipasana followed by the Burmese and offers a free ten day course on meditated to the willing.

Image Credits: Joe Ravi