World's largest Vedic temple to be ready by 2016, says Iskcon

The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) Monday said the world's largest Vedic temple 'Chandrodaya Mandir', which is under construction at West Bengal's Mayapur, would be inaugurated in 2016.

The 340-foot-high temple, being constructed at a cost of about $75 million or about Rs.37.5 crore at the birthplace of 16th century saint and social reformer Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Nadia district, will be a centre of Vedic knowledge, culture and science, Iskcon officials said.

Construction work for the temple, dedicated to the worship of Lord   Krishna, started in 2010.

Alfred Brush Ford, scion of US automobile pioneer Henry Ford, who has shouldered the responsibility of financing the first phase of the construction, told reporters here that the Chandrodaya temple would be a world class of attraction, bringing visitors from around the globe.

Ford, who is also the chairman of the temple, said: "This historic project does not belong to any community or an individual but to the entire human race."
ISKON officials said the temple spread across 425,000 square feet will also boast a state of the art 75-feet tall domed planetarium theatre, the largest in India.

"The temple will be built at a total cost of $75 million, in which about $35 million has already been donated by Ford. The construction work will be completed by 2016," an Iskcon official said.

"We will invite the US president along with the Indian president to inaugurate the huge temple," he added.