Country's first Earth Worship Centre planned in Mandya

The US-based Society of Children of Planet Earth (SCOPE) will set-up the country’s first ‘Earth Worship Centre, at Hallegere village, in the taluk. The authorities have identified 11,000 sqft land and a blueprint for the same has been prepared.

Dr H N Lakshminarasimha Murthy, a native of Hallagere, and his son Dr Vivek Murthy, former US Surgeon General, have established SCOPE in the US. The father-son duo has come forward to set up the centre, where all community people can offer prayers, on their ancestral property.

Architects from Tamil Nadu have been roped in to provide a traditional touch to the centre. They have already inspected the spot.

History of 36 Humanists

The centre will have 36 monolithic pillars on which pictures, life, biographies and contributions of 36 humanists will be depicted. Personalities such as Gautama Buddha, Prophet Mohammad, Mahavira, Basavanna, Guru Nanak, Kabir Das, have been finalised. SCOPE has also decided to provide digital touch to each pillar.

Dr Lakshminarasimha Murthy told that the land, where the centre is planned, is surrounded by Shimsha Canal. “We had a dream to convert our land into a world-class memorial,” he says.

Nagesh, an architect from Bengaluru, has prepared a blueprint and architects from Tamil Nadu will give a traditional South Indian temple touch. The construction will commence in three months, he said.

There will be no idol worship at the centre. There is a plan to build seven towers and an image of the natural landscape at the royal tower. This is the first centre in India after similar structures in China and America.