Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Swarved Mahamandir, the world’s largest meditation centre in Varanasi on Monday. He also took a tour of the centre, which he later described as a mesmerising experience.
The seven-floor superstructure can seat 20,000 people at a time for meditation. "I was mesmerised when I took a tour of the Swarved Mahamandir. The divine teachings of Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Gita and Mahabharata have been depicted through pictures on the walls of Swarved Mahamandir," Modi said.
The iconic super structure is situated approximately 12 km from the Varanasi city centre on an expansive area of 3,00,000 square feet. The foundation stone for the centre was laid in 2004 by Sant Pravar Vigyan Dev and Sadguru Acharya Swantantra Dev.
The Mahamandir houses the idol of the revered seer Sadafal Deoji Maharaj, a 19th-century spiritual leader, mystic poet, and seer. The temple’s website said Swarved Mahamandir aims to "illuminate humankind with its magnificent spiritual aura and engulf the world in a state of peaceful alertness."
The temple promotes the teachings of Swarveda, emphasising Brahm Vidya—a body of knowledge empowering spiritual seekers to maintain a state of consummate Zen, characterised by unwavering constancy in peace and happiness.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the newly-inaugurated Swarved Mahamandir | PTI With a seating capacity of 20,000, the Mahamandir boasts beautiful design with 125-petal lotus domes. The doors and ceilings are carved using teakwood and the walls are adorned with pink sandstone. There is a lovely garden filled with healing plants and 101 fountains add to the beauty of the builings exterior.
The building required the combined efforts of fifteen engineers and six hundred labourers.
Freedom from slave mentality
After inaugurating the structure, the Prime Minister said the country has declared freedom from the slave mentality and is feeling proud of its heritage. "In the era of slavery, the oppressors who made an effort to weaken India first targeted our symbols. After Independence, re-building of these cultural symbols was essential," the Prime Minister said.
