140 acre campus, 12 peaks... Bihar's 'Ankor Wat' is bigger than Ayodhya Ram Temple

Motihari. The construction work of the world’s largest Ramayana-centric temple ‘Virat Ramayana Temple’, which is being built near Kaithwaliya village on Chakia-Kesaria road in Kalyanpur block of East Champaran district of Bihar, has intensified. The construction work of the grand project developed by Patna’s Mahavir Mandir Trust at a cost of Rs 500 crore is expected to be completed within the stipulated time. This grand complex of Rs 500 crore, 1080 feet long, 540 feet wide and spread over 140 acres, will have a total of 12 peaks including the 270 feet high main peak. The world’s largest granite Shivalinga, 33 feet high and weighing 210 metric tons, has been left for the temple from Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu on November 21, which will reach by the third or last week of December. It is expected to be established in the beginning of the new year.

The final touch and arrival of grandeur

The construction of the basic structure of the temple is going on. The work of sanctum sanctorum, parkota, courtyard, entrance gate, lion gate, Ganesh Sthal, Nandi Mandap and main piling (total 3,246 piles) are nearing completion. Now the third phase is going on, which includes construction of 12 peaks, painting of Ramayana stories on the walls and external finishing. Limestones from Chunar (Varanasi) are being used for the exterior surface which are weather-resistant and algae-free.

1080 feet long and 540 feet wide temple

Tata Consultancy Engineers and Sunteck Infra Solutions are the main contractors, while Gujarat’s Trivedi Corporation has submitted a proposal for the finishing work. The size of the temple is 1080 feet long and 540 feet wide which will be three times bigger than the Ram temple of Ayodhya. The total complex is spread over 140 acres, which includes 22 small temples (dedicated to Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman etc.) and an auditorium with a capacity of 20,000 devotees.

The construction work of Virat Ramayana temple is gaining momentum in Kaithwaliya, located on Chakia-Kesaria path of Kalyanpur block in East Champaran district. In this sequence, a big Shivalinga is to be established here.

The height of the peaks will be like this

type of peak	Number	height (feet)
main peak	1	270
Other major peaks	4	180
medium peak	1	135
small peaks	8	108
smallest peak	1	90

Height increased from 405 feet to 270 feet

Let us tell you that in the original plan, 18 peaks were proposed, but after environmental and aviation clearance, it was limited to 12. The main height was reduced from 405 feet to 270 feet. The architecture is inspired by Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Ramanathaswamy (Rameshwaram) and Meenakshi (Madurai) temples in Tamil Nadu. The temple will be three-storeyed and the Ramayana story will be displayed through electronic mediums. An 800 feet long pond named Shiv Ganga is also being built.

Shivalinga symbol of religious miracle

The biggest attraction of the temple will be the 33 feet high black granite Shivalinga, whose construction has been completed in Mahabalipuram after 10 years of hard work. This Shivalinga, built at a cost of Rs 3 crore, is being brought in a special 96 wheeler truck. At a speed of five km per hour it will reach Kathwalia by the last week of December. According to the Mahavir Mandir Trust, this Shivalinga is not only huge in size but will reflect the spirituality of Ramayana.

The world’s largest Shivalinga will reach Virat Mandir at Chakia in East Champaran from Mahabalipuram via Hosur, Hosakote, Devanahalli, Kurnool, Hyderabad, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Nagpur, Shivni, Jabalpur, Maihar, Satna, Rewa, Mirzapur, Arrah, Chhapra, Masrakh, Mohammadpur and Kesariya.

Tourism and economic impact

Being situated on the Ram-Janaki path (Ayodhya-Janakpur), this temple will become the global center of Ramayana Yatra. It is estimated that after the inauguration, more than 50 lakh tourists and devotees will reach here every year, which will provide a benefit of more than Rs 1,000 crore to the economy of Bihar. The local residents of East Champaran district are considering it as the ‘pride of Bihar’. Pictures shared on X (formerly Twitter) with handles like @BiharInfraTales are going viral with users calling it ‘Angkor Wat of Bihar’.

New chapter for Bihar

This temple will not be just a collection of stones, but will be a living embodiment of the immortal story of Ramayana. Devotees from all over the world will come here and Bihar will become the new center of tourism. The construction includes 2,101 pillars and 136 pinnacles which will be durable for 250 years. If you are planning to visit the temple, there is currently limited access to the construction site, but will be fully open by 2026. This project is not only a symbol of religious, but also cultural and economic revolution, it is also a new golden chapter of Bihar. For more information visit viraatramayanmandir.net.