Lucknow, India - In memory of the centuries old Buddha statues which were pulled down in Bamiyan by Taliban, a private trust is setting up the tallest Lord Buddha statue in India at the pilgrimage centre of Sarnath.
The 90-feet-tall statue which is almost 80 per cent complete would be installed next year, Mrigday Van Mahavihara society secretary Dharam Rashmi said here today.
The statue, estimated to cost Rs 1.5-2 crore, is an effort by Buddhist followers to commemorate the destruction caused by the Taliban about eight years ago. It will be installed in the Sarnath Thai temple, near Varanasi, Rashmi said.
Built in Gandhar style, the statue would be placed on a lotus symbolising the spread of religion from India to other parts of the world with the message of love and peace.
"When completed, the statue would be the tallest of lord Buddha in standing posture in India and is a tribute of his followers to carry forward his teachings," Rashmi said. Another statue, about 80-feet tall, also in Sarnath, is in sitting posture.
The entire cost of the statue is being borne by the Buddhist followers with a special contribution from the Mrigday Van Mahavihara society which is a Thai society, Rashmi said.
The statue would consist of 845 slabs of sandstone, each about two feet wide and three feet high and the head alone would be 15 feet tall, she said, adding the feet height would be around eight to nine feet long.
The octagonal pedestal would have engravings depicting four important Buddhist religious places, including Dhammek stupa, Bodh Gaya and Lumbini, Rashmi said.