Chapter 149 Temple Reconstruction Part: 1

Chapter 149 Temple Reconstruction Part: 1

After dealing with the troubles in the Secret Service and military institutions, Vijay wanted to fully solve the problem at the root. However, thinking about all the tasks ahead of him, he chose to delay for a little while. For the next task, he picked up the report he explicitly asked Marshal Logananda to inquire about. It was about all the famous and ancient temples in various occupied states, which had been destroyed or damaged and looted to varying degrees by the Mughals. Vijay wanted to rebuild these temples.

The Dharmic faiths of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, differing from the Abrahamic faiths, lack a centralized organization of worship places like churches or mosques. While temples are not the core foundation of the Dharmic way of life, they hold significant importance. Temples serve as places of worship for devotees and, in the past, were also centres of knowledge and learning. Additionally, they acted as pillars of art and architecture, showcasing diverse styles and regional variations. This includes intricately carved South Indian temple entrances, soaring gopurams, majestic towers of North Indian temples, and the elegance of Sri Lankan temples. Each temple boasts its unique architectural style, influenced by the culture of the people in its vicinity. Ne/w novel chapters are p/u/blished on no/vel(/bin(.)c/o/m

Temples also act as communal hubs, serving as the core architecture that binds the essence of the community through festivals, rituals, and cultural elements, providing a platform for social interactions, and charitable activities, and even in the past, conflicts were resolved in temples. With all these features, it is no surprise that temples also acted as economic drivers. Pilgrimage centres attracted traders, artists, designers, and service providers, greatly increasing the economic activity of the area. One of the main points is that temples are preservers of history and culture; through murals, sculptures, and inscriptions, temples narrate themes of history, mythology, and social practices. Temples act as living museums, preserving and transmitting cultural heritage across generations.

Considering all this, Vijay decided to rebuild the temples in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Sri Lanka. This is a significant undertaking that requires substantial wealth and labour. While Vijay could have opted for cement, which would have saved time, cost, and manpower, he chose to adhere to the traditional approach—constructing these temples with stones and relying on pure engineering. The only extra material he decided to incorporate was Roman cement.

First, he had to find many architects. To rebuild the temples that have been fully destroyed, a brand new design is required. For the temples that have only been damaged and looted, an experienced engineer should be sufficient.

The next temple selected was the Jagannath Temple in Puri. As one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites throughout history, Vijay had no difficulty choosing this site. This 12th-century temple houses the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. For this temple, a larger gopuram will be built, along with widening the streets and roads of Puri for a better and more convenient Ratha Yatra. The third temple chosen was the Konark Sun Temple, a rare temple dedicated to the Sun god Surya, built in the 13th century. This magnificent temple, shaped like a chariot, impressed Vijay the most. Consequently, he ordered the temple to be rebuilt and expanded in scale. And finally, two more temples were chosen in Odisha, they would be the Sarala Temple, a 16th-century temple dedicated to the manifestation of goddess Shakti, and the Tarini Temple, dedicated to goddess Durga.

In Sri Lanka, due to the Mughal influence not reaching there, many of the temples remained intact. So, Vijay only had to rebuild the main temples destroyed by the Dutch. Vijay decided to repair the Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the first century BCE, which showcases a blend of Buddhist art and architecture. The next temple is the Katargama Temple, dedicated to a Hindu deity worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus, holding unique religious significance in Sri Lanka.

The focus then shifted to constructing one of the largest Hindu temples in the world, named Divya Vishnu Prasad Mandir, to be located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The reason? Vijay wanted to build a whole new temple because the majority of Sri Lankans were Buddhist, and he aimed to strengthen the connection to the mainland through this temple's network. For the dimensions of this temple, Vijay fully intended to make it one of the largest in the world. Drawing inspiration from Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville from his past timeline, he chose this temple design because it aligned with the size he envisioned, and he loved the design of the temple.

Vijay did not intend to make extensive changes to the design of the temple and kept it as it was. The temple to be constructed will cover an area of 16 acres of land by its footprint and a whole temple grounds of 2 km all around it. The central Mahamandir should stand tall at 191 feet, dominating the skyline of Kandy, and will measure 255 feet in length and 345 feet in width, demonstrating the grandeur of its architecture. The Maha Mandir will have 24 pillars showcasing the 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism, and carvings of many saints of other Dharmic religions, reflecting the temple's commitment to interfaith harmony.

Having completed the list of temples he wished to rebuild and restore, Vijay convened with his finance minister to discuss the budget with the architect group that was about to arrive.

P.S. Please let me know if I left out any main temples, Also sorry for the data dump, I felt like the story needed it. Thanks.