The Global Vipassana Pagoda is a notable monument in Mumbai, India. The pagoda is to serve as a monument of peace and harmony.
A 325-feet high Dhamma monument built on Gorai Island, Mumbai, India, to share the benefits of Vipassana meditation- the non-sectarian, practical path to liberation from all suffering. The Global Pagoda contains the world's largest stone dome without supporting pillars - a Dhamma Hall that can seat over 8,000 Vipassana students, in group meditation and refresher one-day courses.
Adjacent is the Dhamma PattanaVipassana centre with residential 10-day Vipassana courses, and longer courses for experienced students. Vipassana residential courses are offered worldwide in this tradition free of cost without any fee or charges.
It was inaugurated on Feb 8th 2009, by President Pratibha Patil in the presence of dignitaries from all over the world.
Facts & Figures
It has been designed as a replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon, Myanmar to show the gratitude of India to Myanmar for preserving the non-sectarian Vipassana Meditation, in its pristine purity for over 2000 years, when it was lost in the country of its birth, India.
At the top of the stone dome, in its centre, genuine bone relics of the Buddha have been enshrined. These relics of the Buddha were generously donated by the Mahabodhi Society of India and the government of Sri Lanka.
It is one of the largest stone monuments in Asia.
The technique of inter-locking stones is used to construct the monument. This negates the need for any pillars in the construction of the Pagoda.
It contains the biggest pillar-less stone dome on earth. It is more than thrice the size of the previously largest stone dome structure - the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur (90 feet in diameter).
At its centre is a huge meditation hall, 280 feet in diameter which has a seating capacity of 8000 people.
At 325 feet height, it is almost as tall as a 30 storey building.
Approximately 2.5 million tons of stone was used in the construction.
3.87 million man-days were required to complete the monument.
It took 11 years to finish. The foundation stone was laid in October 1997 and the construction was completed in November 2008.
The construction work progressed without interruption supported selflessly by Vipassana meditators and devotees from around the world.
It is expected to exist as a beacon of Peace and Harmony for the next 1000 years
