Kolkata, March 8 -- Sagar Island, which is gradually emerging as a religious tourism destination in Bengal, is set to add another attraction with a new ISKCON temple. Authorities hope the shrine will be ready by December this year so that pilgrims visiting the Gangasagar Mela in 2027 to take a holy dip and offer prayers at the Kapil Muni temple can also visit the new shrine.
The state government has allotted 10 bigha land near the helipad at Sagar, where construction of the 40-foot-high temple is underway.
Temple authorities said special emphasis is being placed on a strong foundation and safeguarding the structure from natural calamities such as cyclones and earthquakes.
"The deities of Jagannath and Radha Krishna will be placed on the first floor to prevent damage if sea water reaches the temple premises during a natural calamity. Erosion is already a concern at Sagar, and the sea is advancing towards the Kapil Muni temple, so we have not taken any risk," said temple president Sundar Gobinda Das.
The ground floor is being designed to function as a cyclone shelter during emergencies, as there is no such facility near the Kapil Muni temple. The piling has been done 100 feet underground with several pillars of 500 mm diameter to ensure a strong load-bearing capacity.
The interior is being built with Makrana marble imported from Jaipur, while no marble has been used outside as the porous calcium-based stone is vulnerable to salty seawater.
Plans are also in place for a light-and-sound show and a souvenir centre on the ground floor. Temple authorities thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allotting the land and said she would be invited to inaugurate the temple once it is completed. The project cost is around Rs 25 crore.
At present, non-AC guest houses inside the temple campus can accommodate about 50 people. ISKCON also plans to construct a larger guest house with a capacity of around 700 visitors.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.