Works on full swing to complete Sakyamuni project by 2010

SE-GANGTOK, August 5: The installation of the 130 feet tall Buddha Statue for Sakyamuni project at Rabong in South Sikkim is expected to take one more year with architects and sculptors working dedicatedly at the base camp of Sangkhola near Singtam in East Sikkim.The statue of Lord Buddha is being designed in a sitting position at a height of 95 feet. The total height of the statue will reach up to 130 feet after adding the base and throne making the statue on of the tallest Buddha statue in the world.During a visit to the Sangkhola camp, the media team found architects and sculptors engaged with various components of the upcoming statue.For the last two years, twenty persons engaged for the statue have been working for over 12 hours daily to complete the statue expected to be completed and installed at Rabong within the next 12 months.Out of these workers, eight are from Jaigoan and twelve from Kathmandu.Krishna Khati, a metal worker at the construction site at Sanghkhola said that the statue with an aluminum bronze alloy steel frame will weigh over 57 tons after its completion.After assembling the whole statue, the structure will again be dismantled into pre-fabricated sizes and shape for a smooth transfer to Rabong where it will be installed.It may be recalled that the work on the 130 feet Buddha statue project started in 2006, the year which marked the 2550th birth anniversary of Lord Gautama Buddha.The State government in a policy decision had decided to observe the birth anniversary throughout the year in Sikkim and as part of the celebrations, an initiative was being taken by the people of Rabong to construct and install a large statue of Lord Buddha and eco -garden to commemorate the event.Slated to be a landmark in Sikkim’s unique effort in uniting tourism and religion, the project has Chief Minister Pawan Chamling as its chief patron.Former urban development minister DD Bhutia is overseeing the project as its patron.The Sakyamuni project in Rabong covers an area of 22.4 acres with its own eco-garden, tourist amenities along with the giant Buddha statue.The project has already received international attention much in advance with thirteen relics of Lord Buddha from 13 different countries being handed over to the Sakyamuni project last year in November.The relics were handed over for the Sakyamuni project at the new Karma Thekchenling monastery at the Mane Chokerling complex at Rabong by the team of Thai monks led by the Venerable Jamnian Chonsakhorn Seelasettho, the chief of priests of the Thai monastery leading the delegation.The relics had been offered by Somdet Phra Nyanasaamvara, the 19th Supreme patriarch of the kingdom of Thailand.Following the request, a high Thai priest Venerable Phra Kristada of Bangkok had agreed to be the representative of the Sakyamuni project for securing the most precious relics from all the neighbouring Buddhist countries. The relics have been offered from Thailand, Burma, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Buddhist temples in California, Germany, Lumbini in Nepal and Bodhgaya in India for the Sakyamuni project.