Man makes Gods co-exist

The mix of divinities is eclectic. There8217;s a Shiva temple, where Shiva is worshiped along with Kali, Hanuman, Rama and his family, Vishnu and Ganesha. At the Nabagraha temple 8212; only the second in Vadodara 8212; the sun and planets are worshiped.

The other temples are, if anything, more unusual. There is a Satyanarayan temple, an Ayyappa temple, a Kartik temple, a Venkateswara temple, a Manasa temple, a Durga temple and a Ramakrishna temple on the lines of Belur Math.

The Durga temple, where Durga with her children is shown slaying the Mahishasura, is unique, says Chinmay Bhattacharya, IPCL8217;s Director of Marketing and the brain behind the temple complex.

8220;This is a pratishthita mandir where Durga will be worshiped all year,8221; he says. 8220;The only other such temple I know of is in Tejpalli, Calcutta.8221;

The idols in the Durga temple are in Makrana marble, made in Jaipur. Transporting them was no easy task, Bhattacharya said, since they weigh close to a ton. Expert temple-buiders from Tamil Nadu were brought for the construction work.

Each temple is valued at approximately Rs one crore, Bhattacharya said. All funds came from voluntary donations, he says. IPCL gave the triangular plot of four acres in 1991. The company has not contributed towards the costs, he adds.

8220;One devotee, who owns a quarry, gave us the marble. Someone else gave the bricks, yet others helped with their labour. When I started out, I was almost alone. But I was committed, and God helped,8221; he says.

Now the project is nearing completion. Eight of the nine temples are ready. It took eight years of struggle for Bhattacharya8217;s dream to bear fruit.

The original idea was to give the people of IPCL a place where they could find solace and meditate. Now it has grown beyond its original definition. 8220;All concepts of Hindu worship are possible here,8221; says Bhattacharya. The place is open to people from all religion, he adds.

8220;Anyone who wishes to come here and meditate can do so.8221; Seekers of spiritual peace have a new address. And it is on this earth.