Close X
Thursday, December 12, 2024
ADVT 
India

This Unique Varanasi Temple Has A Marble Map Of ‘Undivided India’

Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 Jul, 2018 12:12 PM
    In the ancient city of Varanasi, which draws pilgrims from all over the world, stands a unique 'Bharat Mata Mandir' - a temple with a marble map of undivided India.
     
     
    The temple, which often gets missed by the teeming pilgrims thronging the city is, however, a favourite among foreign tourists who are frequent visitors to the city regarded as a spiritual capital of the country.
     
     
    Located in the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth campus, it was constructed by Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta between 1918 and 1924 and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on October 25, 1936.
     
     
    In the centre of the building, there is a map of undivided India comprising Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma (now Myanmar) and Ceylone (now Sri Lanka) on makrana marble.
     
     
    The interesting feature of the map is the detailed layout of mountain ranges and peaks, 450 to be precise, plains, water bodies, rivers, oceans and plateaux among other geographical bodies which form this part of the world and its scale and depth mentioned alongside.
     
     
    Pointing out at the Mt Everest and K2 peaks, the Great Wall of China, small pecks in the oceans around the sub-continent forming even the smallest of islands with the help of a laser torch, caretaker Raju Singh said that on the Republic Day and the Independence Day, the water bodies depicted in the map are filled with water and the land areas are decorated with flowers.
     
     
    It was constructed under the guidance of Durga Prasad Khatri by 30 workers and 25 masons and their names are mentioned on the plaque in one corner of the building.
     
     
    One inch of the area in the map covers 6.40 miles on land and from a window installed at the ground level in the basement, the difference among the heights of the various peaks is clearly visible, Mr Singh said.
     
     
    Interestingly, Rashtra Kavi Maithili Sharan Gupt, one of the most renowned modern Hindi poets, wrote a poem on the inauguration of the temple which is also put up on a board in the building.
     
     
    Though Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been taken up under the Smart City project with a number of schemes, and Rs. 1.33 crore has been sanctioned under the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) yojna when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited here on January 4.
     
     
    A certain amount of money is earmarked for beautification work around the building.
     
     
    "There is an urgent need to take up restoration work inside the building where there are rare maps of India on the walls during various rulers in history for which INTACH experts had also visited it some time ago," Mr Singh said.
     
     
    The prime minister is a frequent visitor to his constituency and in case he visits the building even once, it will be of great help also for highlighting its importance, Mr Singh pointed out.
     
     
    The building is presently being looked after Mr Gupta's family, he added.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Fortis Healthcare Promoters Malvinder, Shivinder Singh Resign From Board

    Fortis Healthcare Promoters Malvinder, Shivinder Singh Resign From Board
    Fortis Healthcare promoters Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh have resigned as directors from the company’s board following the Delhi High Court order upholding the Rs 3,500 crore arbitral award in favour of Daiichi Sankyo.

    Fortis Healthcare Promoters Malvinder, Shivinder Singh Resign From Board

    BJP Planning 'Major Assault' On Constitution: Shashi Tharoor

    BJP Planning 'Major Assault' On Constitution: Shashi Tharoor
    I think a lot of their real agenda is waiting for the time when they have both Houses under their control. And once they do, I think you can certainly look to a major assault on the Constitution. 

    BJP Planning 'Major Assault' On Constitution: Shashi Tharoor

    Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh Lauds Canadian Ministers' Statements Against Khalistanis

    Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh Lauds Canadian Ministers' Statements Against Khalistanis
    "Sajjan's statement, carried by the Canadian Press on Wednesday, that he and fellow Sikh Minister Amarjit Sohi, 'neither sympathise with nor espouse the Sikh nationalist movement, which is bent on creating a separate country called Khalistan

    Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh Lauds Canadian Ministers' Statements Against Khalistanis

    Class 10 Student Killed By Classmates For Allegedly Ogling A Girl In Maharashtra

    Class 10 Student Killed By Classmates For Allegedly Ogling A Girl In Maharashtra
    As per preliminary investigation, the accused duo had objected to the student for staring at a girl in his class and attacked him with a sickle, he said.

    Class 10 Student Killed By Classmates For Allegedly Ogling A Girl In Maharashtra

    Dalit Mid-Day Meal Manager Ends Life After 'Torture' By Teachers

    Dalit Mid-Day Meal Manager Ends Life After 'Torture' By Teachers
    An inquiry has been ordered into the incident and action will be taken based on the report submitted by the officials.

    Dalit Mid-Day Meal Manager Ends Life After 'Torture' By Teachers

    PM Modi's Wife Jashodaben Has Narrow Escape As Her Car Hits Truck In Rajasthan, One Relative Dead

    PM Modi's Wife Jashodaben Has Narrow Escape As Her Car Hits Truck In Rajasthan, One Relative Dead
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben had a miraculous escape while a relative died when their Innova car rammed into a truck in Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, police said.

    PM Modi's Wife Jashodaben Has Narrow Escape As Her Car Hits Truck In Rajasthan, One Relative Dead