Snippets of Information
TEMPLES IN BIHAR
Viraat Ramayan Mandir
* 13 Jan 2026
The Viraat Ramayan Mandir is a monumental Hindu temple complex
under construction near Kesaria, Bihar, India. Once completed, it will
be the world's largest religious monument, standing at 405ft (~123m)
tall, spanning 2,800ft length and 1,400ft width, with space for 20,000
devotees at a time.
The design draws on the majesty of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, and
incorporates elements from renowned Indian temples (Rameswaram, and
Meenakshi Temple). Its grand shikhar (spire) will be twice the height of
Angkor Wat. The premises will have 18 garbhagrihas (sanctums) for
various deities shrines including world’s tallest Shiva Linga (33ft),
Lord Rama, Sita, Luv, Kush, Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, and others.
Source: viraatramayanmandir.com
It is located at a distance of 60 km from Vaishali and at a distance of
120 km from Patna, the capital of Bihar. Its exact location is at Janaki
Nagar near Kesaria in North Bihar. It will be spread over an area of
200 acres at Bahuara-Kathwalia villages on Kesariya-Chakia road in East
Champaran district.
Source: templepurohit.com
World's Largest Shivling, carved from a single piece of black
granite travelled nearly 2,500 kilometres from Mahabalipuram in Tamil
Nadu to Bihar over 45 days using a specially designed multi-axle
transport vehicle. The massive Shivling is 33 feet tall, weighs around
210 tonnes, and has an equal circumference, making it the largest
Shivling ever created from a single stone.
Source: Zee News
* 17 Jan 2026
Shilapujan (foundation stone laying) for the construction of the Virat
Ramayan Mandir was conducted on June 20, 2023, under the leadership of
Acharya Kishore Kunal, the then Chairman of the Bihar State Board of
Religious Trusts. Since then, 250 laborers have worked daily for one and
a half years to erect a total of 3,102 pillars from a depth of 100 feet
underground.
Source: World's largest Sahasra Lingam installation at Virat
Ramayan Mandir: Peeth Puja begins in East Champaran, The Daily Jagran,
17 Jan 2026
* 18 Jan 2026
Image Source: Newspoint (msn.com)
Image Source: indianexpress.com
The installation of the Sahasralingam, described as the world’s
largest Shivling in Motihari took place at the under-construction temple
complex in Kathwalia village of Kalyanpur block on Magh Krishna
Chaturdashi, an auspicious date in the Hindu calendar, amid Vedic
chants. Carved from a single piece of black granite, the monolith was
crafted over nearly a decade in Pattikadu village near Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu by artisans overseen by Vinayak Venkatraman and his mother Hemlata Devi.
With a 33-foot circumference, it bears 1,008 smaller lingams on its
surface, reportedly cost around Rs 3 crore to produce, and has been
designed for structural stability over centuries.
Priests and Vedic scholars from centres including Varanasi, Ayodhya, and
Haridwar conducted rituals that lasted several hours. Sacred water from
Gangotri, Yamunotri, Prayagraj, Ganga Sagar and Sonpur was used for
abhishek. Flowers were sourced from outside Bihar and even Cambodia, and
an 18-foot garland of marigolds, roses, belpatra and dhatura was
specially prepared.
Source: Devotees throng Bihar’s Motihari as world’s largest
Shivling installed at Virat Ramayan Mandir by Himanshu Harsh,
indianexpress.com
3250 kilograms of flowers have been used for the decoration of the
temple. These flowers were brought from Kolkata and Cambodia. 21 Priests
will perform the rituals. This massive Shivalinga was transported from
Mahabalipuram to Kaithwalia in 45 days using a 96-wheeled truck.
The Mahavir Mandir Trust Committee is constructing the Virat Ramayana
Temple. Acharya Kishore Kunal of the Patna Hanuman Temple had envisioned
the construction of this colossal Shivalinga.
During the Havan (fire ritual), offerings will also be made to 64
deities. Along with the Sahasralingam Shivling, 1072 deities will also
be installed.
Source: The world's largest Shiva lingam will be installed today,
along with 1072 other deities. Why was January 17th chosen for this?,
Newspoint (msn.com)
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