Mumbai gifted 21-foot Buddha statue by Myanmar govt

Thousands of Buddhists from the city celebrated Buddha Purnima on Thursday in a special way.

They were present at the Global Vipassana Pagoda in Gorai where the 21-feet statue of Gautam Buddha, gifted by the Myanmar government, was unveiled by Satyanarayan Goenka, principal teacher of Vipasana. The 60-tonne statue carved from a single block of limestone has been built by the U Taw group in Myanmar.

Speaking on the occasion, Goenka professed his gratitude to Gautam Buddha, who rediscovered the lost art of Vipassana meditation. "Buddha did not preach any religion.

For him, Vipassana was the sole means by which a person could introspect and see things as they really are," said Goenka.

He also spoke about the history of Vipassana and how the art was lost over the years, before a few monks in Myanmar rediscovered it. "Vipassana is not tied down by religion or caste; everyone can practice it," added Goenka, a former businessman, who is now devoted to spreading the art of Vipassana across the globe.

The golden-hued 325-feet tall Global Vipassana Pagoda, which was inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil on February 8 last year, has been built as a replica of the famous Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.

At the centre of the Pagoda stands the world's tallest pillarless dome - measuring 280 feet in diameter and 90 feet in height. Below the dome is a massive 6,000-sq metre pillarless meditation hall which can accommodate over 8,000 people.