108ft replica of KV temple coming up near Sangam

Prayagraj: A 108ft tall replica of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is coming up near Mori Marg and Sangam Lower Chauraha on the banks of Ganga that will allow devotees visiting the Sangam city for Maha Kumbh to receive the blessings of Lord Shiva.In this Shiv Dham, darshan of the 'Mahamani Shivling' made of crystal will be provided, and Ati Rudra Maha Yagya will be performed."The purpose of building the temple is that, along with bathing in the Ganga, people can have the darshan of Lord Bholenath on the sand of Sangam itself. People will be allowed entry into it from Jan 13," said Jagjitan Pandey, general secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Dharma Sangh.Artisans from West Bengal are preparing the temple replica using 12000 bamboo sticks and 9000m of golden cloth for decoration. The only difference will be that in the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, one gets the darshan of Lord Shiva's Narmadeshwar form, whereas here darshan of Mahamani Shivling will be available.Pandey said the replica of the temple will have entrances from three sides just like in Kashi. About 25 lakh offerings will be made by over 50,000 devotees who will perform abhishekam of Mahamani Sphatik Shivling.The model of the temple is being constructed under the guidance of Dharma Sangh's Peethadheeshwar Shankar Chaitanya Brahmachari, said Pandey.About Mahamani Shivling, he said the Mani is consecrated by waters of holy rivers and ‘sparsh' of Dwadas (12) Jyotirlingas and Char Dham."By being established here on the holy land of Sangam, the divinity of the Shivling will increase even more," said Pandey.The model of the temple is being prepared in a way that devotees can easily find their way to the pandal and have darshan, as the main tower of the replica is perhaps the tallest on the Jhunsi side of the mela.