India reviews replica temple

SIEM REAP  India has delayed construction of the world’s biggest Hindu temple complex in response to a Cambodian government complaint that the design copies Angkor Wat.
Cambodia’s government wrote to India’s Ministry of External Affairs in June, demanding the country halt the proposed Viraat Ramayan Mandir temple in Bihar, India, which it called a “replica” of Cambodia’s famous world heritage site.
Phnom Penh Post quoted Mahavir Mandir Trust head, Kishore Kunal, saying construction, initially planned for June, would not go ahead until the matter was settled.
“We have not started construction because the Ministry of External Affairs requested, [together] with the Ministry of Culture of the government of India, that we amicably resolve this between our two nations.”
inside no 1The head reiterated the plan was not an exact copy of any temple, but incorporated Hindu design elements found in India and Southeast Asia.
He said the trust would meet with the Cambodian ambassador and Indian officials to address Cambodia’s concerns.
“I have talked to the Cambodian ambassador and I told him that if he’s free, and if he can bring some architects, then they would be in a better position to judge whether the architectural design is an exact replica or whether it is clearly different from the Ankgor Wat temple or not.”
Located in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province, Angkor Wat Historical Park, was inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1992, and is the country’s most popular tourist destination.

sourced:ttrweekly.com