Prez Kovind gifted artwork on upcoming mega temple by Mahavir Mandir in Patna

Patna, Oct 22 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday received an ornamental artwork made by artistes from Chennai on the upcoming 'Virat Ramayan Mandir' in Bihar, during his visit to the famed Mahavir Mandir in Patna.

Mahavir Mandir trust secretary Kishore Kunal said the president spent about 15-20 minutes at the temple.

"President Kovind has in the past visited Mahavir Mandir when he was the governor of Bihar, but this was his first visit to the temple as the president. We are very delighted. He also felt nostalgic," he said.

The historic temple adjacent to Patna junction was decked up when the president, accompanied by his wife and daughter, visited it in the morning and offered prayers.

Kovind had arrived in Patna on October 20 and on Thursday he attended a function held on the premises of the Bihar Legislative Assembly to mark 100 years of the assembly building.

Earlier in the day on Friday, he visited the Patna Sahib shrine and offered prayers. The official Twitter handle of the Rashtrapati Bhavan also shared pictures from his visits on Friday.

Kunal said the artwork gifted to the president was made by a group of artistes in Chennai.

"The artwork, 2 ft long and 16 inch high, was made by a Chennai-based company which had also made the two 'kalash' installed atop the two 'shikhars' of Mahavir Mandir. The artwork depicts the upcoming 'Virat Ramayan Mandir' in Kesariya in East Champaran district of north Bihar," he told PTI.

In the artwork, the proposed temple has been depicted, using a copper base with gold plating on the top, as was done while making the 'kalash' for Mahavir Mandir, Kunal added.

The president was also gifted a book -- 'Tulsi Sahitya Par Arsh Grantho ki Chhaya' -- and took home the delicious 'Naivaidyam' laddoos, the famed 'prasad' of the temple, dedicated to Lord Hanuman, said an official of the trust, which runs the temple.

The 'Virat Ramayan Mandir' conceived on the lines of the iconic Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia is being built by the trust in a sprawling area in Kesariya.

"The temple will rise to 270 ft and will have 11 sanctums, and also house the largest Shiva linga in India. The Shiva linga is currently being made in Mahabalipuram and it will be made of black granite stone. It will rise to 33 ft on a base which will be 33 ft in circumference," Kunal added.

Kovind, during the event held on the Bihar Assembly premises on Thursday, had laid the foundation stone of a centenary pillar and planted a sapling of a Bodhi tree.

Friday was the last day of his three-day visit to Patna.

"President Ram Nath Kovind and the First Lady Smt Savita Kovind visited Bihar Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan, Patna. They paid homage to Bapu's Statue and tried their hand at the eight spindle charkha at the Khadi Mall,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted on Friday. PTI KND TIR TIR