India‘s tryst with architectural marvels created out of marble continues unabated with the unveiling of a new prayer hall in the south Indian state of Kerala. Built as an epitome of world peace and religious harmony, the new structure features a lotus-shaped prayer hall, 91 feet tall and 84 feet wide, christened the ‘Parnasala’. The structure features 21 petals with 12 facing upwards and nine facing downwards. The upward facing petals are 41 feet tall while the downward facing petals have a length of 31 feet each.

Pristine white marble has been used for the construction of the structure that is studded on the outside with white Makrana marble chips (Makrana marble is the stone used in the construction of the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World). The concrete lotus is anchored to the core by steel bars.

At the heart of the concrete lotus is another lotus made from teak wood that contains a marble cask in which the body of Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru, a spiritual leader, has been laid to rest. The teak lotus is 27 feet high with a diameter of 21 feet and is completely encased with brass on the inside. In front of the teak lotus is a foyer, called ‘Baalalayam’, adorned with intricate artwork and carvings. The entire floor of the foyer is paved with black granite. The platform is guarded by two majestic elephants carved out of rosewood.

There are 12 rooms on the upper floor of the Parnasala designed to store the belongings of the teacher. LCD lamps installed strategically will illuminate the insides of the Parnasala. The architectural uniqueness of the Parnasala lies in the fact that it has been constructed as per the Vaasthu Shastra – a traditional Hindu system of design based on directional alignments – and architectural patterns conceived by Sishyapoojitha Amritha Jnana Thapaswini, disciple and spiritual successor of Karunakara Guru.

The Parnasala, which sits in the Santhigiri Ashram in the Pothencode village in Kerala, will be unveiled by the Indian President Pratibha Patil on 13 August 2010 and dedicated to the world on 12 September 2010.

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