By Abhijit Sarkar
Gangtok- Sikkim is fighting for a place in the booming Buddhist tourism circuit and has just unveiled a giant statue of Guru Padmasambhava, believed to be the founder of tantric Buddhism.
The Dalai Lama himself consecrated the site for the installation and it is expected to be a big draw for tourists from South East Asia.
The 151-feet high statue can be seen from as far away as the Darjeeling Hills in the south. It has taken two and a half years to build ? concrete overlayed with a copper coat. The price tag is a whopping Rs 661 lakh.
“The idea is not just art which people will appreciate, but the art must inspire an energy of peace,” said Sonam Baljor Dengjongpa of the Do Drupchen Trust.
Big draw
While religious leaders, artists, architects and engineers from Sikkim, West Bengal and Taiwan debate the artistic merits of the statue, the state government, which funded the project, is hoping for good returns on its investment.
“This will improve Sikkim’s profile in the country in the fields of religion and tourism and it will bring prosperity and sustainable development for the people of Sikkim,” said Pawan Kumar Chamling, Chief Minister, Sikkim
The statue is located about 100 kilometers from the closest airport at Siliguri and eight kilometers from the town of Namchi, which is already dressing up for the imminent tourist boom.
