I find myself lucky to dwell in a city like Mumbai. The city has now grown strong and deep roots within me. I slowly drift into a corporate-money-wending-machine for 5 days of a week, in the expectation of having 2 whole days for myself, where I can be away from the continuously chattering and opining populace only to hear out myself in solace.
When the weekend strikes, I yearn for places where I only hear out the nature interacting with me. Just like many languages humans speak, nature also has its diverse mellow language through which it communicates with us. The whispering winds, rustling leaves, and the soulful songs of the birds are just a few to relate.
I often feel like I need frequent waves of mini-trips for keeping my soul energized until the next lapse to tiredness. As I know it’s not easy to set off for trips regularly, I search for locations close to me that can rejuvenate me. One fine day I was sitting at home searching for places near me and I stumbled upon the Global Vipassana Pagoda. I’m sure many readers are now aware of the place. Pagoda is a spiritual and meditation center amid the thick urbanscape of Mumbai. It is located near the Gorai Beach and it is accessible by:
1. Ferry ride from Borivali to Essel World
2. Cab/auto/bus from Bhyander Station
3. Or just turn the keys of your car or bike
I went for a long drive to Pagoda. Once I crossed Uttan Road which lies ahead of Bhyander, the peaceful drive began. It feels like a quick set off from urban to sort of semi-rural place once the Uttan Road starts after Maxus Mall. Several independent bungalows, row houses and low residential units start making an appearance for some time. Before you notice, you’ve left the noises of the city and you’re moving towards a calming place. Later, the drive gets even interesting as it’s just the road, nature and you.
Pagoda is always great to be visited during any time of the year, but during rains this place grows even more beautiful. It feels almost like a painting with varied colors of greens and blues. The first look of the majestic entrance gate a.k.a. the Myanmar Gate, and the silhouette of the Pagoda in the background, left me captivated. The grandiose of the entrance gate itself is so royal that it almost feels like entering a spiritual palace immersed in gold! The architecture and design for this Pagoda is adopted from the Pagoda designs of Burma, Myanmar. There is a specific design followed by the Pagoda’s. The designs of those in China or Thailand will differ from those in Myanmar. A pair of Chinthe (Leogryph) – the lion-like statues are fixated at the entrance which are believed to guard the Pagoda.
Further ahead, I came across two more culturally iconic structures of a Bell Tower and a Gong Tower. These are juxtaposed by the staircase. The significant Bell and Gong, each are held up by four god-like figures which are almost 14 ft tall. The Bell gifted by Myanmar scales about 8ft in height and weighs a whopping 14 MT. It is believed that as you strike the Bell, you’ll soon revisit the Pagoda. The striking of the gong spreads the sound of Dhamma.
Next what you see is the Pagoda in front of you. Personally, more than the immensity of the structure, it’s the scared feel and purity of the place that makes you feel how microscopic we humans are in this endless universe. The external façade of the dome has spiritual messages of Dhamma framed throughout.
The hand-carved doors with spiritual figurines open into the meditation hall. These also scatter the Burmese essence of art and craft as they are bought from Burma. It’s a well-known fact by now that it’s the worlds biggest stone dome supported without any pillars. The credit here goes to the traditional construction technique of inter-locking stones that discards the need for pillars. Every stone block weighs about 600-700 kgs. The more the weight on the stone, the more grip it acquires. The dome can accommodate about 8,000 people. The relics of Buddha are preserved here. The spire is a stunning blend of angles that subtly evolve into circular dome and finally it narrows down to a gold finial.
While doing a parikrama (circumambulation) of the dome, one is fortunate to witness the fabled Bodhi tree. For those interested to get a feel of the meditation, a small 10 minute Mini Anapana Meditation supported by audio, is conducted in another small Pagoda. This gives one a very basic idea of the 10-day meditation course. There is also a beautiful museum that depicts the story of Buddha. As I moved further I came across statues of 5 sky deities’ and a waterfall, that multiply the serenity of the place.
A huge Buddha statue under an umbrella sits in a meditative pose near the food court. Its weight is about 80 MT and is 21.5 ft tall. A small landscaped garden with swings is ideal to sit and absorb the energy emanated by the Buddha statue, the Pagoda and the silent nature itself.
To fuel the visitors with energy after a long amusing walk of the Pagoda and the museum, a food court has been provided which serves tasty Sattvic food/snacks.
Finally as you leave, you pass through a Souvenir shop that has beautiful artifacts, clothes, décor pieces, books, etc., at the display.
Well, for an art aficionado it’s impossible to take off the eyes from the golden beauty sitting calmly amid the earth, water and sky. This is one of the places that I keep visiting on and off for a change and has become one of the spot of my 2:5 life. I felt amazed to learn and experience a foreign culture in the Indian landscape and that too within such a proximity. I can surely say that this elegant structure is so much more than what meets the eyes!
(All the pictures are from my multiple visits to the Pagoda)
