page_title: Global Vipassana Pagoda
section_title: Construction materials
hierarchical_section_title: Global Vipassana Pagoda / Construction history / Construction materials
caption_attribution_description: English: Motif on Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai, India.
context_page_description: The Global Vipassana Pagoda is a Meditation Dome Hall with a capacity to seat around 8,000 Vipassana meditators near Gorai, North-west of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The Pagoda was inaugurated by Pratibha Patil, then President of India on 8 February 2009. It is built on donated land on a peninsula between Gorai creek and the Arabian Sea. The pagoda is to serve as a monument of peace and harmony. The Global Vipassana Pagoda has been built out of gratitude to Sayagyi U Ba Khin, Vipassana teacher and the first Accountant-General of Independent Burma, who was instrumental in Vipassana returning to India, the country of its origin.
  Built entirely through voluntary donations, the purpose of the Global Vipassana Pagoda is to: 1 share information about Vipassana, and 2 spread information on Gotama the Buddha and his teachings. Vipassana is the practical quintessence of the universal, non-sectarian teachings of the Buddha.
  Its traditional Burmese design is an expression of gratitude towards the country of Myanmar for preserving the practice of Vipassana. The shape of the pagoda is a copy of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.
context_section_description: The foundation of the dome consists of basalt, while the dome itself is made from sandstone brought from Rajasthan. The individual blocks of sandstone weigh 600–700 kg each and are kept in place due to the unique design of the bricks. Each of the bricks interlock with the ones adjacent to it and lime mortar is used to fill in any remaining gaps. The circumambulation path is laid in marble.
  The pinnacle of the pagoda is adorned with a large crystal. The spire is covered in real gold, while the rest of the pagoda is covered in gold paint. The spire is topped with a special ornamental umbrella piece donated by the Burmese. The main doors to the pagoda are wooden and hand-carved in Myanmar (Burma).
caption: Motif on Global Vipassana Pagoda
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