Among the colossal temples coming up across India is Mata Umiya Temple in Gujarat. Located in Jaspur near Ahmedabad, the Umiya Mata Temple will be next to the Statue of Unity in height. On completion, the temple tower will be as high as 431 feet – which is 166 feet shorter than the world’s tallest Statue of Unity. Interestingly, the most notable feature of the temple is going to be its height that will surpass the monumental gopurams of many temples in South India. As of today, Karnataka’s Murudeshwara Temple of Lord Shiva will continue to have the tallest gopuram (249 feet) in the country. The Ranganatha Swamy Temple of Srirangam in Tamil Nadu has the second tallest gopuram (239 feet) in the country.
PC: The Times of IndiaThe temple will be the central attraction of the Umiya Dham Complex that will sprawl nearly 65 acres of land in Jaspur, Ahmedabad. Rs 1000 crore is the estimated budget for the new Umiya Mata Temple in Gujarat. Designed by Indian architects and German artists, the temple will have an observation gallery at a height of 270 feet, which will command 180-degree panoramic views of the city landscape. The temple will have a huge idol of Mata Umiya worshiped at a height of 171 feet (52 meters).
As evident from the name, the temple is being constructed for Goddess Umiya, the clan deity of Gujarat’s Patidar community that uses the surname, “Patel.” Statistically, one of every ten Indian-origin individuals in the United States is a Gujarati with “Patel” as his/her last name. America is home to nearly half a million Patels from India, whereas nearly 100,000 Patels live in the UK.
The Mata Umiya Dham Temple complex will also accommodate a world-class guest house for NRI visitors, a convention hall, various facilities for senior citizens and students, a medical care facility, an all-in-one sports facility, a career development center, a skill development community, a library, a hostel, a banquet hall, and various recreation facilities including a theatre. A two-storey parking lot will accommodate 1000 vehicles at the basement of the complex. A 13-floor apartment with 400 rooms will also be built within the complex, as per reports. The grand temple structure will be supported by 92 pillars with pictorial engravings.
There are five Umiya Mata Temples in the United States. The five locations are Macon in Georgia, Edison in New Jersey, Boston in Massachusetts, Chicago in Illinois, and Los Angeles. America’s first Umiya Mata temple was built on a land of 32 acres in Macon, Georgia for US$ 20 million in 2014. The cultural heritage of the half-a-million-odd Patel community living in the US centers around these temples.
The foundation stone of the temple near Ahmedabad was laid out in December 2021. The 3-day foundation ceremony was virtually attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Moreover, the area surrounding the temple complex will gradually be transformed into a socio-economic hub across 3 lakh square meters.
Once the temple is open to public (expected in 2025), the Gujarati diaspora will be taking flights to Ahmedabad from USA, the UK, Canada, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. This is part of our continued series on the upcoming wonders in India for the Diaspora that Travel Beats, a leading community portal by Indian Eagle, caters to.
