India-Italy Joint Research Project

The Global Vipassana Pagoda (GVP) is a modern monument for Vipassana meditation with a capacity to seat around 10,000 attendees near Gorai, northwest of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. This monument holds the relics of Gautam Buddha over the main dome. The shape copies quite closely the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar. However, the Shwedagon Pagoda is made of solid masonry, whereas the Global Vipassana Pagoda internally exhibits very large hollow spaces to welcome meditators. 

Construction 

2000-2008

Structural Design

• Design by Dr. Mahesh Varma, Nandadeep Building Centre, Aurangabad and advised by Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), Mumbai 

Architect 

• Shri Parvez Dhumasia

This structure was made with the concept of dome-over-dome construction. 

• There is a main segmental dome at the bottom with 85.15 m diameter at floor level. 

• The catenary dome with an internal height of 33.26 m is resting over the main dome. 

• An auxiliary dome is provided to support the catenary dome.  The conical dome is resting over the catenary dome. 

• The conical dome has an internal height of  22.19 m. 

The total height of the structure from the floor level is 89.93 m. 

The structure has an octagonal plan view at the base of the main dome. 

The section of the structure shown above is a shorter section. 

The shorter section line and longer section line are defined based on the thickness of the wall. 

Gate 1 has a single arched entry having a vault with a span 12 m.
Other gates (Gate No. 2 to 8) have 3 arched entries.