‘Siddeshwar Dhaam’ popularly known as char dhaams unveiled

First ever unique pilgrimage centre in the Country opens for devotees

Chief Minister, Shri Pawan Chamling says: Opening of Siddhesvara Dhama in Solophok will further promote cultural, emotional, mental, spiritual development, would further promote emotional integration of Sikkim and the North East; the biggest contribution made by the Sikkimese people.

NAMCHI, November 7-8, 2011: A unique experiment of its kind, the famed Siddhesvara Dhaam popularly known as chaar dhams hosting a 108 ft statue of Lord Shiva and replicas of four Dhaams of the country opened for public darshan at once in a single complex here at Solophok hilltop in Namchi. The char dhams together with 12 jyotirlingas was today consecrated by Shri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swarupananda Saraswati which was attended by the Chief Minister, Shri Pawan Chamling, Smt. Tika Maya Chamling, Speaker, Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, senior Secretaries, officials, and large number of people coming from all over the State and outside the State.

A special puja ‘Pran Prastisha’ was performed by the Shankaracharya in the main prayer hall below the Lord Shiva statue which was attended by the Chief Minister, cabinet ministers, senior government officials and others. The Shankaracharya will be delivering a special sermon tomorrow at the Bhaichung Stadium.
Apart from the giant statue of Lord Shiva in a sitting posture at the highest commanding point and looking over the entire complex, there are replicas of four sacred shrines- Jagannatha, Badrinatha, Dwarka and Rameswaram located in different parts of the country. Replicas of all twelve Joytirlingas spread across the country have also been built at ‘Siddhesvara Dhaam’.
An eighteen feet statue of Lord Kirateshwar (an incarnation of Lord Shiva believed to have become a hunter in Sikkim forests as per Hindu mythology) has also been created at Solophok complex.
The rural development department has proposed to construct various amenities like guest house, shops, statues of religious deities and water reservoirs besides land scaping the entire complex.
The ‘Siddhesvara Dhaam’ is spread over 29.9 hectares of land, five kms away from Namchi town. An amount of Rs. 56.51 crores have been spent so far out of the total sanctioned Central cost of Rs.99.56 crores when works started form February, 2005, said the State rural development department which is implementing this ‘pilgrimmage-cum cultural centre’ project.
Earlier on the day, the Chief Minister attended Sankalpa puja who was accompanied by Smt. Tika Maya Chamling, State RMDD Minisrer CB Karki, MLA Namchi Singithang Binod Rai, line department secretaries and officers from different departments. After the Salkalpa puja conducted by the priests, the Chief Minister also inspected the final touches given to the statue of Lord Shiva, Shiv Mandir, Rameshwaram Dhaam, Jaganath Dhaam, Dwaraka Dhaam, Badrinath Dhaam and Sai Mandir and all the twelve jyotirlingas.
It may be mentioned here that Shri Pawan Chamling had conceived the ‘Char Dhaam’ project in South district comprising of the replicas of the four Dhaams, a 108 feet tall statue of Lord Shiva, a replica of Shirdi Sai Baba temple, replica of 12 ‘Jyotirlingas’, etc, in a bid to promote religious tourism in Sikkim.