Maha Mrityunjay Temple : A Special Architectural Essence

In the heart city of Assam - Guwahati, lies the foundation stone of Maha Mrityunjay Temple which is situated in Nagaon area, around 120 km far away from the suburbs of Assam, Guwahati.

This Hindu temple is dedicated to God Shiva and is considered to be the world’s largest Shiva linga, which makes it a special architectural essence.

The construction of the temple was initiated in 2003 when Acharya Bhrigu Giri Maharaj discovered the meditation area of Guru Shukracharya, one of the sacred guru of Hindu Titans, who performed the Maha Mritunjay Mantra. It is believed that reciting the Mritunjaya Mantra is an auspicious and powerful method of self-realization. It helps remove evil effects and gives freedom from all kinds of fears, illnesses and negativity.

The temple is significant due to reflection of its mastery in the engineering world. The unique linga has an eye-shaped opening. This temple of Shiva is eastern facing and the Linga is worshipped as the savior from death. At the height of 250 feet’s from the ground level, this feature has made the structure unique and attractive for devotees from all over the world.

The state of Assam is vulnerable to earthquakes. The continuous movements of tectonic plates result in frequent earthquakes, causing both major and minor damage.  The tectonics of the Assam region is dominated by the convergence of the India, Burma and Eurasian plates. Designing and planning a 76 meters long elevated structure on an unpredictable land was quite challenging. There was a need to develop a stable structure which ensured all the safety measures.

Considering all the factors, Team Sanfield suggested the use of an Architectural expansion joint for this project.

The joints were placed on various required ends.

As the height increases, the factors causing risk to the structure increase. To build a temple in an Earthquake prone area like Assam was needed to install a specialised system to accommodate the unusual structural movements. Hence, Sanfield’s exclusive SACP system was installed that allows the slide plate to return to its natural position even after a seismic occurrence. These systems designed by Sanfield India can allow multi­directional movements, accommodate wide openings and allows proper functioning of the joints during seismic events.

Sanfield India Limited supplied a good quantity of 200 Running meters of SACP system with a joint width of 100 mm.

The construction of Maha Mritunjay temple was successfully completed in the year 2021. The temple was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah, through Pran Pratishta Mahotsav held from 22-25 February and was opened to the public on 26 February 2021.