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Drone image of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion. Photo by Brett Ritchie.
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, being built near Bendigo Australia, is 50 meters (164 feet) square at its base and nearly 50 meters high. This makes it the largest stupa in the Western World. This stupa is the same design and size as the Gyantse Stupa (Kumbum) in Tibet. The Gyantse Stupa is one of the treasures of the Buddhist world.
We are pleased to share a recent update from Great Stupa director, Ian Green:
Drone Video
We are pleased to share a drone compilation of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, shot by Brett Ritchie. You can watch it in 4K by selecting the “cog” on the bottom row of options directly under the video.
Please watch the drone compilation video of the Great Stupa:
https://youtu.be/0qCbFCU27Bg?feature=shared
Kalachakra Mandala Ceiling
The ceiling of the Great Stupa gompa is 20 meters x 20 meters (66 x 66 feet). This whole space will be covered with a Kalachakra mandala. The mandala is being painted on polycarbonate panels which are 2 meters (6.5 feet) square. There will be 100 of these panels suspended to make the ceiling. The mandala will be presented three-dimensional so that different levels of the mandala will be on different levels. Lighting will be incorporated into the mandala to create a spectacular effect. While the mandala itself is strictly traditional, the way it is being presented on this enormous ceiling is being modernized to take advantage of modern materials.
Painting of the Kalachakra ceiling panels. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion.
The painting of the panels is being undertaken by a team of around 10 volunteers who are led and coordinated by Garrey Foulkes, the artistic director, and Guy Lawson the project manager. These skilled artists have been at work in Bendigo and in Queensland for nearly 12 months and their work is currently 50% complete. The ceiling will be complete for the Kalachakra initiation which will be led by Jhado Rinpoche inside the Great Stupa in September 2025.
Bumpa Door Frames
Bumpa door frames. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion.
The door frames on the Bumpa (level 6) of the Great Stupa have been crafted to be replicas of the frames on the Gyantse Kumbum in Tibet. These massive frames are around 5.5 meters (18 feet) high. Work on the frames was completed in Vietnam and the art team under the leadership of Finn Matthews and Guy Lawson are meticulously painting them to be even more spectacular than the original door frames in Gyantse. Work is ongoing and we intend for the frames to be erected by the end of 2024.
Lightshows at the Great Stupa
Light show at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion.
Lightshows at the Great Stupa offer elaborate lighting throughout the Peace Park and spectacular lights on the stupa itself. These lightshows, which are called Illumin8 and Enlighten, occur on many occasions throughout the year and are sell-out events with people traveling far to experience this magical and uplifting presentation.
Bodhidhamma Vihara
The Buddha statue is installed in Bodhi Dhamma Vihara, a Sri Lankan community project on the grounds of the Great Stupa. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion.
Interfaith harmony is a major component of the Great Stupa‘s presentation to visitors. We believe that this conviction relates as much to harmony amongst Buddhist traditions as between different faiths. When the local Sri Lankan Buddhist community approached us about their need to find some land for a much needed vihara (temple or place of worship) in the Bendigo region, we were pleased to offer them the use of some of the land belonging to the Great Stupa for that purpose. Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche was very pleased that this cooperation was happening.
This sharing of the land is symbolic of harmony between our two Buddhist traditions and also between our two cultures and countries. The Great Stupa has worked cooperatively with the Bodhidhamma Vihara Bendigo team on the establishment of the vihara and in doing so we have enriched our spiritual and cultural lives.
A large ceremony to mark the planting of the sapling of Jaya Shri Maha Bodhi, the most sacred tree in Sri Lanka, in the vihara site at the Great Stupa will take place on June 6. 2024. This event will be attended by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, the Premier of the State of Victoria, along with leading sangha from Sri Lanka, representatives of the interfaith community, ambassadors, and various leaders of federal, state, and local government.
We hope that the harmonious relationship between the Great Stupa and the Bodhidhamma Vihara will be an inspiration to Buddhists and people all over the world, illustrating that by working together, it is possible to build a positive connection that lasts for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
To learn more about the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, visit the website:
www.stupa.org.au