Rastrapathi Smt. Pratibha Patil dedicated the blooming lotus shaped Monument, symbolizing,universal peace spirituality and fraternity. to the mankind on 13th August 2010.at Santhigiri ashram .
Made in pristine Makrana marble,the Parnasala is visual wonder which has attracted thousands of people .The structural marvel is located 21 km away from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, at Santhigiri Ashram, Pothancode.
The Ashram which began in a humble way in the 1960s is open to all irrespective of religion caste class region or gender. Annadanam (freefood to all), Athurasevanam( treatment of thre trailing) and Atmabobhabnam( self realization) are the threefold mission of the Ashram. The devotees firmly believe that the ” Word is Truth ,Truth is Guru and Guru is God”- said Swami Gururetnam Jnana tapaswi The organizing Secretary of Ashram.
This lotus shaped structure, which has been under construction for almost 10 years now is the Parnasala or the final resting place of the ashram's founder Navajyothisee Karunakara Guru who passed away in May 1999.
The lotus motif has been used throughout the Parnasala, and serves the dual purpose of a spiritual abode and a functional monument. The imposing structure, rising to a height of 91 ft, is fast nearing completion.
The lotus shaped superstructure with a radius of 84 ft has 21 lotus petals with 12 facing upward and 9 downwards. The current structure of Parnasala, stands at a height of 91 ft, radius of 84 ft, 64 ft inner diameter and 21 petals. The structure contains 12 upward facing petals of 41 ft and nine downward facing petals of 31 ft each. Constructed in pristine white marble brought from Rajasthan and a special black granite mined in Karnataka, the Parnasala is a visual wonder.
Almost 100,000 sq ft of marble, transported from Makrana in Rajasthan, was painstakingly cut into even-sized tiles by workers at the Ashram before being cemented onto the RCC petals.
The entire edifice is supported on 21 carved pillars. The Baalalayam or the elevated platform meant for conducting ceremonies is noteworthy for beautiful and intricate wood carving. On the first floor of the Parnasala, in 12 rooms, the articles used by the Guru will be preserved.
At the heart of the structure is the Sarakoodam, a 27 ft-high teak wooden enclosure in the shape of a lotus bud with a marble cask inside. Atop the cask, 11 steps lead to a pedestal where a life-size gold sculpture of the Guru will be installed.
According to Sreekumaran Nair, the structural consultant for the project, the shaping of the lotus petals took immense effort and skill as the curves had to be executed perfectly and evenly. The construction of each petal took almost six months and the fixing of the marble tiles claimed another three years.
Outside the Parnasala, eventually colourful floodlights will reflect different colours on the white lotus superstructure during night time.
The project is estimated to cost Rs 30 crore. Landscaping, library, lecture hall and other infrastructure will cost another Rs 20 crore.
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