Viraat Ramayan Temple would not exactly be a replica of Angkor Wat but incorporate features from various temples worldwide.

Acharya Kishore Kunal, the president of Bihar State Board of Religious Trusts, on Thursday wrote a letter to the Centre clarifying that the proposed Viraat Ramayan Temple, to be constructed at Kesariya in East Champaran, would not be a replica of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Kunal has written the letter in the wake of the recent objection raised by the Cambodian government regarding construction of the temple, which it feared to be a replica of the Unesco World Heritage site.

"Our Viraat Ramayan Temple is not the exact replica of any temple in the world; rather it incorporates certain excellent architectural features of many temples located in six countries - India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Some of the temples whose architectural marvel has been incorporated in the temple are Shore temple, Chennai, Amawa Ram Mandir, Ayodhaya, Kataknagar temple, Bangladesh, Ayutthaya temple, Thailand, Pantarama temple, Indonesia, Pashupati Nath temple, Nepal and Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia," said Kunal.

On May 30, the acting ambassador of the embassy of Cambodia, Hun Han, accompanied by another officer Chhoy Misan of the embassy, had visited Kesariya. After the visit, the Cambodian government raised objection about the temple's construction.

Kunal, in the letter, stressed that the proposed temple in Kesariya is not the copy of Angkor Wat and it was mixture of 15 architectural designs of the important temples India and abroad.

He cited the example of Article 26 of the Constitution in the letter and said: "India is the largest democracy in the world and we are governed by the Constitution, which provides certain fundamental rights to its citizens and those rights cannot be infringed upon by the State. Article 26 of the Constitution guarantees the fundamental rights to establish a religious institution, provided it does not violate any law of the land. There is no law or rule in India or any other country which prohibits the construction of even a replica of the heritage temple."

The cost of the project is Rs 650 crore and would be completed in span of three years once started. Before the main temple, the premises would have the largest Shiv Linga (33ft) in one of its sanctum sanctorum for which granite is coming from Tamil Nadu, it would be installed within a year.

The beauty of the temple can be understood from the fact that that at a height of 72ft, around 20,000 devotees can worship Lord Ram, Sita and Hanuman together at a time.

Kunal, in the letter, also described the difference between Angkor Wat and Viraat Ramayan Temple through 15 points. Some of these are - Angkor was made of stone while this one would be concrete structure; Angkor is almost square whereas it would be a rectangular edifice; Angkor has nine spires but this temple will have 18; Angkor has only one sanctum meant for Lord Vishnu while Viraat Ramayan Temple will have 18 sanctum sanctorum for 18 deities.

"There are lots of difference between the technique of the 12th century when Angkor was built and that of the 21st century when this Viraat Ramayan Temple is being constructed. Therefore, there is no question of making any replica. We can assure the people of Cambodia that when they replaced Lord Vishnu in the main sanctum of Angkor Wat with Lord Buddha we never made an issue because we too worship Lord Buddha," said Kunal.