Bokaro, Nov. 23: Lugu Buru temple in Gomia, some 75km from Bokaro steel city, among the world's most sacred and oldest tribal places of worship, has had a brush with modernity that will be unveiled to the world on Wednesday.
Nestling on top of the densely forested Luguburu hills, the tribal temple that predates Christ, Lugu Buru Ghanta Bari has been given a massive overhaul, from stairs to stupas and halls to house thousands, courtesy state government funds.
In 2012, then Arjun Munda government released Rs 5 crore to develop the place as a religious-cum-tourist centre. Three years later, governor Droupadi Murmu will fly in from Ranchi on Wednesday afternoon to inaugurate the centre designed by New Delhi based architect Chadha & Associates.
Some 50,000 tribals from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Malaysia and Indonesia, including disom gurus, are also likely to attend the ceremony that falls on Kartik Purnima, considered auspicious by tribals to pay their respect to ancestors. Many of them will stay on for the 15-day celebrations, including a fair.
Lugu Buru, believed to be the founding father of Santhals, is considered by tribals to be an incarnation of god with divine powers who could transform himself into any form. That's why, they believe, Lugu Buru transformed his human form to become the green hills in Gomia block, now unfortunately more known for rebel violence than this scenic example of faith.
"We are privileged that this place falls in our jurisdiction," Bokaro DC Manoj Kumar, supervising the bandobast for Wednesday's mega event, said.
The revamp of the existing Lugu Buru temple included construction of five big gates, a night shelter (hall) spacious enough for over 1,000 persons, an open-air theatre for 10,000 devotees and a meditation hall. To reach the hilltop, new stairs were built. Also, seven stupas (religious symbols) of Lugu Buru were made to make the place attractive. The existing pond was also beautified.
Bokaro senior additional collector Jugnu Minz said Lugu Buru hills were the biggest legacy in the world for Santhals. "I am an Oraon, but we also respect Lugu Buru enormously."
