Regional development Minister Jaala Pulford has announced a $2.5 million funding injection to go towards the completion of Bendigo’s Great Stupa of Universal Compassion.
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Stupa chairman Ian Green said the funding would go towards the structure’s completion, with the next phase of works due to be finished by the time the stupa’s four-tonne jade Buddha takes permanent pride of place within the building’s walls in May next year.
“On that occasion we’ll have a jade Buddha festival which will be combined with the Great Stupa Festival of Light,” he said.
“There will be people coming from every temple, every city the [jade] Buddha has visited around the world, they’ll come here to join in the festivities and the celebrations for that, so that three or four days itself will be an enormous event.”
Mr Green said his organisation would now have to match the $2.5 million, with the stupa expected to be fully completed within about four years, and work also to begin on infrastructure requirements such as sewerage and electricity.