The Sivali Vietnamese Temple in Sarnath has one of the tallest statues of the meditating Buddha, which is over 70 feet in height. It is also called the “Gulabi Temple” or the Pink Temple by the locals in the area due to the color of the pink stone used to construct the temple.
It also features a large statue of Ashoka the Great and the meditating monk Guttasilo Mahathero, with the words *”Pray for Good Health and a Long Life”* inscribed under the statue, which is made of yellow stone.
Sivali Vietnamese Temple: Sarnath
The temple has a single pillar known as the Pagoda. It is built in Vietnamese architectural style, with a brass bell hanging from the top. There is also a small guest house for monks to stay. According to the legend, a monk named Doan Lan Tan built this temple in 2014. A monk in Vietnam had asked him to go to India and build a Buddha temple, for which he would be paid a salary of one dollar. Doan initially refused, as he felt that one dollar was too little for survival in a distant land. However, after a while, he became restless and could not sleep, feeling guilty as if he were not fulfilling a duty. One night, he dreamt of the same monk, who told him that he had not fulfilled his life’s mission and that if he wanted to break out of the cycle of life and death, he needed to build a beautiful Buddha temple in India. The dream inspired Doan, who realized that this was his mission in life.
Doan sold his house and car and traveled to Sarnath in India. There, a monk showed him a barren piece of land and asked him to build the temple on it, promising that this would allow him to attain salvation and break free from the cycle of life and death.
Doan then returned to Vietnam to raise funds for the temple. He met with businessmen and government officials and raised money through crowdfunding. In 2009, the first stone was laid to begin the construction of the Sivali Vietnamese Temple.
If you visit, you will likely meet Doan, wearing an orange monk robe. He looks after the upkeep of the temple, often doing gardening and maintenance work. If you’re lucky, he might also give you a tour of the temple and explain the best spots to take your photos. Doan doesn’t speak much, but his presence is very calming. “Where are you from?” Doan asked me as I took my rounds of the temple. We had a quiet chat, and I felt inspired by a man who had dedicated his life to a single cause: to build the temple. He lives a very frugal life with hardly any possessions, yet he seems very content.
I highly recommend that travelers visit this temple and meet Doan, who will be happy to share his inspiring story with you.
