Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is a sacred Buddhist monument being constructed in Australia near Bendigo in central Victoria. The basic idea for building this stupa came from Lama Yeshe, and after his passing Lama Zopa Rinpoche decided to model the stupa on the Great Stupa of Gyantse, which is 600 years old. When completed, the Bendigo stupa's exterior will look like an exact replica, and will be 50m high and its four sides will each be 50m long, making it one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the Western world. Buddhists say that viewing the stupa will help purify the mind. The Bendigo stupa is being designed to last 1,000 years. The interior will have teaching rooms, a central temple, library, and 80 ornate shrine rooms. It will eventually house the 2.5 metre Jade Buddha for Universal Peace statue, the world’s largest gem-quality jade Buddha. There is a vast collection of Asian sacred relics and statues on display at the Great Stupa exhibition centre.