The temple has been inspired by Cambodia's 800-year-old Angkor Wat temple complex. But at 115 metres high, it will be taller and also bigger, able to house 20,000 people. It will comprise vast structures and spires at a cost of $US78 million.

Known as the Viraat Ramayan Mandir, it will be spread across 77 hectares in Bihar, close to the India-Nepal border. Mr Kunal, Secretary of the Mahavir Mandir Trust which is building the temple, said the start of construction had been delayed because of last month's earthquake in Nepal.

"Our architects had made the temple earthquake-proof based on seismic zone 4 requirements but after the Nepal earthquake, they are upgrading the design based on seismic zone 5 - the highest risk - requirements," he said.

As a Sanskrit scholar and student of architecture, Mr Kunal said he had been disappointed with the "same old" architecture of most Hindu temples built in north India over the past three centuries. He wanted to create something strikingly different both in style and scale.

"It has to put Bihar on the map, attract tourists, provide jobs and make us feel proud. For that, the usual routine design would not have done. The idea is not to compete with Angkor Wat but to supersede other Hindu temples here and abroad," he said.

Another unique feature of the project is that numerous Muslim families in the area have donated land for its construction. Others, whose homes and farms were bang in the middle of the site, sold their land to the Trust at a nominal rate to enable the temple to come up. In 1992, by contrast, Hindu mobs demolished a mosque at Ayodhya which has never been rebuilt.

"Their [the Muslim families'] action should be applauded. If they hadn't been so cooperative and kind, we would not be ready to start building next month," said Mr Kunal.

Yet another unusual feature will be his plan to appoint some dalit (untouchable) priests out of the total number who will perform the rituals. In many parts of the country, dalits are not allowed to enter temples and the priestly profession is dominated by the Brahmin caste, in accordance with Hindu tradition.

Mr Kunal, having taken up social work after retiring from the police force, has been trying to reform these customs. One of his achievements was to appoint a dalit priest in Hanuman Patna temple in 1993.

"We now have a total of 20 dalit priests in Bihar. I will ensure that at least one dalit priest works at the new temple. I strongly believe it must not only stand for a new kind of architecture but a new kind of society," he said.