Solomon's Temple, Aizawl

"In the year 1991, God had shown me Solomon's Temple in my dreams. I never thought of Solomon's temple ever before, nor had any dream of constructing it, but when I was clearly shown in 1991, as soon as I woke up, I wrote down the temple as I saw in my dream", Dr.L.B. Sailo, founder, Kohhran Thianghlim Church.[5][6] A piece of land was purchased in the eastern part, but due to the inaccessibility, lack of transportation facility and the inadequate size of the land acquired, the site was purposefully relocated.[7] The location is on the western side, 10 km away from Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram state in India. The foundation stone was laid on 23 December 1996.

Solomon's Temple, Mizoram on Coronation Day

Area

The Temple area accommodates 2,000 people within the main hall and ten thousand people within its courtyard. It is a square site 180 ft. on each side. The interior of the Temple building is also square, 120 ft on each side. A verandah 30 ft. wide is attached to the exterior of the main hall on all four sides. This provides a shelter for people with its sizable seating capacity and is called ‘The porch of Solomon’s Temple’.[8]

Design

The main building has twelve main doors, three doors each on one side, corresponding to the other side. The faces of the Temple exactly face South, North, East, and West. Above the porch, on all four sides, there are tall pillars, carrying Seven David’s stars representing angels/messengers of the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev. 1:20). On each of the pillar, a picture of the Cross of Jesus Christ and the emblem of the Holy Church is embedded. Atop of the porch, an idol of two Angels blowing trumpets, facing the top of the pillar, flanked the northern side of the pillar, which is now used as the main entrance. Four towers (steeples) cornered the main hall of Temple. The tower is square shaped. A six-sided spire with a crown on top of it, is standing high at the top of the tower, surrounded by four mini-spires at the four corners.

There are two intersecting horizontal ridges crossing the middle of the pitch roof, so that from above in the air, the ridges form a cross representing the new covenant. The Temple has 32 windows, 32 ventilations, and 32 skylights. It is a multi-storey building.

Temple Complex

Within its compound, the temple complex has natural park covered by various forest trees to shade and fruits for bird and squirrel of different kinds meant for their sanctuary. There will be standard restaurant on a hill for visitors. The complex will house an educational institution, social service center such as to care for destitute with De-Addiction center and polyclinics hospital as well.

Finance

Most of the financial needs are contributed by the church members. Donation was also collected worldwide, but the input received from this was not very significant. Visitors from time to time, donated considerable amount of money to the Temple authority, which is worthy of appreciation. However, there is no compulsory collections/entry fee/charge to the visitors.

The temple is occasionally used for holding church service on Sunday, Zanlai Au Aw (Midnight Herald) Anniversary organized by the Publication Board of Kohhran Thianghlim, Missionary Day organized by Mission Board and Jerusalem Khawmpui[9] during the last part of December every year. This is a spiritual convention for all the church members. It is also used as a place for Voluntary Blood Donation Programme[10] by the Church's youth wing, Youth Evangelical Front.

The Temple was officially inaugurated on Dt.25.12.2017. Dr. L.B. Sailo, had unveiled the plaque. The Temple has become a major tourist attraction/destination in Mizoram particularly for Aizawl and the inauguration is set to increase the tourist inflow and place Mizoram as one of the hotspot tourist destination in the country.[11][12]