Victoria Sikh community has unveiled a golden Ik Oankar statue at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.
More than 200 people gathered on Tuesday to see the sculpture take pride of place at the Great Stupa’s Peace Park.
The Ik Oankar statue, which is the first of its kind in Australia, has taken five years to develop and construct.
This sculpture was made to order by Iqbal Singh Gill from Punjab in India. Made of carbon fibre, this ‘Ik Onkar’ symbol was sent to Australia from India by ship.
“The Sikh community approached us and said they would like to make the Ik Onkar here in Bendigo,” Great Stupa chair Ian Green said.
“The Great Stupa is a very unique place where all faiths are represented so they wanted to make sure the Sikh faith was represented here as well.”
A statue of a Catholic saint is already displayed in the park, with the two-metre high St Francis of Assisi unveiled in May last year.
There will also be an Islamic mosaic and meditation cave, a large Hindu deity from the Hindu Community of Victoria, and a statue from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unveiled in the coming years.
Mr Green said the focus of the Peace Park was to unite faiths.
“It’s another step forward for the Great Stupa Peace Park because this is where we want many symbols of many different faiths to be,” he said.
“It’s just a perfect demonstration of what we’re trying to achieve at the Great Stupa – to be open to all faiths, to all cultures, to all beings.”
The unveiling of the statue also coincided with the 550th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak.
“We have a number of Sikh people in our community and we had the festival just recently as well, so it’s just lovely,” City of Greater Bendigo mayor Margaret O’Rourke said.
“It’s beautiful what’s unfolding here – every time you visit it’s growing and developing more. It looks fantastic and I think this Peace Park is a real jewel as part of the Great Stupa.”
Free vegetarian food was also served at the end of the ceremony to everyone attending the event.