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Solomon’s Temple at Aizawl
Front view of the Temple of Solomon. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Christianity made inroads into Mizoram towards the end of the 19th century through the efforts of the Welsh missionaries. Despite its relatively recent roots in the region, Christianity is the largest religion in the state today. This has had a significant bearing on the cultural identity of Mizoram, as also on its landscape. Churches of various architectural specificities and affiliated to varied branches within Christianity itself— from the Evangelist, to the Roman Catholic to the predominant Presbyterian—are scattered across the state, particularly in the capital city of Aizawl. However, the Temple of Solomon is the largest of them all and is currently the main attraction for most tourists flocking to the state.
The Temple of Solomon at Chawlhmun in Aizawl is supposed to be a successor to Solomon’s Temple of the Hebrew Bible—the Holy Temple of Jerusalem constructed by King Solomon, the then ruler of Israel and Judah. Aizawl’s Temple of Solomon was built and is still maintained by a non-denominational Christian sect called Kohhran Thianghlim (Holy Church). The sect named the land immediately surrounding the Temple as ‘Kidron Valley’, harking back to the holy plains that lay adjacent to the old city of Jerusalem.
The sect’s founder, Dr. L.B. Sailo claimed to have received a divine message from God to build the Temple of Solomon, in a dream he had in 1991. The foundation stone for the temple was laid in 1996 but it was inaugurated 20 years later, on Christmas Day in 2017.
Aerial view of the massive Temple compound. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Temple is a massive structure sprawling over 3,025 sq. m. in western Aizawl, with exteriors made of white marble sourced from Rajasthan. It can seat 3,000 people within its main hall and up to 10,000 in its courtyard called the ‘Porch of Solomon’s Temple.’ The Temple has four towers, each carrying a crown as well as four pillars around the porch, all emblazoned with the Star of David.
The picturesque grassy grounds within the Temple’s compound attract a large number of locals and tourists to the sacred space. A grey stone cottage, a little brook and a massive tree, and arches adorned with flowers add a quaint charm to the temple’s garden.
A statue of an angel blowing a trumpet in front of one of the Temple’s towers. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Despite its fairly recent inauguration, Solomon’s Temple is deeply embedded in the community life of the town and its people. In fact, the cost of building it was fulfilled through generous donations from the sect’s members as well as local people willing to make the offering. The Temple is also used as a venue for blood donation camps and other social service and communal programmes by the Kohhran Thianghlim’s youth wing, the Youth Evangelical Front. Such events witness large scale volunteer participation particularly during the holiday seasons.
The fairy tale-like structures in the garden of Solomon’s Temple. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
People gathering for a blood donation camp on the porch of the Temple. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Temple is also rooted in the local church traditions, with the weekly Sunday service and celebration of anniversaries and other local events across the year. Indigenous Mizo practices have also been integrated into the ceremonies of Solomon’s Temple. For instance, they have adopted lengkhawm, or the traditional Mizo way of singing with two drums—a practice whose roots go back to village communal celebrations, where the local men sing together as they drink their rice beer. This tradition of singing to the beats of traditional drums is followed in the massive lamtual, or dancing area located within the Temple.
The Temple is thus emblematic of the blending of the traditional with the modern within Mizo society. It also reflects the seamless synergising of Christianity with the age-old traditional customs that are unique to this region.
The grand marble structure, the pristine greenery and the unique cultural significance of the Solomon’s Temple have together, made it an important tourist spot witnessing the rising footfall of both national and international visitors in recent years.
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