Zoram Thar Zofate Lairelna Inpui, a religious group in Mizoram is all set to build world’s largest church.
The church is planned to be built at Thenzawl town in central Mizoram’s Serchhip district, about 87 km from Aizawl via World Bank Road.
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Zoram Thar Zofate Lairelna Inpui (formerly Zoram Thar) is a non-denominational church founded by former Presbyterian missionary Rev Dr Zaichhawna Hlawndo in February 2016.
The group claimed that they belong to Israel and are descendants of Joseph, one of Jacob’s 12 sons found in the Old Testament.
Releasing the blueprint of the church here on Monday, Hlawndo said that the proposed church named ‘Zofate Pathian Biakinpui’ will be the largest in the world as it will attract and bring all nations under its roof.
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The proposed giant church will sprawl on 23809.52 square metres, 809.52 square metres bigger than St Basillica, which is currently the biggest church in the world, he said.
Hlawndo said that the church belongs to all Zofate (Mizo or Zo kindred tribes across the world) and will be constructed through public donations and voluntary services.
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The length and breadth of the church will be 270 feet and its height will be 177 feet, he said.
At least 30,000 seats will be installed inside the church and its courtyard would be large enough to accommodate about 70,000 people, he said.
He said that the proposed church will have 12 doors with separate rooms and each will be given specific names related to Christian beliefs.
The Zoram Thar leader said that the church will belong to all Mizo or Zo kindred tribes irrespective of denominations.
It can be used by any particular church or Christian group for the purpose of worship or religious assembly and it can also be used for state-wide or worldwide religious conference, he said.
Hlawndo worked as a missionary under the Presbyterian church of Mizoram in different parts of the word and had already settled in the United Kingdom before he returned to his native homeland in 2012.
He claimed that he received a ‘divine call’ to return to Mizoram in transit at Dubai airport.
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The main motive of his coming back to Mizoram was to reform the state and establish new Mizoram (Zoram Thar).
The former Presbyterian missionary floated ‘Zoram Thar’ in 2016. The group had contested 24 seats in the last assembly polls in 2018 but failed to win a seat.
The Zoramthar group also held ‘Zofate Haw Runpui Hnam inkhawmpui Thianghlim,’ a religious conference of all Zo kindred tribes, in December last year during which memorial stones for various Mizo tribes were erected.
The conference held at the proposed site of Zofate Pathian Biakinpui in Thenzawl town was attended by representatives of various Mizo or Zo kindred tribes from the northeast and Myanmar.