Arunachal: Environment ministry grants retrospective approval to Golden Pagoda in Namsai

The Union Environment Ministry has recommended retrospective approval for the diversion of around 20 hectares of forest land for the Golden Pagoda, a renowned Burmese-style Buddhist temple constructed in 2010 in the Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The temple authorities had cleared a section of the Manabhum Reserve Forest for the construction of the Buddha temple, which started in 2008.

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The Golden Pagoda, also called Kongmu Kham, is a Burmese-style Buddhist temple built in 2010. It's located on a 20-hectare complex in Namsai District, Arunachal Pradesh, India, at a distance of 68 kilometres (42 miles) from the nearest railway station Tinsukia, Assam. 

The Golden Pagoda is surrounded by a landscaped garden and houses a gilded statue of Buddha modeled on the kala Buddha of Nalanda archive.