HARMAN has raised the bar of how technology can support aesthetically appealing yet complex architectures. Our sound solutions at the Global Vipassana Pagoda, a house of worship in Mumbai, is a testament to HARMAN’s great engineering and diverse knowledge of worship venues. Providing a place of peace and reflection for over 8,000 people at a time, the Global Vipassana Pagoda features traditional Burmese design and took almost a decade to build.
The biggest challenge was to seamlessly cover the Pagoda’s immense 15 acre area with high quality sound, optimized for both speaking and music. Using HARMAN’s revolutionary Digital Directivity Control (DDC) & Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) technologies, we were able to provide uniform audio coverage and excellent speech intelligibility inside the Pagoda. With the world’s largest stone dome without supporting pillars, all this architectural complexity doesn’t make for a good environment for sound reproduction and it’s possibly the most challenging space our Professional Solutions team has delivered our advanced audio technology.
Resembling the Main Pagoda, there’s a smaller Pagoda north of the main dome with similar acoustical challenges. While installing the JBL CBT100 loudspeakers selected for this job, we had to ensure that any sound emitted never creates too much reverb or noise that could be heard by occupants in the main building, especially as this space is used for multiple meditation sessions throughout the day. Furthermore, because the Pagoda is nestled between the Arabian Sea and the Gorai creek, it was critical that we select a weather-proof sound solution that could stand up to moisture. Fortunately, our AWC82 loudspeakers fit the bill and now help transmit the teachings and meditations of the Vipassana practice to hundreds and thousands of spiritual seekers each year.
In appreciation of the superior consultation and solutions provided by HARMAN, one of the trustees, Lokesh Goenka had this to say: “For the Global Vipassana Pagoda monument, which sees more than 800,000 visitors annually, we were looking for an audio solution which could also be used as a PA system. It’s been a year now since the HARMAN systems have been functioning at Global Vipassana Pagoda, and we thank the entire team for the support they provide us.”