Banka is a small village, administered as part of Jang Bahadur Ganj village in

Lakhimpur Kheri District Lakhimpur Kheri district is the largest district in Uttar Pradesh, India, on the border with Nepal. Its administrative capital is the city of Lakhimpur. Lakhimpur Kheri district is a part of Lucknow division, with a total area of . The natio ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is noted for its temple to the Goddess of English.

English temple

The English temple was built near the Nalanda Public Shiksha Niketan School from April 2010 onwards in black granite and inaugurated on 25 October in honour of the anniversary of

Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, (; 25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was an English historian, poet, and Whig politician, who served as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and as the Paymaster General between 184 ...

's birthday. It contains a

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...

-inspired statue of the goddess wearing hat and gown, clutching a pen and a guide to the Indian Constitution. A computer screen by its side features the Buddhist

Dharmachakra The dharmachakra (Sanskrit: धर्मचक्र, ) or wheel of dharma is a symbol used in the Dharmic religions. It has a widespread use in Buddhism.John C. Huntington, Dina Bangdel, ''The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art,'' p. ...

. The walls are adorned with numerous symbols related to the maths and sciences. The purpose of the temple is to promote the English language among the Dalit peoples, which local governors believe crucial to the future success of the area and improving education.

References

{{Lakhimpur Kheri district Villages in Lakhimpur Kheri district