Thrissur (Kerala), Aug 25 (IANS): An inter-religious meditation centre is being set up here dedicated to a hymn written by Saint Francis Assissi.

Thrissur would be the third such centre after Wurttemberg in Germany and Assisi in Italy. The hymn, "The Canticle of the Sun" is among the first works of literature written in Italian.

Davis Pulikkottil, Rector and Vicar of the Shrine Basilica in Thrissur said the project was inspired by Saint Assissi, the patron saint of animals and ecology. It has taken more than four years to build.

The project involves carving images out of blocks of solid natural rock. The structures had been made by carving images of sun, moon and stars as well as wind, air, water, fire, Earth and death as mentioned in The Canticle. Each of the seven blocks from which images are carved weighs a tonne, said Pulikkottil.

The meditation Centre named 'Shaantydhara' ('Fountain of Peace') will be inaugurated by Bosco Puthur, Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of the St. Thomas Apostle of Melbourne on Sunday.

The inauguration will be followed by an inter-cultural and inter-religious meeting on world peace and religious harmony to be presided over by Archbishop Andrews Thazhath.

In 1979, the Pope had declared St. Francis to be a patron of ecology.