Rajasthan added another tourist attraction to its long list of sites as the world’s tallest Shiva statue – 369-foot-tall – was inaugurated in Nathdwara, Udaipur during the weekend.

It was inaugurated by Morari Bapu, a spiritual leader in presence of the State Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, and the Speaker, C.P. Joshi. To celebrate the occasion, a series of nine-day religious, spiritual, and cultural events were also launched.

The statue was completed in 10 years and 3,000 tonnes of steel and iron, and 2.5 cubic tonnes of concrete and sand were used in its construction.

Keeping in mind the speed of wind at that altitude, the design of the statue was subjected to wind tunnel testing in Australia. It can withstand wind speeds of 250 kilometers an hour. To protect it from rain and sunlight it is coated with zinc and painted with copper.

For the convenience of tourists and devotees, the statue has a lift, staircase, and hall. There are four lifts and three stairs which can be used by visitors to reach the top. A fully equipped water tank has been installed with firefighting equipment to ensure the safety of Lord Shiva’s statue and the visitors.

The statue erected by Tat Padam Sansthan is situated in Ganesh Tekri which is 45 kilometers from Udaipur.

What makes the Lord Shiva statue special is that it can be easily spotted even from a distance of 20 km and at night when it is lit the scene is picturesque.

Earlier the 143 feet tall Kailashnath Mahadev statue in Nepal was the world’s tallest statue. Apart from this statue in Udaipur, there are two more tall statues of Lord Shiva in India. One located in Karnataka’s Murudeshwar Temple is 123 feet tall while the other one is the Adiyogi Shiva statue in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore which is 112 feet tall.

The top five tallest Shiva statues in the world are as follows: 1. Vishwas Swaroopam (Statue of Belief) in Rajasthan, 2. Kailashnath Mahadev Mandir in Nepal, 3. Murudeshwar Mandir in Karnataka, 4. Adiyogi Mandir in Tamilnadu, 5. Mangal Mahadev in Mauritius

Lifts, stairs, halls, etc. have also been built in this statue. During the construction, 3000 tonnes of steel and iron, and 2.5 lakh cubic tonnes of concrete and sand have been used. Winds blowing at a speed of 250 km will also not affect the statue. The ‘Statue of Belief’ was conceived by Mr. Madan Paliwal, Chairman, Miraj Group, Udaipur. The concept was further developed by Studio Maturam Art which designed the 351-feet tall statue, while the structural design was provided by Skeleton Consultants and work began in early 2016.

References:

indianarrative.com