Statue of Belief

The Statue of Belief (also known as Vishwas Swaroopam) is a statue of the Hindu god Shiva constructed at Nathdwara in Rajasthan, India.^[2][3] The 369 feet (112 m) tall art of Shiva statue was sculpted by Murtikar Naresh Kumawat and opened on 29 October 2022. The Statue of Belief is the tallest statue of Shiva in the world and 4th tallest statue the worldwide.^[4]

Vishwaas Swaroopam

Statue in July 2023
24.9190°N 73.8178°E / 24.9190; 73.8178
Location	Ganesh Tekri, Nathdwara, Rajasthan, India
Designer	Murtikar Naresh Kumawat
Builder	Shapoorji Pallonji Group
Type	Statue
Material	Steel framing, reinforced by concrete and brass coating, bronze cladding
Height	369 feet (112 m)
Beginning date	April 2013 (2013-04)[1]
Completion date	17 August 2019
Opening date	29 October 2022
Dedicated to	Lord Shiva
Website	www.statueofbelief.com

Description

Shiva is depicted in a seated position with his legs crossed and holding a trishula in his left hand. Shiva's left foot is thrown over the knee of his right leg. The facial expression is detached, meditative.^[5] The statue has a distinctive copper shade. There are two vantage points that offer a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. Design for the statue began in 2011, construction began in 2016, and it was completed in 2020. The overall statue is 369 feet (112 m) tall; the pedestal is 110 feet (34 m) tall.^[6] The statue can be seen from as far as 20 kilometres (12 mi) away.^[7]

The interior of the statue contains an exhibition hall as well as public viewing galleries accessible by elevator at 20 feet (6.1 m), 110 feet (34 m), and 270 feet (82 m).^[8][1] The installation includes a statue of Nandi, Shiva's bull, measuring 25 feet (7.6 m) tall and 37 feet (11 m) long.^[9] The 16-acre grounds also include a parking facility, three herbal gardens, a food court, a laser fountain, an area for handicraft shops, viewing platforms, musical fountains, souvenir shops, and a pond.^[8] There is a mini-train on site for quick local sightseeing.^[10]

Construction

The statue was conceived of by Indian businessman Madan Paliwal, sculpted by Murtikar Naresh Kumawat,^[3] and constructed by Shapoorji Pallonji. The structure consists of an inner core of reinforced cement concrete walls surrounded by a structural steel framework which is itself surrounded by a moulded ultra-high-performance concrete exterior. The surface was sprayed with liquefied zinc, then coated with copper.^[3]

See also

• List of tallest statues
• Statue of Equality (Ramanuja)
• Kailashnath Mahadev Statue, in Nepal, the second-tallest Shiva statue in the world

References

1. Chowdhary, Charu. "Statue of Belief in Nathdwara Will Soon be Open For Public Viewing | India.com". www.india.com. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
2. "Naresh Kumawat". Retrieved 6 August 2023.
3. "Shiva Statue at Nathdwara, Rajasthan". www.nbmcw.com. No. October 2020. New Building Materials & Construction World. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
4. "World's tallest Shiva statue to be inaugurated in Rajasthan". The Economic Times. 27 November 2022.
5. "World's tallest Shiva statue to be inaugurated in Rajasthan". zeebiz.com. 29 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
6. "Statue of Belief: World's tallest Lord Shiva statue expected to be completed by August". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
7. "Largest statue of Lord Shiva to be inaugurated in Rajasthan this March, 2019". Times of India Travel. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
8. "Lord Shiva statue likely to be inaugurated by January". udaipurtimes.com (in Hindi). 12 November 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
9. Koladra, Pankaj (25 November 2020). "Statue of Belief: World's tallest Lord Shiva Statue | Yatradham.Org". YatraDham. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
10. "World's tallest Shiva statue to be inaugurated in Rajasthan". economictimes.indiatimes.com. 29 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.

External links

• Official website