Lord Shiva is known as one of the Trimurti or Trinity of Gods as per the ancient Hindu inscriptions. In Sanskrit, the word ‘Shiva’ means ‘auspicious’, as he is the supreme creator, protector, and destroyer of this entire universe. Thus, many Shiva statues are still seen in India, Nepal, and other countries, where Hinduism once flourished. Numerous pilgrims throng to these places to see these statues and pay their devotion to God.
Kailashnath Mahadev statue – This Shiv statue is the tallest in the world and it is located in Sanga, in Bhaktapur district of Nepal. This statue is in standing pose and its height is 143 feet, constructed between 2003 and 2010. Though it bears the reddish copper shade, the statue is made of copper, zinc, steel, and concrete. It was created by a Nepalese company called Hilltake, owned by Kamal Jain. Now, thousands of pilgrims visit this place for a view of this statue and their numbers increase on special occasions.
Shiva of Murudeshwara – This is the second highest among all Shiva statues, which is situated in Murudeshwara town of Uttar Kannada district in Karnataka. It is 123 feet tall and needed two years to complete this huge sculpture. Kashinath of Shivamogga district and some other renowned sculptors were the creators of this statue of Shiva in the seated position. It is of silver colour that shines by the direct sunlight while the ornaments worn by God are golden coloured. This statue built within the premises of Murdeshwar Temple was financed by R.N. Shetty, a rich businessman and philanthropist.
Sarveshwar Mahadev Statue – This statue of Sarveshwar Mahadev in the standing posture is located in the middle of Sursagar Lake or Chand Talao, in Vadodara city of Gujarat. The height of this statue is 120 feet and it is further beautified by coloured lighting arrangements during evening and night. The cost of building this statue was funded by Vadodara Mahanagar Seva Sadan.
Adiyogi Shiva statue – This is the largest bust statue of the world, located in Coimbatore of Tamil Nadu. It was designed by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudeva of the Isha Yoga Foundation, within the campus of this organization. It is made from 500 tonnes of steel and its height is 112 feet, representing the 112 ways of exploring the human body and mind. It is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Largest Bust Sculpture of the world.
Namchi statue of Sidhheshwar Dham – This statue was built on the top of Solophok Hill, which is 5 Km away from Namchi in Sikkim. It is 108 feet high and the replicas of all 12 jyotirlingas surrounding it, for the convenience of pilgrims. Moreover, Siddheshwar Dham is famous for housing models of Badrinath, Jagannath, Dwaraka, and Rameswaram temples, which are collectively known as Char Dham for Hindus, along with an 18-feet high statue of Shiva where he is depicted as a hunter.
Mangal Mahadev – This unique statue of Lord Shiva is situated at the gateway of Ganga Talao or Grand Bassin Lake in Mauritius, the island nation in the Indian Ocean. This statue depicts Shiva in the standing posture, with a Trishul or trident in one hand, with a height of 108 feet. It was created as a replica of the Sarveshwar Mahadev statue that is located in the centre of Sursagar Lake in Vadodara of Gujarat. Thus, this place has turned into a Hindu pilgrimage site since the inauguration of this Shiva statue in 2007. Now, there are also temples dedicated to Shiva, Durga, Laxmi, Ganesh, and Hanuman around this statue on the sandy beach of Grand Bassin.
Shiva statue of Mankamaeshwar Temple – This temple is situated in Allahabad, on the bank of river Ganga and river Yamuna. The 108-feet high statue of Lord Shiva is erected right before this temple and it faces a large statue of Nandi, the bull carrier of Shiva. The periodical occurrence of Kumbh Mela also takes place at the feet of this gigantic statue. This temple and statue act as the symbols of holiness on this pious place of Sangam or the confluence of three holy rivers, Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati.
Shiva idol at Har-ki-Pauri – This Shiva statue stands at the bank of River Ganga, on the way towards Badrinath Dham. This 100-feet high statue in Haridwar is a must visit for Hindu pilgrims, who seek the divine blessings of Lord Shiva before proceeding to other pilgrimage sites of the Himalayan region. Since ‘Har-ki-Pauri’ means ‘Steps of Shiva’ in the local language, it is believed that Vishnu and Shiva visited this auspicious site in ancient ages. Thus, this spot was chosen for erecting this huge statue of Lord Shiva.
Nageshwar Statue in Dwarka – Nageshwar Temple houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is located in Daarukavanam, which is close to Dwarka in Gujarat. This temple was renovated by Late Gulshan Kumar, the owner of the T-series Music Company and his family. An 82-feet high statue of Lord Shiva in the yogic posture is a prime attraction of pilgrims flocking here throughout the year. This statue stands amidst a beautiful garden, beside a holy pond, rendering more serenity to this auspicious place situated between Dwarka and Beyt Dwarka, on the coastal region of Saurashtra.
Shivagiri Statue in Bijapur – This statue of Lord Shiva has a height of 85 feet and the weight of 1500 tonnes, for which it ranks among the tallest Shiva statues of India. It was installed by T.K. Patil Banakatti Charitable Trust, on Sindagi Road of Bijapur, which is now called Vijayapura. Experienced sculptors of Shimoga and renowned architects of Bangalore worked for 13 months, to create this majestic statue at this pilgrimage site. It was inaugurated on 26th February 2006 to mark the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri. Now, it is planned to place a small idol of Lord Shiva at the base of this large statue in the Basanta Vana temple.
All these statues of Lord Shiva hold great reverence in the minds of Hindu pilgrims and they throng to these pilgrimage sites for obtaining blessings from God.
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