Thursday 15 December 2016

Top 10 Tallest Statues of Lord Shiva in India


||  Om Namah Shivaya || 
“Fire is His head, the sun and moon His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the universe His heart. From His feet the Earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner self of all beings.”  
- Anonymous, The Upanishads

Lord Shiva is worshipped since time immemorial.  Lord Shiva is known by several names, Shankar, Shambu, Mahadev, Mahakal, Murdeshwara, Siddeshwara, Nageshwar and many (There are 1008 names of Lord Shiva listed in Shiva Sahasranama). The Trimurti (hindu trinity) is a concept in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer.
In this review article, we are going to cover the Tallest Lord Shiva statues in India, including pics of the statue, height in meters and feet, and the location of the statue.

1. Murudeshwara Statue
      Location : Murudeshwara, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka
      Height    : 123 feet (37 m)

Murdeshwar, Karnataka (Source)

Murudeshwara, a town in Uttar kannada district of Karnataka, is famous for Lord Shiva statue which is the tallest statue of Lord Shiva in India and second tallest in the world. Kailashnath Mahadev Statue, in Nepal is the tallest Shiva statue in the world.
It took about two years to build. The statue was built by Shivamogga's Kashinath and several other sculptors, financed by businessman and philanthropist Dr. R.N. Shetty, at a cost of approximately Rs 50 million. The idol is designed such that it gets the sunlight directly and thus appears sparkling.


2. Sarveshwar Mahadev Statue
     Location : Sursagar Lake, Vadodara, Gujarat
     Height    : 120 feet (36.6 m) 
Sarveshwar Mahadev Statue (Source)

The statue of Lord Shiva (Sarveshwar Mahadev) in standing posture is situated at the center of the Lake which lies in the heart of Vadodara City. It was built by Vadodara Mahanagar Seva Sadan (VMSS) and installed in year 2002. Mangal Mahadev at Mauritius is the replica of this statue.


3. Statue at Allahabad
      Location : Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
      Height    : 108 feet (33 m)

 Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh

Situated in the holy city of Allahabad, right on the banks of the holy River Ganga, this grand statue is often referred to as the Symbol of Allahad—the holy land of Sangam. The statue is located right where the famous and holy Kumbh Mela takes place at every regular interval. However, the most striking feature of this 33 meters high statue is the grand statue of a bull (Nandi) of Lord Shiva overlooking him.


4. Shiva of the Har ki Pauri
      Location : “Har ki Pauri”, Haridwar, Uttarakhand
      Height     : 100.1 feet (30 m)
Har Ki Pauri, Hardwar, Uttarakhand

The Har Ki Pauri is Ghat on the banks of river the Ganges in Haridwar. Haridwar is an ancient city and important Hindu pilgrimage site. The statue of Lord Shiva is situated across the Gange river. It is one of the tallest Shiva statues of India.


5. Shiva at Namchi 
      Location : Siddeshvara Dham, Namchi, Sikkim
      Height    : 87 feet (26.5 m)
 Siddheshwar Dham, Sikkim (Source)

The Namchi Statue is located in the holy temple of Siddheshwar Dham in Sikkim. The main Shiva temple is 108-ft in height and atop that sits the gigantic statue of Lord Shiva which is another 87-ft tall. It sits at the highest and most commanding position in Solophok hill while facing east. This unique Pilgrim Centre is developed by Government of Sikkim. Apart from Shiva statue, this Pilgrim Centre also has replicas of the Char Dham and twelve Jyotirlingas, to offer one platform for Shiva devotees.


6. Shivagiri Statue
      Location : Bijapur, Karnataka
      Height    : 85 feet (26 m)
 Shivagiri Statue, Karnataka (Source)

This mesmerizing Lord Shiva Statue attracts a lot of tourist attraction from around the country and is one of the main pilgrimage centers of Karnataka. It was installed by the Shri T. K. Patil (Benakatti) Charitable Trust just outside the Bijapur city at Shivapur on Sindagi Road. It was prepared by sculptors from Shimoga for above 13 months plus the civilian design was supplied by Bangalore-situated architects.


7. Nageshwar Statue
      Location : Dwarka, Gujarat
      Height    : 82 feet (25 m)
 Nageshwar Statue, Gujarat (Source)

Nageshwar Statue is located at Daarukavanam near Dwarka, Gujarat. A huge yet attractive statue of Lord Shiva in the yogic posture, is the major attraction Nageshwar Jyothirlinga Temple. Nageshvara Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. T-Series Music Company owner Late Gulshan Kumar renovated this temple and was later completed by his family after his death. The cost for this project was around 2 Crore.


8. Shiva Statue at Jabalpur
      Location : Kachnar City, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
      Height    : 76 feet (23.1 m)

Kachnar Statue, Madhya Pradesh (Source)
Shiva Statue at Kachnar City is unarguably one of the most beautiful statue in India. If you’re planning to visit the place, it is recommended to be visited dusk for the myriad natural colors gives a whole new and breath taking dimension to the Yogic Posture of Lord Shiva. Jabalpur is also known for its bhedaghat falls, 64 yogini temple and best place to reach Kanha national park.


9. Kemp Fort Shiva Statue
      Location : Bengaluru, Karnataka
      Height     : 65 feet (19.8 m)
 Kemp Fort Shiva Statue, Karnataka (Source)

Statue of Lord Shiva is located in the Shivoham Shiva Temple complex of Bangalore City, just behind Kemp Fort Mall. Clubbed with the brilliant Bangalore weather, the white statue of Shiva exudes a grandeur that is for the eyes and souls to behold.


10. Bhajanagar Shiva
         Location : Bhanjanagar, Odisha
         Height     : 61 feet (18.6 m)
 Bhanjanagar Shiva, Odisha

Located amidst the picturesque Baleshwar Hills of Eastern Ghats, the Shiva statue at Bhajanagar displays the panoramic view of the adjoining Bhajanagar reservoir and Biju Patnaik Children’s Park from there is simple majestic!


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