World's tallest Shiva statue to grace Nathdwara

At 251 feet, the concrete and stone statue will be 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, and tower 25 stories high. The second tallest Shiva statue, Kailashnath Mahadev in Nepal, is 143 feet high.

The Shilanyas function at Nathdwara

The foundation stone of the mega idol, being made by Miraj Group, was laid by Murari Bapu in presence of the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Ganesh Tekri area of the town.

Madan Paliwal, Chairman of Miraj Group, said that it has been his lifelong dream to have the tallest Shiva statue installed in Nathdwara, a spot which Shiva is said to have chosen himself.

Murari Bapu, Madan Paliwal and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

"I am grateful for the support I have received from the authorities," Paliwal said. "I thought of how Mahadev would look at the world from atop the hill. So I gave him that frame, that posture, that look," Paliwal added about the unique posture.

Sculptor Naresh Kumar will craft the statue and install it. The statue will take two years to make, and will rank among the top 10 tallest statues in the world.