Nathdwara Rajasthan has the statue of Lord Shiva which is the tallest Shiva statue in the world. The idol of Lord Shiva is known as 'Vishwas Swaroopam', Vishwas Swaroopam meaning 'Statue of Belief'. This idol of Lord Shiva is built on Ganesh Tekri mountain. The height of the idol of Lord Shiva is 369 feet and is built on a hill of 51 bighas. It took about 10 years to make the idol. Sculptor Naresh Kumar, originally from Pilani, Rajasthan, has prepared the world's tallest statue of Lord Shiva in Manesar.
The idol of Lord Shiva located in Nathdwara was inaugurated on 29 October 2022. The statue is made in meditation posture and is said to be visible from 20 km away. Special lighting has also been arranged for this statue so that it is clearly visible even at night. Elevators, stairs, halls etc. have also been made in this idol.
Around 3,000 tonnes of steel and iron, 2.5 lakh cubic tonnes of concrete and sand have been used during construction. The statue can withstand wind speeds of up to 250 km. The sculptor claims that the idol is so strong that it will stand like this for two and a half thousand years.
The specialty of the statue is that the hall built inside it can accommodate 10,000 people at a time.
The story of this idol becoming the world's tallest Shiva statue is also interesting. According to the plan in 2012, its height was to be kept up to 251 feet. But later during construction its height reached 351 feet. A stream of Ganga was added to Shiva's hair, after which its height increased to 369 feet.