Claimed to be the tallest Lord Shiva statue in the entire world, the ‘Viswas Swaroopam’ statue or the Statue of Belief was recently installed in the Nathdwara town of Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district. The 369-foot-tall statue was inaugurated and unveiled to the public on Saturday, 29 October, in the presence of preacher Morari Bapu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Yoga guru Swami Ramdev, and Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, among others.
The inauguration of the statue is being followed by a series of religious, spiritual, and cultural events which will be held for nine days – from October 29 to November 6 – in a bid to attract devotees to the place.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the District Magistrate of Rajsamand, IAS officer Neelabh Saxena shared details about the event and the boost to tourism in the district.
VISWAS SWAROOPAM STATUE
The monument, which is designed in a meditative pose and is installed on a hilltop over an area of 51 bighas, 45 kilometres from the city of Udaipur, is believed to be visible from 20 kilometres away. Due to the use of unique lighting, the statue is also seen illuminated at night.
Its construction, which took around ten years to complete, involved the use of more than three thousand tonnes of steel, iron, and concrete, as well as 2.5 lakh cubic tonnes of sand. In August 2012, Ashok Gehlot, who was the CM at the time also, and Morari Bapu laid the project’s foundation.
“Constructed by the Tat Padam Sansthan, this is the world’s tallest Shiva idol, in which lifts, stairs, and a hall for devotees have been built. There are four lifts and three stairs to go inside.”
The statue has been constructed to last over 250 years and can withstand wind speeds up to 250 kmph. The wind tunnel test of the design of this statue was successfully done in Australia.
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS
Throughout the nine days, religious preacher Morari Bapu will recite the Rama Katha in front of the statue. The Rama Katha is expected to be attended by approximately 50,000-60,000 people every day. The Miraj Group has made appropriate arrangements for their food and accommodations, with over 10,000 people, who have arrived from faraway locations, being housed in the district itself.
“Moreover, we have arranged for tents and other pandals in Rajsamand, similar to the ones in Jaisalmer, as well, for a period of nine days, for the comfort of people who are visiting the district,” shared Mr. Saxena.
As of now, religious and spiritual events are taking place in the district. The cultural events will take place from tomorrow, i.e., November 3. The cultural programmes will continue for three days, which will include performances by singer Hansraj Raghuwanshi, poet Kumar Vishwas, and Kailash Kumar.
TOURISM BOOST
Nathdwara is already famous for the iconic Shreenath Ji temple, which is visited by numerous devotees around the year. The district witnesses over 3 lakh tourists every month who come to visit the Shreenath Ji temple. Now, with the installation of the Viswas Swaroopam statue, the officer believes the tourist footfall will rise by another 10-20%.
“A small town in itself, Nathdwara has a population of just around 40,000-45,000. Such a small city catering to over 3 lakh people every month is an achievement in itself. We are now making arrangements and planning to expand ourselves further to welcome even more tourists than before as we are expecting a major rise in footfall in the next year, with the new statue installed and other activities that will take place around it,” the officer said.
Rajsamand also houses the historic Haldighati mountain pass, famous for several wars that were fought here, the most legendary being the battle of 1576 between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Mughal emperor Akbar’s army, and the Kumbhalgarh Fort or the Great Wall of India. Already a place of historic importance, Rajsamand is now expecting an all-time high boost in tourism with the inauguration of the statue.
“We are also looking forward to launching various adventurous activities including bungee jumping, go-karting, zip lining, a food court, jungle café, and a government adventure park in front of the statue, for tourists to enjoy the day. The theme park will have a grand backdrop and a glorious view of the statue. A laser show is also under planning to further light up the Shiva statue. We can expect these to begin within the next few months,” Mr. Saxena shared with Indian Masterminds.
URBAN PLANNING
The District Administration has also begun urban planning for the district and is in the process of finalising new building by-laws for the town. The officer has planned and started working on a development strategy for the town, which will soon come into execution.
“As of now, we have already widened previously narrow roads, from 20 feet to 60 feet, for smooth flow of traffic. This is just the beginning and we are planning to execute fresh developments in the town within the next couple of years,” stated the officer.
It is a big deal for a small town like Nathdwara to host such big events and cater to lakhs of people throughout the year. And the credit goes to the administration for being able to attract and manage the increasing tourist footfalls every year.
