G20 Summit in Delhi: India is poised to host the G20 Summit in New Delhi, scheduled for September 9-10. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his admiration for the Nataraja statue installed at Bharat Mandapam, the convention center set to host critical G20 summit meetings. The Nataraja statue made of Ashtadhatu is installed at the Bharat Mandapam. He responded to a post by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, which highlighted that this statue, crafted from Ashtadhatu, is a towering 27 feet in height and weighs 18 tons.

It was skillfully sculpted by the renowned artist Radhakrishnan Sthapaty from Swami Malai in Tamil Nadu, along with his team, accomplishing this remarkable feat in just seven months. In his response, Prime Minister Modi conveyed, “The splendid Nataraja statue at Bharat Mandapam vividly embodies facets of our rich history and culture. As the world converges for the G20 summit, it will serve as a symbol of India’s enduring artistic traditions and heritage.”

Let us take a look at the unique features of the Nataraja Statue installed at Bharat Mandapam:

  • Standing at a height of 27 feet and weighing a substantial 18 tons, this statue is a remarkable achievement as the tallest ever crafted from Ashtadhatu.
  • It was expertly sculpted by the esteemed artist Radhakrishnan Sthapaty, along with his team, achieving this feat in an unprecedented seven-month timeframe.
  • The legacy of crafting idols has been passed down through 34 generations of the Radhakrishnan family since the era of the Chola Empire.
  • The Nataraja statue, representing significant concepts of cosmic energy, creativity, and power, is poised to be a captivating centerpiece at the G20 summit. This remarkable endeavor has been undertaken by the team at the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with IGNCA.
  • In this statue, Lord Shiva is presented performing the dynamic dance posture called tandava, which exudes energy and vitality.
  • The statue is crafted from a blend of eight metals, including copper (87 per cent), zinc (10 per cent), lead (3 per cent), with trace amounts of tin, silver, gold, and even a minute quantity of mercury. Iron serves as the structural support material for the statue.