“Testament To India’s Traditions”: 5 Facts On Nataraja Statue At G20 venue
G20 Summit New Delhi: The Nataraja statue was constructed in a record time of 7 months.
The Nataraja statue installed at G20 venue Pragati Maidan in Delhi is a testament to India’s age-old traditions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said. The 27-foot statue reached Delhi from Tamil Nadu by a special green corridor.
Here are five points on the statue:
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The 18-tonne statue is the tallest statue made of Ashtadhatu (eight metals), according to Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA). The eight metals used in its construction are copper, zinc, lead, tin, silver, gold, mercury and iron.
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The statue has been sculpted by sculptor Radhakrishnan Sthapaty of Swami Malai in Tamil Nadu and his team in a record seven months. IGNCA said that 34 generations of Mr Radhakrishnan have been making idols since the Chola Empire period. Mr Radhakrishna’s father, master sculptor Devasenapathy Sthapati, is known for making Chola bronze sculptures, including at Rajarajeshwari temple in Delhi’s Janakpuri.
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It has been constructed using the lost-wax casting method to make finely detailed single piece sculptures. This process ensures there are no welded parts in the Nataraja statue.
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More than 100 artists spent nearly 3.25 lakh man hours to complete the different processes involved in the lost-wax casting method to create the hollow statue.
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The statue was finished at the cost of approximately Rs 10-12 crore ahead of the G20 summit, said Sachchidanand Joshi, member secretary, IGNCA.
