A 28-feet Nataraja statue was transported by road on August 25 from the town of Swamimalai, located in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district, world-renowned for its bronze sculptures.

The impressive statue from Tamil Nadu is intended to be placed in front of the revamped Pragati Maidan Complex for the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit next month, in New Delhi.

The Nataraja Statue is made up of 'Ashtadhatu'

The grand statue has a staggering weight of 19 tonnes and is made up of 'ashtadhatu', a combination of eight metals, including gold, silver, lead, copper, tin, mercury, iron, and brass which is considered to be 'saatvik' (pure) in Hinduism and does not decay at all. Srikanta Sthapathi, along with his brothers Radhakrishna Sthapathi and Swaminatha Sthapathi, handcrafted this extraordinary statue. They are the sons of the legendary sculptor Devasenapathy Sthpathi.

Nataraja

Srikanta Sthapathi told the Hindu newspaper that they followed the model of Chidambaram, Konerirajapuram, and the other Natarajas from the Chola period in creating this statue. The project also involved the help of sculptors Sadasivam, Gowrisankar, Santosh Kumar, and Raghavan.

Sculptors use the 'lost wax' casting method to create such statues. The method, which has been used ever since the Chola period, involves making a wax model and encasing it in clay. The clay used, known as alluvial soil, is found along the Cauvery river in Swamimalai.

On Friday, the still unpolished statue was carefully packed and sent by road to New Delhi. The pedestal for the statue will be sent later separately, and the final polishing and finishing touches will be completed soon in Delhi. Right now, it is on its way to its destination at the Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, where the Summit is scheduled to take place from 9-10 September, 2023.

The Nataraja statue measures an impressive height of 22 feet, while the pedestal adds another 6 feet to it, resulting in an overall structure that stands almost 28 feet tall.

Other details of the Convention Hall

The grand Convention Hall, which will host the main meeting also houses India's longest chandelier measuring 100 metres. It also has a crystal chandelier in one of its principal galleries, called 'The Window of Delhi' which offers a bird's-eye view of the city and the India Gate. Sanjay Singh, the director of Arcop Associates and architect of the project, told reporters that the chandelier has been sourced from the Czech Republic's famed Crystal Valley. He said the premium lounges are also adorned with hand blown crystal chandeliers all made in the Crystal Valley of the Czech Republic.

The pre-function spaces of Bharat Mandapam will reflect the diversity of Indian culture and heritage. The convention centre has a seating capacity of 7,000 in a single format facility and can be divided into multiple formats.

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