Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 112-foot tall Shiva statue in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on the occasion of Mahashivratri, on February 24. The event saw a massive turnout, with Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami receiving Modi on arrival. Also present was Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, and Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi.
Modi spoke about yoga and the importance of ideas. "India has given the gift of Yoga to the world, by practising Yoga a spirit of oneness is created. Today whole world wants peace, not only from wars and conflicts but peace from stress, and for that we have Yoga," he said right after unveiling the statue. The Shiva idol was constructed by The Isha Foundation, and is located in the foothills of Velliangiri mountains in the Western Ghats.
Modi was shown around the Isha Yoga complex, including the Dhyana Linga, Surya Kund, Nandi statue, and the inner and outer corridors, by Isha Foundation's founder Sadhguru Vasudev. He has claimed that while it took two and a half years to design the 112-foot statue, its construction took just eight months. The whole Shiva structure is estimated to weigh about 500 tonnes. His face, is made of steel.
