World’s largest Shivling arrives in Bihar after a 2,500-km journey, set for installation at Virat Ramayan Mandir this month |

Bihar is ready to witness a moment of crisp spiritual and architectural heritage as it will finally get to experience a moment in time when it houses “the world’s largest Shivling,” which has taken a remarkable journey across India after its completion. The monument, which has been made from a black granite stone, weighs an incredible 210 tonnes and is 33-feet tall, thus setting a world-record for a monument, as there is nothing else like it in the world today. The ‘Shivling’ would finally be placed at the Virat Ramayan Mandir, which would soon open in East Champaran as a temple complex that would then become the world’s biggest Hindu spiritual center, according to reports.

World’s largest Shivling in Bihar carved from a single block of black granite

The Shivling has been carved out of black granite in one continuous piece, not an easy task by any measure. The Shivling measures 33 feet in height and has an equal circumference; it surpasses even the then-largest Shivling in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, built during the reign of Chola king Raja Raja Chola, in terms of sheer size and measurement. “The sheer scale required that even minute weaknesses in construction could have resulted in compromising the strength of this gigantic idol,” said temple officials as per reports, who have confirmed that this Shivling would be placed in the Shiva Temple that will be the first among 18 temples in Virat Ramayan Mandir complex, that would be finished first.The transportation of Shivling from Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, to Bihar was an event with fewer precedents in Indian history. The granite Shivaling was to travel 2,500 kilometers over 45 days in an especially developed multi-axle truck. The path to its final destination included passing through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh before reaching Gopalganj, located in the state of Bihar. After this, Shivling will also be set up at Kaithwalia, which is located in East Champaran.

Virat Ramayan Mandir Shivling installation: Sacred rituals, auspicious timing, and grand vision

The installation ceremony on January 17 will be performed with full Vedic rituals and chanting by learned scholars continuously. Water from five sacred sites: Kailash Mansarovar, Gangotri, Haridwar, Prayagraj, and Sonepur, would be offered during the ceremony, which represents the amalgamation of sacred zones. The date for the ceremony has been picked due to a combination of planets on a rare occasion, which has the same spiritual significance as that of Maha Shivratri, according to temple officials. Flower petals would be raining from a helicopter while the rituals are beginning, with the full ritual of the installation of the Shiv Ling to be performed later.Stretched over 120 acres of land, the Virat Ramayan Mandir is the cherished brainchild of the late Acharya Kishor Kunal, the then secretary of the Mahaveer Mandir Trust. He had even ordered the Shivling of the mandir around nine years ago, and the design of the complex was to embody the majesty of the spiritual past of the nation of India. This mandir is projected to be 27 stories high and 270 feet in height, flanked by 18 separate towers and 22 temples of various Hindu deities. When the mandir is complete, it will be much larger than all other temples of the Hindu religion.

Environmental clearance, construction timeline, and the trust’s vision

In 2024, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority gave the project environmental clearance based on recommendations from the State-level Expert Appraisal Committee. The project work is going on in a phased manner, with the entire complex scheduled for completion in 2030. The model of the proposed temple was first showcased in 2013 at the premises of the Mahavir Mandir by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in a function presided over by the Dwarka Peeth Shankaracharya, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati. The entire cost for the Shivling and temples constructed in Virat Ramayan Mandir has been met by the Mahavir Mandir Trust. Besides taking care of major religious institutions, the trust also takes care of hospitals, apart from the extensive social works, in the state of Bihar.