India is trying it's best to represent the culture and traditions of the country for the upcoming g20 summit.

The World's Largest Statue, a 28-feet Nataraja statue is meant to be placed in front of the venue of the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled in New Delhi.

The statue was sent by road on Friday, August 25, 2023 from Swamimalai, a small town in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, known for its bronze sculptures.

The statue, weighing 19 tonnes, and made of eight metals: gold, silver, lead, copper, tin, mercury, iron and zinc (Ashtadhatu), is on its way to the Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, where the Summit is scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10.

The statue is 22 feet in height, and the pedestal is six feet, making the entire structure 28 feet tall. “We have followed the model of Chidambaram, Konerirajapuram and other Natarajas of the Chola period in making this statue,” said Mr. Srikanta Stapathi. Sculptors Sadasivam, Gowrisankar, Santosh Kumar and Raghavan were also involved in the project.

Sculptors follow the ‘lost-wax’ casting method to make these statues: the 28-ft Nataraja was also made following this method. This is a time-tested method, used since the days of the Cholas. Sculptors first make a wax model and encase it in clay. “The clay, known as alluvial soil, is available on a stretch of the Cauvery river that runs through Swamimalai,” Mr. Srikanta Stapathi explained.

The order for the statue was placed by Union Culture Ministry on February 20, 2023 and it took six months to complete the work. “We could have completed it earlier, but for the rains. The polishing was also delayed because of rains,” Mr. Srikanta Stapathi said. The cost of the statue is around ₹10 crore.

The statue was handed over by the sculptors to Achal Pandya, professor and H0D (Conservation), Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, who will accompany it to New Delhi”

The statue, representing Lord Shiva (Nataraja) dancing, is known as one of the outstanding creations of Tamil culture. Sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen on a a Nataraja statue adorning the venue of the G20 summit.