Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 112-feet-tall Lord Shiva statue in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore on the occasion of Hindu festival Mahashivratri on Friday.
Modi unveiled the statue or ‘Adiyogi’ -- an avatar of Lord Shiva who is considered to be the first of yogis -- at Isha Foundation in Coimbatore.
The Prime Minister had earlier on Friday greeted people on Mahashivratri and invoked Lord Shiva, saying that people can see what is good or bad for them with their third eye.
The bust, made of steel, weighs 500 tonnes and took two-and-a-half years to design and eight months to build it.
A five-tier security blanket was put in place in and around the city and at the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border due to the event.
{{/usCountry}}A five-tier security blanket was put in place in and around the city and at the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border due to the event.
{{/usCountry}}Human rights organisations, various political parties, farmers and tribal bodies had planned protests during the event, alleging that Adiyogi’s face was built on encroached land and that Modi’s visit would only regularise it (land).
In Chennai, the CPI(M) and CPI had pointed out alleged violations in setting up of the statue at the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats and said the Prime Minister should not visit the venue.
Mahashivratri, which translates to the great night of Shiva, is celebrated annually in remembrance of overcoming darkness. It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, practising yoga and meditating on ethics and virtues such as self-restraint, honesty and forgiveness.