33-Foot Shiva Lingam Installed at Bihar’s Virat Ramayan Temple Site as Nitish Kumar Visits

Overview

• The stone was placed at the under-construction site in East Champaran with Vedic rites and a yagna conducted by invited priests as crowds gathered to witness the ceremony.
• Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, visited the site and reviewed construction progress during his Samridhi Yatra.
• Organizers describe the monolith as the world’s largest Shiva Lingam, though reported weights differ between roughly 200 and 210 metric tonnes across outlets.
• Carved in Mahabalipuram by sculptor Lokanath’s team, the piece was transported by road on a specialized 96-wheeled trailer and arrived at the temple site on January 5.
• Plans for the complex include a 270-foot main temple and 22 shrines, but reports conflict on the number of spires, and construction is targeted for completion in 2030.