Overview
- Priests from Varanasi, Ayodhya and Haridwar led Vedic rites as cranes lowered the black-granite monolith into place, followed by a helicopter showering flower petals before large crowds of devotees.
- The sahasralingam stands 33 feet tall, weighs about 200–210 metric tonnes, is carved from a single block of black granite near Mahabalipuram and features 1,008 smaller lingams on its surface.
- Transported overland for more than 2,500 km on a 96-wheeled trailer, the stone’s journey from Tamil Nadu to East Champaran took roughly 50 days and concluded in early January.
- Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited the site during the installation, accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, as devotees gathered to witness the event.
- Project managers from the Mahavir Mandir Trust describe the Virat Ramayan plan as a tourism catalyst, with a projected 270-foot main shrine, 18 spires and 22 temples across roughly 125 acres.