India's tallest statue installed in Karnataka

A 61-feet granite statue of Lord Parsavnath, the tallest in the country, was installed on a 41-ft high platform on Friday, amid elaborate rituals and singing of devotional songs by thousands of devotees in Varoor village, about 15 km from Hubli in Karnataka.

The statue of the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, at a total height of 102 feet, including the platform, is taller than the 39 feet monolith of Lord Bahubali at Shravanabelgola in Hassan district.

Architects plan to carve a five-feet

wide lotus flower around the feet of the statue.

According to Rashtriya Santh Gundhur Nandi Maharaja, under whose guidance the installation ceremony took place, the area has been named as Navagraha Kshetra as nine other statues of 30-feet each would soon be installed around the main statue.

A model of the Sumeru mountain, a statue of Sun God and a Padmavathi temple were also being built in the complex, he added.