Bihar: World's largest Shivalinga installed at Motihari Temple, CM Nitish Kumar among thousands in attendance

Patna: The world's largest and most renowned Shiva Lingam was installed in the Virat Ramayana Temple under construction in Motihari after 54 days of rigorous rituals. The installation of the Shiva Lingam in the Ramayana Temple complex was completed on Saturday, following elaborate rituals and prayers in the Yagna Mandap amidst Vedic chanting by priests from Varanasi and Patna. 

Who were in attendance?

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, and lakhs of people witnessed the historic moments of the Shiva Lingam installation in Kaithwalia village of Kalyanpur Panchayat in Motihari, under the leadership of the Mahavir Mandir Trust, Patna. Millions of people worldwide also watched the entire ceremony online.

How were the rituals performed?

Shayan Kunal, a member of the Mahavir Mandir Trust and son of Acharya Kishore Kunal, and his wife, MP Shambhavi Chaudhary, performed the role of the hosts, invoking Lord Shiva. Acharyas from Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Haridwar conducted the rituals. Twenty-one young Brahmins from Ayodhya recited Swasti Vachan, creating a sacred atmosphere filled with devotion and chanting.

After the puja in the mandap, the Shiva Lingam was worshipped and an aarti was performed. It took 30 minutes to lift the Shiva Lingam with the help of two cranes and install it on the platform. During this time, the area around the Virat Ramayana Temple being built in Janakinagar, Kaithwalia, resonated with Vedic chants and hymns. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with his cabinet colleagues, visited the temple and inspected the construction work.

What was the public reaction?

A huge crowd of Shiva devotees gathered to participate in the Prana Pratishtha ceremony. Despite the cold weather and challenging unpaved roads, people from several surrounding districts reached Kaithwalia. A fair has been ongoing in Kaithwalia since January 8, the day the Shiva Lingam arrived from Mahabalipuram. It is expected that the crowd of devotees will increase further in the coming days. This Shiva Lingam is 33 feet tall and weighs 210 metric tons, and is made of granite stone. It was constructed in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. It was transported from there on November 21st using a 96-wheeled truck. Throughout the journey, the Shiva Lingam was worshipped with great devotion and reverence.