It was about 8 years back during one of his visits to Gurgaon, India that Kamal Jain, a renowned name in the Nepalese business sector got the inspiration of implementing this project. In Gurgaon, Delhi he came across the temple of Lord Shiva which stood 65 feet tall which was built by Aditya Birla, Indian business tycoon. After being there it struck him to do a deed of that magnitude himself.
Kamal Jain, Chairman of Hilltake Industries Private Limited, after his arrival back to Kathmandu started searching for the perfect place to execute his plan. It took him almost 7 years just to find this perfect location where he wanted his dream to come true. Jain initiated to establish a temple of Lord Shiva because he says he is much attached to Hindu religion, and is a true devotee of Lord Pashupatinath.
108 is also the holy number for chanting Shiva’s name and the number of beads of a Rudraksha or any other chanting mala. Jain has invested more than 11 cores to the project. The statue of Lord Shiva has been completed but finishing and painting of it is left. The total and area is 75 ropanies and is situated in a secluded and peaceful surrounding.
The statue has been constructed under the supervision of engineer Mattu ram Varma, who hails from Rajasthan and the person behind the Gurgaon statue. He has also built other big statues of Shiva in Mauritious, Gujrat, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, etc.
Few more sculptures are soon to be added. While Lord Shiva stands ardently with his trishul, he has serpent around his neck, and is attired in leopard skin. On the way to uphill toward the statue from the entrance, Shivalingas have been built.
The other attraction of this temple area is that there is a big clean garden for children to play and for people to stroll around. There will be children’s park with different amenities for them to play with, horse riding facility, nature walk with jogging track of 1 km.
Hilltake health and home is another project adjacent with this project which is going to be built right next to the huge sculpture. The health home will provide health facilities through natural remedies like physiotherapy, massage, Jacuzzi, acupuncture, mud therapy etc. Other facilities in the area would be meditation, yoga and pranayams, kriyayog, gymnasium and swimming pool.
Kamal Jain has plans to officially open the temple on the day of Maha Shivaratri that falls in February. For this he is planning to organise a big peace rally for world peace. To reach the spot Jain has also paved the road and has been asking the government to support him by making the road from Jorpati to the temple. The road he has paved now is actually the back road to the temple and Hindus believe that one should never enter a holy place facing its back; they should enter through the front face, and ironically.
Jain explains that this initiative will be very helpful in promoting and attracting more tourists to Nepal being the tallest Shiva statue in the world as he claims. Truly this religious landmark is surely going to be a great attraction for the Hindus all over the world.
