The spiritual ambience of Bihar has become somewhat historic. On 5th January, 2026, world's largest monolithic Shivling came onto the ground at the location of the Viraat Ramayan Mandir in Kaithwalia, East Champaran after a 2,500 km trek from the state of Tamil Nadu. Arrived by a massive 96-wheel hydraulic trailer, the monument was welcomed with thousands of devotees chanting Har Har Mahadev.
But, at the moment, the largest site in India, the Viraat Ramayan Mandir will exceed even the largest Temple in India to the point where it will dwarf the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Colossal Shivling:
A Decade in the Making A works by art workers in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, this Shivling is a brilliant achievement in ancient and modern engineering. Constructed out of a single block of rare black “diamond granite,” the project has taken nearly 10 years to complete.
- Weight: 210 metric tons (300 tons in the beginning before carving)
- Height: 33 feet, and around 33 feet circumference.
- Sahasralingam: On this site, the Shivling's surface features 1,008 miniature Shivlings, which are the equivalent of the veneration of 1,008 deities.
The Journey:
The stone traversed south Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh before reaching Bihar — a time span of about 45 days. The official installation session is set for Jan 17 2026 with a ceremonial Jal Abhishek using a helicopter and holy water from five key pilgrimage sites, Haridwar, Kailash Mansarovar, among others.
Viraat Ramayan Mandir vs Ayodhya Ram Mandir
Viraat Ramayan Mandir is developed for development as a "Mega Temple" comparable to other worldwide shrine Angkor Wat of Cambodia. Though the Ayodhya Ram Mandir embodies a nationalistic aspect, the Viraat Ramayan Mandir is almost three times larger in size. It features a South Indian, Southeast Asian architecture inspired by the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram and Angkor Wat. In addition to the massive Shivling, the temple will also serve as a center of Vedic learning and cultural tourism, with shrines and temples to Lord Rama, Sita, Luv, Kush and other Ramayana deities.
