Lord Shiva statue in the hills above Pokhara
A new sight has recently appeared in the hills above Pokhara. A huge statue of Lord Shiva, the second largest in Nepal, sits serenely looking out over the foothills. And at his back are the mighty Himalayas.
The statue is located above the small mountain village of Pumdikot. It stands 51 feet tall, while the white stupa it sits on adds a further 57 feet, making the entire structure 108 feet (32 metres) high. It is the second tallest statue of Shiva in Nepal, the largest being the Kailashnath Mahadev statue near Kathmandu which we had seen on the drive to and from Dhulikhel.
As for Pokhara’s Shiva statue, there are plans to develop the surroundings as a memorial park with further attractions, and to improve access. From our experience the latter is badly needed! The road up was extremely bumpy, even by Nepalese standards, and parking both limited and chaotic. So we were glad our driver knew of a good spot to leave the car. From there it was a fairly steep climb up a stony path, lined with locals selling souvenirs and also fresh produce.
Despite the as yet unfinished development around it, this statue is already clearly a big draw. The place was thronged.
Lord Shiva
Shiva is one of the three main gods of Hinduism, alongside Brahma and Vishnu. He is known as the Destroyer. He is always portrayed with a serpent around his neck, an adorning crescent moon, the holy river Ganga flowing from his matted hair, the third eye on his forehead, a trident as his weapon, and a drum. You can see all those emblems here.
Here is as usual, in addition to the huge figure of Shiva himself, there is a golden bull in front of it (Shiva’s vehicle is a bull). Small lingas form a circle all the way around the edge of the main platform. He sits on a tiger skin and there is a small statue of Lord Ganesha by the tiger’s head.
Some people were removing shoes to climb to the highest level. But we contented ourselves with walking, clockwise of course, around the base. On the far side was a spectacular view of the Annapurnas, with Fewa Lake in the foreground. However, Pokhara itself is hidden immediately below this viewpoint.
I’m not sure whether everyone would regard this religious statue as public art. Still, I hope Natalie will consider it as such for this week’s challenge!
I visited Pokhara in November 2022
24 Comments
equinoxio21
Impressive- Thanks, Dhanyavaad for sharing. 🙏🏻
grandmisadventures
I always think it is interesting how deities are depicted in art. This statue definitely has an appearance of strength and grander and like he is looking right you right to your soul.
Sarah Wilkie
You’re right about the sense of grandeur. I think the setting against the mountains serves to emphasise that too!
Aletta - nowathome
Great post Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Aletta 🙂
Teresa
This is impressive 👍
Sarah Wilkie
It is indeed!
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Fabulous photos, Sarah! The statue is so interesting as is the description of the god. I have to wonder…are those light towers on top of his head?
Sarah Wilkie
Interesting question Kellye! I don’t think so but I’m not sure what they are. I hadn’t looked closely until now but it seems each has a different decorative top, e.g. one has a small bell. They could be symbolic, or merely decorative, or maybe are even intended as lightening rods?
Leela Gopinath
In this part of the world, clear demarcation of commerce and religion is seldom practised. They sort of merge into each other partly because religion and commercial interests supplement each other. I saw this issue raised by one of the viewers and you rightly said so!
Sarah Wilkie
Oh good, I’m glad I explained that correctly Leela 🙂
Marilyn Armstrong
Breathtaking Shiva — and do I spy a Nepalese golden calf worthy of Biblical mention?
Sarah Wilkie
That’s the bull I mentioned – all Hindu gods have what they term a ‘vehicle’, a sort of companion animal. Shiva’s is a bull, Ganesha’s a mouse, Vishnu’s a serpent and so on. They are always portrayed together.
thehungrytravellers.blog
Sometimes the scale of these things just takes your breath away – this one looks giant, and what fantasies views from there. Amazing aren’t they. I think probably the biggest we’ve seen is at Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, the scale is really quite incredible. We’d seen it from a distance the previous day and it looked big but I had no idea quite how big till we got here 🙂 We’ve never been to KL (or anywhere in Malaysia) – would you recommend?
thehungrytravellers.blog
Definitely!
Easymalc
Public art or not Sarah, these images are fantastic.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Malcolm 😊
Anne Sandler
Great images of this impressive statute. If I were Hindu, I don’t think I’d appreciate this statute made into a tourist attraction with sales, etc.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne 🙂 I really don’t feel that’s an issue for them. I’ve observed that in countries where faith is more a matter of general life, absorbed into the everyday as Hinduism is (e.g. small shrines and observances at home, the people we saw stopping off to say a quick prayer on their way to work, etc) there is more of a blurring between religion and the commercial world. Most of the Hindu visitors I saw here and elsewhere not only accept the sellers but also engage with them. I don’t think this is a case of a tourist board or company exploiting the site, most of this activity will be not just condoned but I would guess initiated by those who built and maintain the statue and surrounding area. Also, some of what is sold will be used as offerings I suspect. It’s normal to bring food to offer at Hindu temples and shrines.
margaret21
Well, if the public come in large numbers to view it, I think it must be public art!
Sarah Wilkie
That’s a good point, I’ll take that 😀
Natalie
Such a beautiful statue, Sarah. It speaks to the faith people have to create the statue and place it in a high place. The view of Fewa Lake and the Annapurnas is stunning. This statue reminds me of the tall Buddha statues in Japan and Thailand when I visited those countries. Thank you for sharing your incredible photos with us at PPAC. Have a great weekend!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Natalie, I’m so glad you like this! Yes, it makes a strong statement about the faith of the people in Nepal, not only to create the statue but also to visit in such numbers.