G20 Summit: PM Modi Changes Cover Photo on X to Bharat Mandapam’s Nataraja Statue – News18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday changed his display picture on X, formerly known as Twitter to that of the Nataraja statue that has been installed at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G20 summit.

The picture shows a brightly-lit Bharat Mandapam with the Nataraja statue in front of it.

Modi has also changed his profile picture from that of the tricolour to his own while doing ”namaste”.

A towering statue of ‘Nataraja’, believed to be the world’s tallest, has been installed at the Summit venue. It has been made using an ancient casting technique. The statue is about 28-foot tall including the pedestal which was made using the ancient lost-wax technique of metal casting. This technique was used for making the famed Chola bronzes.

The ‘Nataraja’ statue symbolises Lord Shiva as the ‘lord of dance’ and his cosmic power of creation and destruction.

PM Modi said on Wednesday said that the Nataraja statue installed at Bharat Mandapam will stand as a testament to the age-old artistry and traditions of the country.

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts’s posted about the statue on X, formerly known as Twitter saying, “The 27 feet tall, 18-ton-weight statue is the tallest statue made of Ashtadhatu and is sculpted by the renowned sculptor Radhakrishnan Sthapaty of Swami Malai in Tamil Nadu and his team in a record 7 months. 34 generations of Radhakrishnan have been making idols since the Chola Empire period. This statue of Nataraja, an important symbol of cosmic energy, creativity,and power, is going to be an attraction at the G20 summit”.

Responding to the post, the Prime Minister said, “The magnificent Nataraja statue at Bharat Mandapam brings to life aspects of our rich history and culture”.

“As the world gathers for the G20 summit, it will stand as a testament to India’s age-old artistry and traditions”, he added.

The G20 summit is scheduled to be held in Delhi on September 9 and 10. The mega event will see the participation of US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among others, many of whom have already arrived at the national capital.

(with inputs from PTI)