Neyyattinkara: The 111.2-feet Shivalingam at the Maheswaram Sri Shiva Paravathi Temple at Chenkal, near here, has entered the India Book of Records for being the tallest such structure in India.
Officials of the India Book of Records made the announcement on Thursday after measuring the height of the structure.
The imposing Shivalingam also stands a chance to find a spot in the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness World Records as adjudicators attached to these two reference books published annually, listing human and natural records, are expected to inspect and verify the height of the structure in the coming days.
Once certified, it will make it way to the record books as the largest Shivalingam in the world in terms of height and width. Currently, the record is held by the Kotilingeshwara temple in Kolar, Karnataka, which measures 108 ft (33m).
The Shivalingam situated on the premises of the Maheswaram Sri Shiva Paravathi Temple is not just a massive structure that provides visitors a great spiritual experience, but it also is an architectural marvel, noted for its daring design and exquisite carvings.
Swami Maheswarananda Saraswathi, the head of the temple who is administering the construction works, had visited all the major Shiva temples in the country before preparing a blueprint for the massive structure in 2012.
Divine atmosphere
The Shivalingam is constructed in such a way that visitors can enter a model ‘Kailasam’, the abode of Lord Shiva, which lies at the topmost floor inside the cylindrical structure. There one can view images of snow-clad Himalayas with idols of Shiva and Parvati depicting the unified form or Aikya bhavam. A rare collection of 64 forms of God Shiva can also be found inside the chamber.
On each side of the Shivalingam there are two zones where 50 people can mediate at a time by concentrating on the six chakras or energy centres in the human body. The path to the top floor exudes a calm and serene cave-like atmosphere with carvings of idols and paintings on the walls all along.
Final touches
At present, artisans are busy giving finishing touches to the carvings. The works are being executed at breakneck speed so that the structure could be opened to the public before the Maha Shivaratri festival which falls on March 4, said Swami Maheswarananda Saraswathi.
Remarkably, the 30 artisans involved in the construction of the holy structure have been observing penance since May 3, 2012, the day the works commenced.