New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the global BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, will consecrate a 108-foot-tall statue of Tapomurti Shri Neelkanth Varni (Bhagwan Swaminarayan) at the Swaminarayan Akshardham on Thursday, with elaborate preparations underway for the grand ceremony.

The towering statue, crafted from panchdhatu -- a sacred alloy of five metals, primarily bronze -- is unique as it depicts Neelkanth Varni standing on a single foot, symbolising deep austerity and penance. Officials said this is the first statue of its kind in the world to present the form in such a posture.

In the run-up to the consecration, a series of associated rituals has been conducted at various locations. On the morning of March 22, consecration ceremonies were held at newly constructed BAPS Swaminarayan temples in Panchkula and Kurukshetra.

Subsequently, on March 23, the statue intended for installation at the upcoming Paris temple, scheduled for consecration in September, was also ritually worshipped as part of the spiritual preparations.

The 108-foot statue at Akshardham took nearly a year to complete and is primarily fashioned from bronze as part of the panchdhatu composition.

Its creation involved the dedicated efforts of artisan sadhus associated with Akshardham, nearly 50 skilled craftsmen, and numerous volunteers who contributed to bringing the project to fruition.

Bhagwan Swaminarayan, revered in his youthful ascetic form as Neelkanth Varni, embarked on a spiritual journey at the age of 11 after renouncing his home.

Over a period of seven years, he travelled more than 12,000 kilometres across India for the welfare of humanity.

During this extensive pilgrimage, he visited several prominent sacred sites, including the Himalayas, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Kailash-Manasarovar, Muktinath in Nepal, Kamakhya in Assam, Jagannath Puri in Odisha, Rameshwaram, Nashik, Pandharpur, and Dwarka, earning recognition as Neelkanth Varni during this transformative phase of his life.

--IANS

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