A gigantic new statue of Rishabhdeva, the first Jain tirthankar (teacher of the faith), has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world’s tallest Jain statue. At 108ft, the idol is over 40ft taller than the famously massive Jain statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola, Karanataka. The new statue is carved out of a single rock and is located at the top of the Mangi Tungi hill (125km/2.5hr from Nashik), near the Taharabad village in north Maharashtra.
According to news reports, over 300 sculptors fashioned the statue out of rock, beginning in 2012. The Mangi Tungi peaks in the Sahyadri Hills are a major Jain pilgrimage site, and are also sacred for Hindus.
The Jain committee behind the idol has named it the “Statue of Ahimsa”. Photo: Statue of Ahimsa/Facebook
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