PRIME Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the Nataraja statue installed at Bharat Mandapam, the convention centre which will host key G20 summit meetings, will stand as a testament to India’s age-old artistry and traditions. He was responding on X to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts’s post about the statue which, it said, is made of Ashtadhatu. “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. Thirty four 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,” it said.

 

Modi posted, “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.”

Meanwhile, Modi advised all the ministers to download the G20 India mobile app ahead of the G20 summit. The advice came during PM Modi’s interaction with the Council of Ministers ahead of the significant G20 summit in New Delhi. The Prime Minister said that the app would help the Ministers to interact with foreign delegates seamlessly.

With nearly 40 world leaders, including those from international organisations, set to attend the summit on September 9-10, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra briefed the ministers in detail about the protocol and related matters. Some of the ministers are expected to be ministers in waiting for the world leaders who have started arriving for the summit.