The seventy-seven-foot bronze statue offers one of the most complete, disciplined, and textually faithful renderings of Raghava in contemporary India
As a student of Indian iconography, I decided to study the world’s largest bronze colossus of Lord Shriram at Partagali Math, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 28. The seventy-seven-foot bronze colossus offers one of the most complete, disciplined, and textually faithful renderings of Raghava in contemporary India.
Its impact does not rely merely on its height but on the extraordinary precision with which Ram Sutar adheres to the classical iconographic grammar of the Vishnudharmottara Purana, the descriptions in the Ramayana, and the long northern and southern traditions that have shaped the visual presence of Shrirama for more than two thousand years.
When one stands before this towering form, the impression is of serenity and authority in perfect balance. As the eye ascends, the figure unfolds like a three-dimensional scripture, in which every limb, ornament, and attribute communicates a fundamental aspect of Maryada Purushottama. Posture is one of the statue’s strongest iconographic statements. Shriram stands in an upright, balanced stance, with the right leg firmly grounded and the left relaxed. It is neither rigid nor theatrical, but a near-samabhanga posture associated with a noble bearing and divine composure.
Limb proportions follow the dasatala system with impressive fidelity. The feet, almost eight feet long, rest on unadorned paduka, the simplest sacred footwear in the Ramayana tradition. Enlarged to a monumental scale, the paduka retain their iconographic purity through the carefully modelled front rise, heel thickness, and subtle wood-grain contours. The lower garment is sculpted as a dhoti, the traditional garment of a warrior prince, with its folds descending in deep, rhythmic layers, some projecting nearly four feet from the body. The border features mandala-like scrollwork reminiscent of the Southern Bronze tradition. The upper cloth, the uttaranga, drops from the left shoulder in a measured cascade of almost eight feet, maintaining the aesthetic of dignified simplicity.
In classical Ram iconography, garments signify both princely modesty and ascetic readiness. The colossus expresses both themes through controlled textile rhythms that remain clear even from the ground level. The torso follows Vishnu-avatara proportions, characterised by a broad chest, narrow waist, elongated neck, and arms that reach almost to the knees. The sacred thread crosses the chest in a clean, diagonal line, symbolizing ritual discipline and the responsibilities of an Ikshvaku prince. The garland, nearly twenty feet in total length, loops with a softness that belies its massive scale. Each bead, five to six inches across, is sculpted with rounded fullness, while the central pendant with its tripartite floral geometry is executed with rare clarity for a bronze of this size.
Ornaments on the arms and wrists adhere to the Vaishnavite canon: armlets are worn high on the upper arms, bracelets are placed close to the wrists, and the overall embellishment is kept to a minimum. Although Shriram is a king, his ornaments must reflect restraint, not opulence. Colossus meticulously honors this principle. The right hand is raised in the abhaya mudra, a gesture of reassurance and protection. At a scale where the palm alone measures nearly three feet, precision is crucial. Here, the fingers curve with natural grace, the thumb forms a calm arc, and the entire hand radiates fearlessness. This gesture expresses the essential dual nature of Shriram: the warrior who defends dharma without hesitation and the compassionate ruler who offers refuge to all beings. The left hand holds the kodanda, the emblematic bow of Raghava.
Nearly forty feet in length, it retains the elegant, recurved profile found in temple bronzes, manuscript illustrations, and sculptural panels from the Chola and Vijayanagara periods. The sharply lifted lower hook, rarely attempted in modern renderings, links the colossus to older southern forms, where this detail signifies readiness tempered by self-control. The separately cast bowstring, running almost the full height of the figure, reinforces the calmness and verticality of the composition. Behind the right shoulder rises the quiver, nearly ten feet high, with two ornamental bands consistent with the medieval iconographic practice. Three arrows emerge from the quiver, their tips following the leaf-shaped design of the classical triad, symbolizing readiness, focus, and ethical restraint in the use of the force. The face is the iconographic heart of the colossus. Expanded to nearly seven feet in height while maintaining the required saumya rupa, it reflects the attributes consistently praised in the Ramayana: inner clarity, compassion, humility, and unshakeable commitment to dharma. The eyes are large, almond-shaped, and slightly lowered; the eyebrows curve gently; the lips hold a quiet smile; and the jawline is soft.
The tilaka rises in a single vertical stroke, reinforcing Shree Ram’s Vaishnavite identity. The serenity of the face sets the emotional tone of the entire icon, expressing authority through compassion rather than through force. The crown or kiritamukuta gains special significance on a monumental scale. Rising almost ten feet above the head and spanning seven feet across, it combines lotus petals, circular tiers, beaded bands, and a central crest, reflecting the royal dignity of the Ikshvaku lineage. The halo behind the crown, with eight radiating spokes, is a remarkable and uncommon feature. More than a decorative disc, it recalls the dharmachakra, linking Shriram to the cosmic principle of righteousness. The integration of the halo with the overall form is seamless; it appears not as an add-on but as an inherent component of the divine radiance. The hair, rendered in layered locks, descends nearly five feet below the crown, consistent with the kshatriya-prince imagery preserved in traditional sculptures and manuscript paintings.
The rear view of the colossus is as carefully executed as the front, which is rare in monumental icons, where unseen surfaces are often simplified. Here, every element of the back—the sash lines, braid patterns, drapery folds, quiver geometry, and rear structure of the halo —reflects full iconographic responsibility. Taken together, the elements of this colossus form a coherent and powerful iconographic narrative. Not a single feature departs from the grammar established by centuries of textual and sculptural traditions.
(Dr Nandkumar M Kamat, who has a doctorate in microbiology, is a scientist and science writer)
