Kailashnath Mahadev Statue

The statue at Sanga stands on the ridge where the road from Kathmandu crosses into the Banepa valley, a figure of Shiva around forty-four metres high including its base, built between 2004 and 2010 in copper, zinc, concrete and steel, and usually described as among the tallest Shiva statues in the world. It was privately funded by a resort owner and sits within a complex that includes gardens, a temple and hotel facilities, so the setting is commercial. The figure is visible for a long way along the highway and is a fixed stop on the drive east toward Dhulikhel and the Tibet road. On clear days the ridge gives views of the Himalaya behind the statue, which is the better photograph.

What you actually see

• The standing Shiva - a forty-four metre figure on the ridge.
• The ridge position - the statue visible along the highway for miles.
• Mountain backdrop - the Himalaya behind it on clear days.
• The surrounding complex - gardens, temple and resort facilities.

When to go

October to April for clear air and mountain backdrops. It is a twenty-minute stop on the drive east. Shivaratri in spring brings large numbers of worshippers.

Honest expectations

This is a modern commercial development rather than a historic shrine, and the complex around it is resort infrastructure. Entry is charged. The visit is short. Height claims for statues of this kind vary by what is counted, so exact rankings are unreliable.

Nearby

Dhulikhel lies east; Bhaktapur is west.