Adiyogi Shiva statue, Steel bust of Shiva at the Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore, India
Adiyogi Shiva is a large metal sculpture depicting the head and upper chest of a Hindu deity, located at a spiritual center in Coimbatore. The structure measures about 34 meters (112 feet) in height, around 45 meters (148 feet) in length, and approximately 25 meters (82 feet) in width.
Sadhguru designed the bust, which was built over two years and eight months and unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 February 2017, on Maha Shivaratri. The same occasion saw the release of the song "Adiyogi – The Source of Yoga", sung by Kailash Kher with lyrics by Prasoon Joshi, and of Sadhguru's companion book Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga.
The name Adiyogi means "the first yogi", a title given to Shiva as the originator of yoga. The Yogeshwara Linga was consecrated in front of the bust, and the Indian Ministry of Tourism listed the statue in its Incredible India campaign. A 14-minute light and sound show, Adiyogi Divya Darshanam, is projected onto the steel figure.
The statue stands at the Isha Yoga Centre at the foot of the Velliangiri mountains, west of Coimbatore. A staircase on the left leads up past a stone wall with a metal railing to the monument. The Yogeshwara Linga is consecrated directly in front of the bust.
The work holds the Guinness World Record as the largest bust sculpture in the world, with the metal frame weighing around 500 tonnes. Engineers had to develop special techniques to distribute the weight evenly and ensure stability in wind conditions.
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