Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (NM)

Beltangady, Oct 26: The people of Dharmasthala have a new reason to be proud of. The temple town, situated on the banks of river Nethravati and surrounded by lush green forests and hills, now, has a beautiful visage of Buddha, carved on a stone wall.

The credit for this magnificence goes to Dr D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari, who is the architect behind this idea.

The sculpture was carved by Nagaraj Badigere of Shiggaon, Haveri district and team, under the guidance of Ganesh Kamath, artist from Dharmasthala. The sculpture is a reminder of the ancient Khmer architecture, that dates back a thousand years.

The image of Buddha has been carved on the cement wall outside the Dharmasthala Naturopathy Hospital. Mud bricks have also been used in its construction.

The sculpture measuring 12 ft in height and 24 ft in width reflects the serenity and peace in the face of Buddha. The entire structure was built in a matter of just 45 days.

However, the work is not complete yet. There are plans to build a rock garden and put up lights at the base of the wall such that the visage stands out even more.