The world’s largest 33-feet-long Shivling, which started its journey from Tamil Nadu’s Mahabalipuram, has reached Bihar’s Gopalganj district but has been stalled amid serious logistical challenges ahead of its onward journey to East Champaran.

In late November 2025, the Shivling, carved from a single block of granite and weighing an estimated 210 metric tonnes, started its long and reverent journey from Mahabalipuram towards the Virat Ramayan Temple under construction in East Champaran, Bihar. The transport, a journey exceeding 2,100 kilometres across five states, unfolded like a vibrant mobile festival. Devotees lined highways in towns and cities en route, welcoming the massive monolith with chants, pujas and offerings wherever the convoy paused.

By early January, this extraordinary procession reached Gopalganj district in north Bihar, drawing large crowds and echoing with “Har Har Mahadev" chants, a testament to the faith and curiosity that have gripped residents and passing pilgrims alike. Yet amid the devotional fervour, a stark practical challenge has now eclipsed the spiritual spectacle.

The next leg of the journey toward Motihari in East Champaran, roughly 150-200 kilometres from Gopalganj, requires the massive trailer to cross the River Narayani (Gandak) via the ageing Dumariaghat bridge on National Highway 27.

District officials, led by Gopalganj DM Pawan Kumar Sinha and Superintendent of Police (SP) Awadhesh Dixit, inspected the bridge after engineers raised alarms about its structural integrity. Initial assessments reportedly found visible cracks in several places, raising serious questions about whether the bridge could support the combined weight of the Shivling and its multi-axle transport vehicle, which itself is estimated to weigh more than 160 tonnes.

Teams from the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have been summoned to conduct detailed load-bearing studies. Even as discussions continue, officials have made it clear that no movement will be permitted unless safety is fully ensured.

Alternative routes are also under review, one via Bettiah in West Champaran, another through adjoining rural links, but each poses its own set of bridge and culvert hurdles that must be technically certified before the massive idol can move forward.

For now, the Shivling remains stationary near the Balathari check post in Gopalganj, where devotees continue to gather in significant numbers. Police have intensified crowd and traffic management efforts to prevent disorder and keep the roads clear around the parked convoy.

The situation presents an unusual intersection of devotion and infrastructure, a reminder of the practical limits of the country’s road and bridge network when tasked with moving objects of extraordinary size and mass. District officials emphasised that public safety and structural integrity must guide every decision, even if it means delaying the anticipated progression of the Shivling toward its destination.

For organisers of the Virat Ramayan Temple, the Shivling is a central spiritual element of the sprawling complex, planned to be one of the largest Hindu temple sites, with sacred installation rituals scheduled in mid-January. Preparations for the installation, including traditional abhishek (ritual bathing) with waters drawn from five holy rivers and ceremonial flower showers from helicopters, are already underway.

As Bihar watches and waits, the movement of the world’s largest Shivling now depends not just on faith and devotion, but on engineering assessments, alternative route planning and coordinated action between multiple government departments.