India All Set To Host G20 Summit At Bharat Mandapam

The stage is set for India to host the G20 Summit on 9 and 10 September.

A 27-foot Nataraja statue, weighing around 20 tonnes, has been installed in front of the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the global event at Pragati Maidan.

India will also showcase its fintech prowess at G20 Summit as RBI Pavilion will exhibit five tech initiatives including 'UPI one World' and 'RuPay on the Go', among others.

According to officials, India will showcase five of its digital payment initiatives at the summit and is also setting up a crafts bazaar to exhibit and sell local handicrafts.

The crafts bazaar to give fillip to market potential of Indian products for exports.

The Reserve Bank of India will have a pavilion at the G20 Summit with live demonstrations of these five tech initiatives including the UPI One World, public tech platform for frictionless credit, Central Bank Digital Currency, RuPay on the Go and Bharat Bill Payment System.

The move comes at a time when India has taken up the agenda of Digital Public Infrastructure for development and financial inclusion as part of its G20 presidency.

The Shiva Nataraja statue, installed at the venue in Delhi, is the tallest bronze icon of its kind.

Made of ashtadhatu (eight metals) in Tamil Nadu in a record seven months, it has been prepared using a traditional casting technique.

Copper, zinc, lead, tin, silver, gold, mercury and iron are the eight metals that have been forged to make the statue.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi shared a video of the Shiva Nataraja statue at the G20 venue.

Notably, the Nataraja symbolises Lord Shiva as the 'lord of dance' and holds immense artistic, religious and spiritual significance.

The statue was made using the ancient lost-wax technique of metal casting, which has been followed in the making of Nataraja since the Chola period.

Numerous statues and posters adorn the capital city, showcasing the diversity of the country which have emerged as visual delights for commuters and visitors.

A massive beautification drive has also been undertaken by the civic authorities over the last few months. Apart from the cleanliness drive, several eye-catching water fountains have been installed.