Muthiah Sthapati | |
|---|---|
| Born | Muthaiah Muthu Sthapati (1941-12-14)14 December 1941 (age 83) Eluvankottai,Ramanathapuram District,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation(s) | Sculptor Traditional architect |
| Known for | Hindu temple architecture |
| Children | 2 sons,3 daughters |
| Parent(s) | Muthu Sthapati Gowri |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Muthiah Sthapati is an Indian sculptor, architect and builder ofHindu temple architecture. He is known for the design and construction of several temples in the UK and US, including the Hindu Temple of Minnesota.[1] He is the creator of the 67.5-foot Buddha statue at Rambadagalla Vidyasagara Temple, in Sri Lanka, reported to be world's largest Buddha statue in the seated (samadhi) position.[2] TheGovernment of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award ofPadma Shri in 1992.[3]
Muthiah was born on 14 December 1941 at a small village named Eluvankottai of theRamanathapuram District, near the temple town ofRameshwaram, in the south Indian state ofTamil Nadu to a traditional architect, Muthu Sthapati, and his wife, Gowri, as one of their six children.[4] Apart from learning the art the traditional way from his peers, he underwent formal training in temple architecture, sculpting and town planning at Mamallapuram Sculpture School from 1957 to 1961.[1]
Muthiah is married and has two sons, both of whom are traditional architects and sculptors. His eldest brother,S. M. Ganapathy Sthapati, is asthapati and also aPadma Shri recipient.[5]
He has designed and constructed Hindu temples across the globe, 32 of them in the US itself.[1] The Sri Mahalaxmi Temple for Laxmi Narayana Trust in London,[6] Minnesota Hindu Temple, Arupadai Veedu Temple complex, Chennai, Sri Meenakshi Sundareswra Temple, Uttaraswami Malai, New Delhi, Sri Utthara Chidambara Nataraja Temple,Satara and temples at Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Boston, Atlanta, New York,Moundsville,Louisville, Miami, Oklahoma, Memphis, Dallas andPoughkeepsie are some of his notable constructions.[1]
He was the sculptor of the 60-foot granite statue ofShri Krishna atBirla Industrial & Technological Museum, Kolkata. On 30 April 2015, another of his oversize creations, a 67.5-footBuddha statue was unveiled at Rambadagalla Vidyasagara Temple in Sri Lanka. The statue, with its pedestal measuring 7.5 feet, has a total height of 75 feet and is considered as the largest Buddha Samadhi sculpture in the world.[7] A 32-footHanuman statue atNanganallur,Chennai and aSankaracharya statue at Enathur inKancheepuram are also his creations.[7]
He has also founded a sculptor's training studio,Swarnam Institution, and a business house,Swarnam Exporters, the latter an export house involved in the export of sculptures and idols.[8]
The Government of India honoured him with the civilian award of thePadma Shri, in 1992.[3]
