When a 51-foot statue of Lord Ram rose against the Canadian sky in Mississauga, it was more than just a marvel of art and devotion.
Sculpted by Gurugram-based artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat at the Matu Ram Art Center in Manesar, the towering figure was shipped to Canada in parts and later assembled by engineers from the US. The project, however, was not without hurdles.
"We faced a lot of problems. Our workers didn't get visa and we had exported all our stuff for the statue, so we had to get Mexican workers to do the work of building the statue. Thankful to the god, and it was done," Naresh says.
Made of fibreglass and steel, the same materials used in aircraft manufacturing, the statue now stands as the tallest structure dedicated to Lord Ram in North America.
The lord Rama statue. Photo: Naresh Kumar
Its unveiling drew dignitaries and community leaders alike, including Minister of Women and Gender Equality Recher Valdez, President of the Treasury Board Shafqat Ali and Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, who marked its cultural importance.
Not The First Time
For Naresh, this wasn't his first tryst with divine scale.
Just a month earlier, his 54-foot Shiva statue in Brampton had captured similar awe. Commissioned by the Bhavani Shankar Mandir through Pandit Hardad Sharma, whose family's roots trace back from India to Guyana and then Toronto, that project too came with its share of trials.
“Panditji heard about me through my other works in Canada and approached me,” he recalls. The Shiva statue had reached Canada months earlier, but when the time came to install it, geopolitics had other plans.
"My workers did not get visas due to India-Canada issues. It was stressful but I decided to erect it myself with local volunteers from the temple. I had to operate cranes, forklifts, everything. It was challenging but we managed," he says.
Just a month earlier, Naresh's 54-foot Shiva statue in Brampton had captured similar awe. Photo: Naresh
For the artist, the moment was both exhausting and exhilarating. "Now Shiva is standing tall in Brampton City, surrounded by Indian markets and restaurants. People there, both Indians and Gyanese Hindus, love it," he says with quiet pride.
The unveiling itself was a sight to behold. Hundreds of families from across the Greater Toronto Area gathered at the temple grounds, some bringing flowers, others carrying trays of sweets.
Elders who had migrated decades ago spoke about how they never imagined they would see such a grand Shiva murti in their adopted home. Young children craned their necks upwards, wide-eyed at the sheer scale. Local shopkeepers in the surrounding Indian bazaar districts said the statue had already started drawing visitors from neighbouring towns, turning the area into a cultural landmark.
For many in the diaspora, it wasn't just an idol - it was a reminder of home.
From Labourer To Leading Sculptor
Naresh's journey to this point has been anything but straightforward. The third generation in a family of artists, he did not start out wanting to follow the family legacy. "I'm the child of the 90s. In the 90s, everyone wanted to become a doctor or engineer. I thought I'll work hard and then become a doctor. But it was not that easy. I failed the examination," he says with a laugh.
With pressure to pick a secure career, his father suggested he enrol in a degree course. Instead, Naresh found himself at one of his father's project sites in Gulshan Kumar's studio.
Naresh's work is famous all across the globe. Photo: Naresh Kumar
"I started working as a labourer and learning the work. Later I started enjoying it and that took me to Baroda, Gujarat, where I found the College of Fine Arts. I learned from there as well. And I kept learning from the project in Baroda itself in the middle of Sursagar Lake, a statue of Lord Shiva we created. That created more charm and inclination towards this work. So, I kept sculpting."
From there, technology gave him a new path. As software like Zebra and machines like CNC routers and 3D printers began transforming sculpture, Naresh embraced them wholeheartedly. "I started seeing myself as a new era sculptor instead of a conventional one," he says.
Art Across Continents
Today, his portfolio spans continents. "When I started working in countries like Europe, Chile, Costa Rica, Latin America, North America, I realised my work had reached more than 80 countries," he says.
In Canada alone, he has installed more than a dozen monumental sculptures, including the 51-feet Ram statue in Mississauga and a towering Hanumanji in Toronto. He points out how each project has its own challenges, whether cultural, political, or logistical. "In North America you don't easily get labourers - you have to do it yourself, operate the machines. That was quite challenging but I managed."
Some of his works have even stirred controversy, like the Hanuman statue at Hindu Sabha Temple. "Some people said, what is this monkey man doing here? But later when the temple was attacked, protestors stood before Hanumanji and saved each other," he says.
Art For The Personal And Political
Not all his projects have been massive public monuments. Some have been intimate and personal. One such instance was when he sculpted a likeness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother, Heeraben, shortly after her passing.
"I had some images and pictures of her. I met her once in Gandhinagar. Then I sculpted it on my own and I presented it to the Prime Minister and kept it in his room. He loved it and not only that, he asked me to reduce the length of the Sari. Then I made his father's sculpture also," Naresh recounts.
For him, the moment was memorable not only because of who the subject was, but because it revealed the deeply human side of a leader. "It was a good experience working for the Prime Minister," he says simply.
He has also created a bust of late actor Satish Kaushik. "He has always been my favourite. Generally, people love stars with a different perspective, the main hero. But in terms of art, I love Satish Kaushik as an artist. When I heard of his passing, I made a bust of him to dedicate. Anupmam Kher kept it in his office. That's an honour for me."
Family Legacy
Sculpting runs deep in Naresh's family. His grandfather worked as a craftsman in the Rajgharana, while his father became an art teacher in Pilani before being commissioned by the Birlas to create mammoth statues, including an 80-feet Shiva in 1989. "That was one of the first mammoth sculptures in India," Naresh notes.
He himself shifted base to Gurgaon, where his studio today is equipped with one of the biggest foundries in the world, capable of casting 20 tonnes in a day. His daughter, Rudrakshi, is preparing to carry forward the legacy in her own way. "She is in 12th standard now, completing her high school in the US. She will go for graduation next year and wants to join the College of Fine Arts. She works a lot with ceramics," he says.
Beyond Stone And Bronze
While many of his predecessors worked in stone or bronze, Naresh has expanded into multiple mediums. "We work in bronze, fibreglass, and now porcelain and ceramic," he says. His ambition is to bring traditional Indian themes into modern material expressions, blending durability with contemporary aesthetics.
One project he particularly treasures is the world's tallest sitting Shiva statue in Rajasthan, 369 feet high, called the Statue Of Belief which took nearly seven years. It also marked a turning point in his career when businessman Madan Palewal supported him with funds to buy a Rs 2 crore machine from Calgary.
"That machine changed my career and helped me stand apart from other sculptors. For me, that was like seeing Lord Hanuman himself, he gave me the blessing in the form of that support."
But despite his global footprint, Naresh is candid about how sculptors often remain less visible than their creations.
And yet, his works continue to travel, from towering idols in North America to installations for India's Supreme Court and the New Parliament.
From a young man who once failed medical entrance exams to a sculptor whose works now stand in over 80 countries, Naresh Kumar's story is one of perseverance, adaptability, and devotion to craft. Whether it is a 54-feet Shiva in Canada or a quiet bust of a beloved actor, his sculptures capture both scale and sentiment.
As Shiva towers over Brampton, Naresh is already thinking of the next challenge. "Now I am going to Washington to meet someone who wants a 100-feet idol," he says. For him, every new project is not just an artwork but a step further in carrying Indian sculpture across the world.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
