Radhakrishnan Devasenapathy Sthapathy
A Swamimalai bronze sculptor who cast the 27-foot Nataraja at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
Radhakrishnan Devasenapathy Sthapathy comes from a family of sculptors and temple builders that goes back 34 generations. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of art, from Tamil Nadu [1].
A family tradition
He was born on 30 July 1960 and learned panchaloha (five-metal) casting at home, in the traditional gurukul way, from his father, S. Devasenapathy Sthapathy of Swamimalai, a national award winner [2]. He then studied temple architecture and sculpture under V. Ganapati Sthapati at the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture in Mamallapuram [2]. He now leads the family workshop [2].
The Nataraja at Bharat Mandapam
His best-known work is the 27-foot Nataraja cast in eight metals for the G20 summit, which stands outside Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi [2]. Weighing about 18 tonnes, it is described as the world’s largest Nataraja made by the traditional lost-wax method in a single casting [2].
His idols are worshipped in temples across Tamil Nadu, including Thanjavur’s Brihadeeswarar temple, at ISKCON centres in Bengaluru and Mayapur, and in temples in London and Hawaii [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: citation for Radhakrishnan Devasenapathy Sthapathy — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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