A massive 22-foot Shaligram Sheela sculpture in Nepal's Mustang district has attracted attention among pilgrims and tourists, but social media claims describing it as the newly discovered “world's largest Shaligram stone” are misleading.

The structure is a sculpture carved into a large riverbank rock, rather than a naturally occurring Shaligram fossil that was recently discovered near Muktinath. Nepalese media reports say the artwork was created in Jomsom, on the banks of the Kali Gandaki River, during a 15-day sculpture workshop organised earlier this year.

Giant Sculpture In Jomsom

The 22-foot Shaligram-shaped sculpture stands in Jomsom Ward 4 of Gharapjhong Rural Municipality in Mustang.

More than 36 sculptors associated with the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts participated in the workshop between April 20 and May 4. They transformed riverbank boulders into around 18 artworks representing religious, cultural and natural themes associated with Mustang.

The Shaligram sculpture was subsequently inaugurated in May following religious rituals, with Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahaswami Vidushekhara Bharati Maharaj of the Sringeri Sharada Peeth taking part in the ceremony.

Sacred To Lord Vishnu

Shaligrams hold a special place in Hindu religious traditions. They are generally described as fossilised ammonite stones associated with the Kali Gandaki River and are worshipped as manifestations or symbols of Lord Vishnu.

The Muktinath region is particularly important to Shaligram devotees because of its long association with these sacred stones. Academic research on Shaligram pilgrimage also identifies Muktinath as one of the principal pilgrimage centres for their veneration.

Not A Newly Found Stone

The distinction between a natural Shaligram and the new Jomsom sculpture is important.

Reports from Nepal explicitly describe the Jomsom structure as the world's largest Shaligram Sheela replica/sculpture. It was created by sculptors from a natural rock beside the Kali Gandaki.

Therefore, the viral Instagram claim shown in the uploaded image — “World's largest Shaligram stone found near Muktinath Dham” — should not be presented as a verified discovery.

There are also reports of exceptionally large natural Shaligrams elsewhere in Nepal. A separate giant Shaligram at Setibeni, at the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Seti rivers, has been described in reports as the world's largest and was submerged during heavy monsoon flooding in July 2026.

Tourism Push In Mustang

The Jomsom sculpture is part of a broader effort to promote Mustang's religious and cultural tourism.

The Kali Gandaki valley is already closely associated with Muktinath, one of the region's most important pilgrimage destinations. The addition of the giant Shaligram sculpture gives visitors another landmark connected with the area's religious heritage.

Local authorities have promoted the sculpture as a new attraction capable of bringing greater attention to Jomsom and the surrounding Mustang region.

Why The Image Went Viral

The distinctive spiral pattern visible in the photograph resembles the characteristic markings associated with Shaligram stones, making the structure particularly striking in photographs and social-media videos.

However, the viral description appears to have simplified the story by calling the sculpture a newly discovered natural stone.

For news publication, the more accurate description is “22-foot Shaligram Sheela sculpture” or “giant Shaligram-shaped sculpture”, rather than “world's largest Shaligram stone found near Muktinath.”

A New Religious Landmark

The Jomsom installation combines religion, local art and tourism. It also reflects the continuing cultural importance of the Kali Gandaki landscape, where Shaligram stones have been revered for generations.

The development is therefore noteworthy in its own right, even without the unverified “world's largest stone” claim.