A tall sitting statue is being built on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India. As a tribute to Ramanujacharya, on the start of his 1000th birth anniversary celebrations, a 216 feet high sitting statue of the 10th century saint Ramanuja is being built. This is India’s first tallest sitting statue and the World’s second tallest. It will be built in a complex with 108 temples and is going to be called as the Statue of Equality, as a tribute to Ramanujacharya’s philosophy and teachings. This edifice is planned by Chinna Jeeyar Swami, an Indian scholar for his spiritual discourse on Sri Vaishnavam, and his religious trust.
Where:
A few Kilometers from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad, the structure Bhadrapeeta, is a vision of grandeur and elegance. The statue will be built on a 54 story structure. The foundations are being laid for this structure at Muchintal Village. The cost for building this structure is estimated to be Rs.1000 crore.
The brainchild of Chinna Jeeyar Swami, this statue will be the world’s second tallest sitting statue preceded by the Great Buddha in Thailand which is at 302 ft. The raw material is being imported from China and will reach Chennai in a few days. The parts imported will be assembled by Chinese workers in Hyderabad.
With What:
A whopping 700 tons of Panchaloha will be used to build this structure. All the little details have been captured by using a 3D image for reference, down to sagging earlobes. The statue will be placed on a Lotus flower that will be supported by 36 Panchaloha elephants.
Visibility:
The statue will be visible from the flights that are taking off at the Shamshabad airport. The officials expect an announcement to be made, in flight, similar to the one made when Amritsar Golden temple comes into view.
The message that Ramanujacharya preached throughout his life was that spirituality is available to all humans no matter their religion or caste. This structure by its visibility proves the same, that spirituality is available to all those who see this vision.