WikiDwarf: Statue of Equality (Ramanuja statue)

2022-08-19T05:39:59Z

Statue of Equality (Ramanuja statue)

New page

{{Short description|Statue of Ramanuja in Hyderabad, India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox monument
|name = Statue of Equality (Ramanuja statue)
| image = Statue of Equality (Ramanuja).jpg
| caption = Ramanuja statue
| location = [[Muchintal]], Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| designer =
| type = [[Statue]]
| material = [[Steel]] framing, [[panchaloha]]
| length =
| width =
| coordinates = {{coord|17.1860|78.3332|display = inline,title}}
| height = {{convert|216|ft|m}}
| begin = {{start date|2014|05|02|df=y}}<ref name="JET UK">{{cite web |title=Statue Of Equality |url=http://jetuk.org/2018/03/16/statue-of-equality/ |website=Jeeyar Educational Trust UK |access-date=15 October 2018 |date=16 March 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211202750/http://jetuk.org:80/2018/03/16/statue-of-equality/|archive-date=11 February 2019}}</ref>
| dedicated_to = [[Ramanuja]]
| website = {{Official url}}
| inaugurated = {{Start date and age|2022|02|05|df=yes}}
}}

The '''Statue of Equality''', also referred to as the '''Ramanuja statue''', is a statue of the 11th-century [[vaishnavaite]] [[Ramanuja]], located on the premises of the Chinna Jeeyar Trust at [[Muchintal]], [[Ranga Reddy district]].<ref>{{cite news|date=17 January 2022|title=Hyderabad: Ramanuja statue to become world tourist attraction|language=en|work=[[The Hans India]]|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/hyderabad-ramanuja-statue-to-become-world-tourist-attraction-724906|url-status=live|access-date=3 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203205734/https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/hyderabad-ramanuja-statue-to-become-world-tourist-attraction-724906|archive-date=3 February 2022}}</ref> 36 Kilometer from [[Hyderabad]]. It is the second tallest sitting statue in the world. The project of building the statue was conceptualised by the trust to commemorate 1000 years since Ramanuja's birth Costing an estimated {{INRconvert|1000|c}}, the project was paid for through the donations of devotees in a major part.

==Design and construction==

=== Design ===
In 2014, ascetic [[Chinna Jeeyar]] came up with the idea to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of Ramanuja's teachings by building a statue.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-02-05|title=Hyderabad: Everything about 216 ft tall Statue of Equality|url=https://telanganatoday.com/hyderabad-everything-about-216-ft-tall-statue-of-equality|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Telangana Today|language=en-US}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=February 2022}} The ground floor will be 6,000 square metres and will depict Ramanuja's life and philosophy. The temple, meant for daily worship, will be located on the 27,870 square metre second floor. The 1,365 square metre third floor will include a Vedic digital library and research centre.<ref name="Hindustan Times">{{cite web|last1=Apparasu|first1=Srinivasa Rao|date=19 November 2017|title=Telangana's 65.8-metre statue of Sri Ramanujacharya to be completed by March|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/telangana-s-216-feet-statue-of-sri-ramanujacharya-to-be-completed-by-march/story-HNyNxf0U6oUCqzbJFfs7UL.html|url-status=live|access-date=6 February 2022|website=[[Hindustan Times]]|language=en}}</ref>{{Additional citation needed|date=February 2022}} An [[Omnimax]] theatre in the shape of a [[planetarium]] featuring life stories of Ramanuja was planned.<ref name="Business Standard India">{{cite news|last1=Narasimhan|first1=T. E.|date=25 July 2015|title=Towering over the Statue of Liberty|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/towering-over-the-statue-of-liberty-115072401334_1.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118153127/https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/towering-over-the-statue-of-liberty-115072401334_1.html|archive-date=18 January 2021|access-date=15 October 2018|website=[[Business Standard India]]}}</ref> 14 models were designed according to [[Agama Shashtra]] and [[Shilpa Shastras]]. 3 models were shortlisted and improvements were made using [[3D scanning]] technology.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Nichenametla|first=Prasad|date=5 February 2022|title=Rs 135 crore 'Statue of Equality' inaugurated by PM Modi in Hyderabad was made in China|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/rs-135-crore-statue-of-equality-inaugurated-by-pm-modi-in-hyderabad-was-made-in-china-1078409.html|url-status=live|access-date=11 February 2022|website=[[Deccan Herald]]|language=en}}</ref>

It was named 'Statue of Equality' by the trust <ref>{{Cite web | url=https://statueofequality.org/why-statue-of-equality/ | title=Why Statue of Equality | Statue of Equality | date=26 June 2021 }}</ref>

=== Funding ===
The statue was built with an estimated cost of {{INRconvert|1000|c}}, which is majorly collected from donations by the devotees.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Nanisetti|first=Serish|date=1 July 2018|title=A 216-foot-tall celebration of Ramanuja|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/a-216-foot-tall-celebration-of-ramanuja/article24306087.ece|url-status=live|access-date=11 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109122209/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/a-216-foot-tall-celebration-of-ramanuja/article24306087.ece|archive-date=9 January 2022|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

=== Construction ===
The foundation stone for the statue was laid by Chinna Jeeyar.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} The statue was expected to be ready by November 2017 and later revised to February 2019.<ref name="Business Standard India" /><ref name="Mumbai Mirror">{{cite web|last1=P. Pavan|date=7 August 2018|title=Hyderabad: Statue of Equality to come up in city, hopes to show new direction in human dignity|url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/hyderabad-statue-of-equality-to-come-up-in-city-hopes-to-show-new-direction-in-human-dignity/articleshow/65310805.cms|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130053037/https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/hyderabad-statue-of-equality-to-come-up-in-city-hopes-to-show-new-direction-in-human-dignity/articleshow/65310805.cms|archive-date=30 January 2022|access-date=6 February 2022|website=[[Mumbai Mirror]]}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Nanisetti|first=Serish|date=9 December 2016|title=World's second biggest sitting statue coming up near Hyderabad|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/World%E2%80%99s-second-biggest-sitting-statue-coming-up-near-Hyderabad/article16784323.ece|url-status=live|access-date=11 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208051651/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/World%E2%80%99s-second-biggest-sitting-statue-coming-up-near-Hyderabad/article16784323.ece|archive-date=8 February 2022|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Aerosun Corporation, a [[Nanjing]]-based company, was contracted in August 2015 for the construction of the statue.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> The final design model was 3D scanned and sent to Aerosun Corporation to be built. 700 tonnes of ''[[panchaloha]]'', a five-metal alloy of gold, silver, copper, brass and zinc{{clarify|date=February 2022|reason=Some sources refer it to as titanium}} was used to build the statue.<ref name=":3" /> It was built in China and later shipped in 1600 individual pieces to India via [[Chennai Port]] in 54 shipments. Around 60 Chinese specialists including workers, engineers and welders assembled the segments on site. The assembly progressed during 2017 and 2018 and took 15 months to complete.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=Nanisetti|first=Serish|date=10 December 2016|title=A towering tribute to Bhakti saint Ramanuja|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/A-towering-tribute-to-Bhakti-saint-Ramanuja/article16787319.ece|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206073238/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/A-towering-tribute-to-Bhakti-saint-Ramanuja/article16787319.ece|archive-date=6 February 2022|access-date=6 February 2022|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref name="Mumbai Mirror" /><ref name=":0" /> and was assembled on site [[Muchintal]], Hyderabad. Aerosun Corporation provided a guarantee of 20 years for the golden hue of the statue.<ref name=":2" />

The base building under the statue named Bhadravedi is {{Convert|54|ft|m}} tall and three-stories high.<ref name="Mumbai Mirror" /> Atop the building lies a lotus of {{Convert|27|ft|m}} in diameter,<ref name="Business Standard India" /> and is carried by 36 elephants, over which the statue sits.<ref name=":3" /> The 27-feet dimension of the lotus represent 24 [[tattvas]], and the remaining 3 representing soul, god and the guru.<ref name="Business Standard India" /> The statue has a concrete core which is surrounded by a ''panchaloha'' sheet with a thickness varying between 10mm and 20mm.<ref name=":3" /> The base building has a meditation hall where a {{Convert|54|in|m}} statue of Ramunuja made of 120 kg of gold, representing the years he lived, is installed.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|date=30 January 2022|title=PM, President to attend unveiling of Ramanujacharya statue|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/pm-president-to-attend-unveiling-of-ramanujacharya-statue/article38349563.ece|url-status=live|access-date=11 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207184632/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/pm-president-to-attend-unveiling-of-ramanujacharya-statue/article38349563.ece|archive-date=7 February 2022|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> 108 [[Divyadesams]] (model temples), built in stone, surround the statue.<ref name="Mumbai Mirror" />

The statue was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] on 5 February 2022.<ref>{{Cite news|date=5 February 2022|title=PM Modi inaugurates Statue of Equality in Hyderabad: Key things you need to know|language=en|work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]]|url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/pm-modi-inaugurates-statue-of-equality-in-hyderabad-key-things-you-need-to-know-11644065129416.html|access-date=6 February 2022}}</ref> The smaller golden statue inside the base building was inaugurated by President [[Ram Nath Kovind]] on 13 February 2022.<ref>{{Cite news|date=13 February 2022|title=Kovind unveils golden statue of Ramanujacharya|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/kovind-unveils-golden-statue-of-ramanujacharya/article65046180.ece|url-status=live|access-date=13 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213160233/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/kovind-unveils-golden-statue-of-ramanujacharya/article65046180.ece|archive-date=13 February 2022|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Features ==
The Statue of Equality is the second tallest sitting statue in the world.<ref name=":4" /> The base building hosts a vedic digital library, research centre, ancient Indian texts, theatre and a gallery. Ramanuja's works are presented in the gallery.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-02-05|title=PM Modi to unveil 'Statue of Equality' today in Hyderabad|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-unveil-statue-of-equality-today-in-hyderabad-101644019602421.html|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Outdoor sculptures in India]]
[[Category:Colossal statues in India]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Hyderabad, India]]

Statue of Equality (Ramanuja) - Revision history

WikiDwarf: Statue of Equality (Ramanuja statue)