An impressive 27-meter-high bronze statue of the god Hanuman was recently unveiled in the US state of Texas.

The striking new landmark, called the Statue of Union, can be seen for miles as it is now the third tallest sculpture in the United States. The unveiling of this majestic statue represents “a new milestone in the cultural and spiritual landscape of America,” organizers said.

Here’s everything we know about it

1. The “Statue of the Union”, is located in the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas. The website named after the sculpture states that the statue is intended to “create a spiritual epicenter where hearts find solace, minds find peace, and souls find a path to transcendence.”

2. Regarding the choice of name for the statue, the website stated: “The Statue of Union will be North America’s tallest statue of the god Hanuman, an embodiment of strength, devotion and selfless service. Hanuman united Sri Rama with Sita and hence the name Statue of Union.”

3. The colossal statue is one of the tallest in the USA, It is surpassed only by the Statue of Liberty (46.6 m) and Pegasus and Dragon in Florida (33.3 m). It replaced the statue of Our Lady of the Rockies, which is 26.1 m high, as the third tallest statue in the USA.

The third tallest statue in the United States is currently located in Sugar Land, Texas, at 90 feet tall.

The “Statue of Unity”, which depicts the Hindu god Hanuman and is considered a symbol of “strength and hope”, was recently inaugurated at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple.pic.twitter.com/Nuzu2JUavN

– Julia 🇺🇸 (@Jules31415) 21 August 2024

4. According to the organizer’s statement, the statue is based on the visions of His Holiness Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, a Padma Bhushan awardee and esteemed Vedic scholar. “He envisioned the project as a spiritual epicenter for North America,” the organizer added.

5. The statue was unveiled during a three-day Prana Prathishta ceremony held from August 15 to 18. At the event, the statue was showered with flowers from a helicopter, holy water was sprinkled and a 22-metre-long garland was placed around the neck of Lord Hanuman while thousands of devotees chanted the names of Shri Ram and Hanuman in unison.

The Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the 90-foot tall Hanuman statue was held on August 18 in Houston, Texas. The statue, named the “Statue of Union,” is now the third tallest statue in the United States. The statue is a tribute to Lord Hanuman’s role in the reunion of Sri Rama and… pic.twitter.com/TR2fl1xK2d

— SuryaKantham (@Kantham1897) 21 August 2024

6. The organizers’ statement said: “The rituals of the ceremony were led by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji and supervised by a host of Vedic priests and scholars and were an impressive expression of devotion and spirituality.”

7. Indian mythologist and author Devdutt Pattanaik suggested that the Hanuman statue with raised arms was inspired by the Thai Buddha’s ‘don’t fight’ gesture. Sharing a photo of the sculpture on X, Pattanaik remarked, “Thanks guys – a departure from the more ominous (angry) images being spread by Breaking Bharat Bullies.” However, this theory was questioned by many social media users.

American Hindus in Texas have erected a rather unusual giant Hanuman statue based on the (Thai) Buddha gesture “do not fight,” with both palms raised.

Thanks guys – a departure from those rather ominous (angry) images peddled by Breaking Bharat Bullies. pic.twitter.com/LojFdhH7qS

— Devdutt Pattanaik (@devduttmyth) 21 August 2024

8. One user replied, “It’s Abhaya Mudra, by Buddha to calm the sea, related to the flooding of river Neranyjara. You interpret it to suit your interests. Charming.” Another commented, “lol. Our mythologist doesn’t know the difference between Abhaya Mudra and the non-fighting gesture. Without cultural context, you could say Hanuman was sculpted with a high-five gesture.”

10. Accordingly Financial Expressa 25-foot-tall statue of the god Hanuman, previously the tallest in the United States, was installed in Delaware in June 2020. Weighing an impressive 45 tons, it was shipped by sea from Hyderabad to New York and subsequently installed in Hockessin, New Castle County, Delaware.

Patibanda Sharma, president of the Hindu Temple of Delaware Association, had said ANI“It was shipped from Warangal, Telangana to Delaware.”

With input from agencies