US' Texas gets 90-foot-tall Lord Hanuman statue as new landmark

A 90-foot-tall bronze murti of Lord Hanuman, recently unveiled near Houston, marks "a new milestone in the cultural and spiritual landscape of America" and has become a prominent landmark in Texas, visible from miles away. It is now the third tallest sculpture in the United States.

Named the "Statue of Union," this remarkable statue is among the tallest in the world and holds several distinctions: it is the tallest Hanuman murti outside of India, the tallest statue in Texas, and the third tallest in the United States. Only the Statue of Liberty in New York (151 feet) and the Pegasus and Dragon in Hallandale Beach, Florida (110 feet) are taller, according to the organisers.

The ‘Statue of Union’ Hanuman murti, which was unveiled at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, about 35-odd km from here, during a grand Prana Prathishta Mahotsavam ceremony from August 15 to 18, symbolises “selflessness, devotion, and unity,” the organisers said, adding, the murti is named so to “honour Hanuman's pivotal role in reuniting Lord Ram and Sita.” “This awe-inspiring structure is the result of the visionary efforts of His Holiness Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, a Padma Bhushan awardee, and a renowned Vedic scholar, who envisioned the project as a spiritual epicentre for North America,” the organiser said in a statement.

The festivities commenced on August 15, coinciding with India’s Independence Day and the core of the celebrations unfolded on August 18, with the grand Pran Prathistha ceremony. “The rituals, led by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji and overseen by a multitude of Vedic priests and scholars, were a powerful display of devotion and spirituality,” the statement said.