Astonishing photographs of a 90-foot statue of Hindu God Lord Hanuman—the third largest statue in the U.S.—have been obtained by Newsweek, following the unveiling ceremony in Texas.
The monument, known as the Statue of Union, stands at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land. Lord Hanuman is depicted as human, but with the head and tail of a monkey, as is customary. The statue is holding both hands palm forward and the end of the tail is twisted above the head, creating a halo effect.
Hanuman is a Hindu god known for his power, courage, and selfless service. He is also a symbol of power and celibacy.
The statue’s unveiling on Sunday marks rapidly changing religious demographics in the U.S., with surveys showing a decline in the proportion of Americans who identify as Christian and a rise in those who say they are “nothing in particular” or belong to religions which are followed by a minority in the U.S.
Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple
Speaking to Newsweek Ranganath Kandala, joint secretary of the Ashtalakshmi Temple, confirmed the statue is 90-foot-tall and said it was inaugurated in a Pran Pratishtha ceremony on August 18, celebrating it as a living embodiment of the deity.
This height makes it the third tallest statue in the U.S. according to the WorldAtlas website, after the Statue of Liberty at 151 feet and the Pegasus and Dragon statue in Florida at 110 feet.
In a statement to Newsweek, the temple said: “The Statue of Union is not just a marvel of engineering but a symbol of the enduring values of devotion and bravery. The team behind the project hopes that visitors will leave the site with a renewed sense of courage and strength, inspired by Hanuman’s legendary spirit.
“The Statue of Union stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage shared by the Indian and American communities, and its inauguration has set a new milestone in both spiritual and cultural realms.”
Funds for the Lord Hanuman statue were raised by Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple from the local Hindu community, including via its official website. The statue’s unveiling sparked an angry reaction from some Christian conservatives on social media, with one self-styled “Christian activist” labeling it “demonic” on X.
Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple
According to data from Pew Research Center the religious makeup of the U.S. has undergone a substantial shift over the past few decades, with the proportion of Americans identify as Christian falling from 90 percent in 1972 to 64 percent in 2020.
Correspondingly those who said they were agnostics, atheists or “nothing in particular” rose from five percent to 30 percent over the same period. The proportion of American’s identifying with other religions, including Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism, also increased to around six percent in 2020.
U.S. Census Bureau data shows Alabama is the most religious state in the country, followed by Virginia and Texas. At the other end of the scale Maine, New Hampshire and Nevada are the least religious.
Earlier this month Reverend Franklin Graham reacted with anger after a group called Evangelicals for Harris, which supports Vice-President Kamala Harris‘s presidential bid, used video of his late father, Reverend Billy Graham, in an ad.