Brampton, Dec 17: The city of Brampton, which has a large Sikh population, will soon be home to Canada’s tallest statue of Lord Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god and a devotee of Lord Rama.
The 55-foot statue, which is made of fibreglass and steel, has been crafted by Naresh Kumawat, a renowned sculptor from Rajasthan, India. Kumawat has created over 200 statues of Hindu deities across 80 countries, including a 75-foot mural of Samudra Manthan at the new parliament building in Delhi.
The statue will be formally unveiled at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Canada, on April 23, 2023, coinciding with the Hanuman Jayanti, the deity’s birth anniversary. The temple management has funded the project, which is expected to cost around $1.5 million.
The statue is a symbol of the faith and devotion of the Hindu community in Brampton, which comprises about 15% of the city’s population. The statue is also a tribute to the cultural diversity and harmony of the city, which is known for its multiculturalism and tolerance.
The statue will be a major attraction for the devotees and tourists alike, who will be able to offer prayers and seek blessings from Lord Hanuman. The statue will also feature a fountain, a garden, and a meditation area around it.
Lord Hanuman is revered as a source of strength, courage, and wisdom in Hinduism. He is believed to have played a key role in the epic Ramayana, where he helped Lord Rama rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana. He is also considered as an incarnation of Lord Shiva and one of the immortals (Chiranjeevi) in Hindu mythology.
The statue of Lord Hanuman in Brampton will be the second tallest in the world, after the 135-foot statue in Paritala, Andhra Pradesh, India. It will also surpass the 50-foot statue of Hanuman at the Voice of Vedas temple in Markham, Canada, which was also made by Kumawat.
