A towering 55-foot statue of Hanuman, the tallest depiction of a Hindu deity in Canada, is expected to be unveiled in April next year. Made by sculptor Naresh Kumawat from Rajasthan and funded by the local temple management, the statue will be officially unveiled at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Canada, on April 23, coinciding with Hanuman Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the divinity.
Kumawat, known for his expertise in sculpting Hindu deities, has erected more than 200 statues in 80 countries. He said The Indian Express that the final touches to the statue will be made over the coming summer months before the statue’s unveiling next April.
Previously, Kumawat built Canada’s tallest ancient Hanuman statue, measuring 50 feet at the Voice of Vedas temple, funded by a businessman. He also completed a 75-foot Samudra Manthan mural as part of the Central Vista project in the new Parliament building in Delhi. This mural depicts the significant episode from Hinduism’s Vishnu Puran, symbolizing the churning of the sea.
In Hindu mythology, Samudra Manthan is one of the most significant episodes elaborated in the Vishnu Puran, which led to the birth of the divine angel goddesses and many precious valuables, including the divine nectar of immortality known as name of Amrit. The literal translation of the words “samudra” and “manthan” means “ocean” and “churning”. Together, the expression therefore refers to the “churning of the sea”.
The 55-foot Hanuman statue
On Indian Constitution Day, a seven-foot statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, chairman of the committee that drafted the Indian Constitution, was unveiled at the Supreme Court, with Kumawat as the sculptor.
Kumawat, renowned for his monumental sculptures, has worked extensively in several countries, including England, the United States, Australia, Poland, Mauritius, Seychelles, Dubai, Oman and Russia. His portfolio includes notable figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Rabindranath Tagore, Indira Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.
Among his monumental works is the Statue of Belief in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, a colossal 369-foot seated idol of Lord Shiva, recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records. Another imposing statue is that of Lord Hanuman, measuring 156 feet, in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, listed in the Limca Book of Records. Additionally, he made a 108 feet Hanuman statue at the Jakhu temple in Shimla.
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