A 90-foot panchaloha statue of Lord Hanuman caused Americans, especially Christians, and their media to exhibit blatant Hindumisia. Church groups even protested at the temple, which is ironically a private land, against what they called a “demonic god”.
Christians who preach tolerance but in fact, practice intolerance must know that India is home to over 28,000 churches, with the Catholic Church being the second-largest landowner in the country after the Indian government. The Church’s vast land holdings are estimated to cover around seven crore hectares (17.29 crore acres), valued at approximately ₹20,000 crore. It has many Jesus statues too, some significantly larger than the Texas Hanuman statue
Here is a list of India’s 15 largest Jesus statues, standing undisturbed, even though India is not a Christian country.
1. Pune, Maharashtra
A bronze statue of Jesus Christ was unveiled at the World Peace Dome within the MIT World Peace University in Pune, Maharashtra, on November 22, 2022. This statue, representing the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, joins 54 other statues inside the 263-foot-high dome.
2. Ambala, Haryana
A 5.5ft tall Jesus statue at the British-era Holy Redeemer Catholic Church is in Ambala Cantonment in Haryana. Built in 1848 when the East India Company relocated its base from Karnal to Ambala, the church is one of the oldest in the region.
3.Ramanagara, Karnataka
In 2020, Congress’s DK Shivakumar laid the foundation stone for a 114-ft-tall Jesus statue in Kanakapura, Ramanagara district of Karnataka. This was protested by Hindu organizations but 800 families donated ₹1 lakh each for the construction of the statue. Now, a symbolic 5-foot-tall Jesus statue stands there. The 114-foot (34.7-meter) tall white granite statue, under construction, will be slightly smaller than the Rio de Janeiro monolith but will feature a larger base. This statue of Jesus is set to rival the size of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer.
4. Bengaluru, Karnataka
A 35-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ was unveiled at Mount Olive, Gethsemane Garden, Hennur Bande in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Weighing 20 tonnes, the statue is crafted from fibre-reinforced plastic and reinforced cement concrete. Sculpted by artists from Kolkata, it was constructed for ₹65 lakh and took one year to complete.
5. Mumbai, Maharashtra
A statue of Jesus Christ is located near the Infant Jesus Chapel, which is under the supervision of St. Anthony’s Parish in Kharodi village, Malad West, Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was in the news in 2016 for ‘seeping water’ from the statue, which turned out to be a leaky drain.
6.Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
The tallest statue of Jesus ever made stands in Trivandrum, Kerala. Measuring 10 meters tall and weighing three tons, it is located at a Christian Syro-Malankara college in the city. Made from fibre, wax, and resin, and covered with white marble, the statue features eyes that glow in the dark. It was created in memory of a former student who passed away in a car accident.
7.Velankanni, Tamil Nadu
The huge Sacred Heart of Jesus statue is located at Our Lady of Vailankanni Church in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu. This Catholic church is situated on the coast of Nagapattinam.
8. Mumbai, Maharashtra
The Jesus statue at Mount Mary Church, also known as Mount Mary Basilica, is a Christian religious icon located in Bandra, Mumbai, Maharashtra. The church is one of the oldest and most prominent Roman Catholic basilicas in Mumbai. The first edifice was built in the 16th century.
9.Vizhinjam, Tamil Nadu
The statue of Jesus Christ, unveiled by Archbishop Soosa Pakiam M. in Vizhinjam, Tamil Nadu, is designed to reflect the number of years Jesus is believed to have lived. It stands 33 feet tall, with outstretched arms spanning 33 feet, and is set on a base that elevates the statue to a total height of 90 feet. In comparison, the Rio de Janeiro statue is 98 feet tall with arms extending 92 feet wide.
10. Assolna, Goa
The Monument of Christ the King, also known as Cristo Rei, is a striking structure situated in Assolna, Goa. It was constructed and consecrated in 1934. It was inspired by a similar structure in Karachi and was completed in 1937. Initially envisioned by Fr. Vincent Giminez S.J. and built in Karachi in 1931, the monument influenced Assolna’s Domingo Gaspar Sebastiao Silva Lobo to recreate it in his hometown.
11. Altinho, Goa
A statue of Jesus Christ stands in front of the Bishop’s Palace, located in Altinho, Panaji, Goa, India.
12. Hyderabad, Telangana
St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hyderabad, Telangana, features a statue of Jesus within its premises. The Cathedral itself dates back to the early 19th century.
13. Mysore, Karnataka
Saint Philomena’s Cathedral in Mysore, Karnataka, built in 1956, is one of India’s largest churches, designed in neo-Gothic style with stunning stained glass windows and twin spires reaching 175 feet. Inspired by Germany’s Cologne Cathedral, it features a 54-foot statue of Saint Philomena, a 3rd-century Greek saint, and has a main hall that seats 800. Originally a small church built in the 18th century, it was expanded under Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV.
14. Kolkata, West Bengal
A life-size bronze statue of Mother Teresa was unveiled at the Archbishop House in Kolkata, West Bengal, on her 106th birth anniversary, nine days before her canonization.
15. Thiruvalla, Kerala
The “Healing Christ,” a tri-metal sculpture of Jesus Christ, stands prominently in the central courtyard of the Believers Church Medical College Hospital in Thiruvalla, Kerala. At 368 cm tall and weighing 2,400 kg, it is the largest sculpture of its kind globally.
Apart from these, there are numerous statues of Jesus, Mary, and the various saints in Christianity on the roadsides all across India. Now who is tolerant?
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