The 12 Tallest Statues In India

1. Paritala Anjaneya Temple Statue

The statue at this temple is the world’s tallest statue of Hanuman and the tallest statue in India. The temple is located in the Paritala village in Andhra Pradesh, India. The 135 feet tall statue was installed in 2003. The statue is even taller than that of Christ the Redeemer, a statue in Rio de Janeiro that attracts millions of tourists who admire its height. 

2. Thiruvalluvar Statue 

The second tallest statue in India, the Thiruvalluvar Statue stands 133 feet tall on a small island off the Coromandel Coast near Kanyakumari. The stone sculpture is of the famous Tamil poet and philosopher, Tiruvalluvar. The island on which the statue is located is at the meeting point of the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea. The statue is modelled on the Thirukkural, the most noted work of Tiruvalluvar. The statue stands on a pedestal and the combined height of both is 133 feet which represents the 133 chapters of the Thirukkural. The pedestal itself is 38 ft in height representing the 38 “virtue” chapters of the Thirukkural while the statue itself denotes “wealth” and “pleasures.” Hence, the symbolic meaning of the statue is that happiness and wealth can only by enjoyed on the foundation of virtue. Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati, an Indian sculptor is credited with the creation of the Thiruvalluvar Statue. The statue was inaugurated on January 1, 2000. Ferry services are available for those interested to view the statue from a closer distance. 

3. Buddha Statue At The Buddha Park of Ravangla

The Buddha Park of Ravangla hosts the third tallest statue in India. The 130 ft tall Buddha statue of the Buddha Park is located in Ravangla in Sikkim. The statue was built between 2006 and 2013. The site is one of the most religious sites of Buddhism and is a part of the centuries old Rabong Gompa (Monastery) complex. On March 25, 2013, the 14th Dalai Lama inaugurated the statue. The statue is surrounded by a picturesque landscape featuring mountains, lakes, and forest.

4. Dhyana Buddha Statue 

The 125 ft tall Dhyana Buddha statue is located at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh. The statue, representing Lord Buddha, is located on the Krishna river’s banks within a complex of 4.5 acres with a Lotus pandal, four zones, five ayaka pillars, and 8 pillars. The statue itself hosts a museum within it that features several sculptures related to Buddhism. The eight pillars signify the salvation path that was followed by the Lord Buddha. The four zones denote the four noble truths and the five ayaka pillar denote the five stages of person’s life.

5. Statue Of Padmasambhava In Rewalsar

The Rewalsar town in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district is closely associated with Buddhism and Padmasambhava (or Guru Rinpoche) who is believed to be a second Buddha. According to a legend, the Mandi’s King Arashadhar burnt alive Padmasambhava accusing him of trying to teach Dharma to the Princess, the king’s daughter. However, after Padmasambhava’s death, a lake appeared at the site and a 16 year old boy appeared from a lotus in the center of the lake. Following this, the repenting king decided to marry off his daughter to Padmasambhava. Today, a huge statue of Padmasambhava has been built in Rewalsar that was consecrated and blessed on April 1, 2012 by the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

6. Shiva of Murudeshwara

The giant Lord Shiva statue of Murudeshwara in Karnataka is the second tallest Shiva statue in the world that is located on the beach on the shores of the Arabian Sea in Murudeshwara. Although the statue has been constructed relatively recently, the temple at the site is ages old. A very interesting tale is associated with the Murudeshwara Shiva temple. According to legend, Ravana, a king of the demons, was performing penance to please Lord Shiva and earn immortality. However, the gods realized that if this happens, Ravana would wreak havoc on Earth. Thus, they tricked him once so that his penance bore no fruit. However, the second time, Ravana managed to have his wish granted by Lord Shiva who blessed him the Atma Linga, a statue that is associated with immortality. However, there was a condition that Ravana could never place the statue on the ground. Once more, the gods tricked him and the statue touched the floor. The angry Ravana threw away the Atma Lingam which broke to many pieces. It is said that one of these pieces landed at Murudeshwara where the temple now stands. Although the shrine is old, the temple complex was created recently and has a 20 storied Gopuram, life-size statues of elephants guarding the gate, and the 130 ft Shiva statue. Mr. R.N.Shetty, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist commissioned the statue.

7. Adiyogi Shiva Statue

The Adiyogi Shiva Statue is located in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. This 112 ft statue was designed by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. It was built by the Isha Foundation with the aim to promote yoga since Shiva is believed to be the originator of yoga. The statue was inaugurated only recently on February 24, 2017. The Guinness World Records recognizes the statue as the "Largest Bust Sculpture” in the world.

8. Hanuman Statue of Damanjodi

The 108 ft 9 inches tall statue of Hanuman was recently inaugurated in Damanjodi, Orissa on March, 2017. 

9. Statue Of Ahimsa

The 108 feet tall Statue of Ahimsa holds the record of being the tallest Jain statue in the world. It is located in Mangi-Tungi of Maharashtra. The statue has been carved out in the Mangi-Tungi hills which are regarded as sacred in Jainism. The construction of the statue was initiated in 2002 and completed on 2016. The 108 feet tall statue stands on a pedestal and is located 4,343 ft above sea level. Jain pilgrims and tourists of all faiths visit the site each year to enjoy the majestic sight of the statue and the serene surroundings.

10. Hanuman Murti In Shimla

The Jakhoo Temple in Shimla is an ancient temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Sri Hanuman. The temple is located at an elevation of 2,455 meters above sea level. From the temple, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding picturesque landscape. A giant statue of Sri Hanuman is located near the temple. It was inaugurated on 2010. The temple sites hosts a considerable population of monkeys and visitors are advised to ensure the safety of their belongings to avoid monkeys from snatching them. According to legend, the site where the temple stands was visited by Hanuman while he was searching for a herb to revive the brother of Sri Rama.

11. Basava Statue

The Basava statue, dedicated to the 12th century reformer, Basava, is located on a beautiful hillock named as Sharana Shaila in Karnataka. The the statue is 108’ in height and is based on a 24 ft high pedestal. 

12. Adinath Dada Statue At Palitana Temples

The Palitana temples are Jain temples located on the Shatrunjaya hill in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district. A 108 ft idol of Adinath(Rishabhnatha was established at this site in 2016.