Statue of Union should not be confused with Statue of Unity.
| Monument Name: | Statue of Union |
| Location: | Sugar Land, Texas, United States |
| Type: | Statue |
| Material: | Panchaloha |
| Height: | 90feet |
| Dedicated To: | Hindu God Hanuman |
| Coordinates: | 29.67°N -95.6182°W |
Statue of Union is a 90-foot (27 m) statue built in the likeness of the Hindu God Hanuman, that is located at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, United States.[1] It is the fourth-tallest statue in the United States after the Birth of the New World, the Statue of Liberty and the Pegasus and Dragon. The statue is named Statue of Union because Lord Hanuman reunited Sri Rama with Maa Sita in the Hindu epic Ramayana.[2] The statue symbolises “selflessness, devotion, and unity.”[3]
The Statue of Union was envisioned by an Indian spiritual leader Chinna Jeeyar Swami. He called the statue a spiritual epicenter for North America.[4] He also envisioned the Statue of Equality in Hyderabad, India.[5]
The statue is cast in bronze. It depicts Lord Hanuman in the upright position with both his palms facing forward. Its detailed craftsmanship includes his main weapon Gada with patterns around it. The base of the statue features detailed design of an elephant and flowers.[6]
The unveiling of the statue took place after a 3-day ceremony that happened between August 15 and 18, 2024. It started on August 15, overlapping with India's Independence Day celebrations. The prana pratishtha took place at precisely 9:09 AM on August 18, 2024.[7] The ceremony featured flower showering from a helicopter, a sacred water sprinkling, and a 72-feet-long garland draped around Lord Hanuman’s neck.[8] The event was also accompanied by patriotic songs and the national anthems of India and the US, including Vande Mataram, Jana Gana Mana, and the Star-Spangled Banner.
Following the installation of the statue, media reported Hinduphobia in remarks by some Christian conservatives, who described the statue as demonic.[9] [10]