When I was a teenager, I had this apocalyptic declaration on a patch embroidered on my jeans that said: ‘God is dead.’ Nietzsche’s misconstrued words perfectly reflected my loss of faith in my religion, Hinduism. A few years later, I learned meditation and was ready to vouch for at least the esoteric parts of my faith.
Wearing your beliefs on your sleeve can anger some folks and lead to unending arguments.
I was reminded of my teenage peccadilo when reading about the 90-foot-tall Hanuman statue erected by a Hindu temple in Sugar Land, near Houston. Its headline-hogging opening last month attracted a group of protesting conservative Christians and hostile remarks against the ‘demonic’ statue on social media.
I wonder if building America’s third-tallest statue was intended to attract attention. The Statue of Liberty in New York is the tallest at 151 feet, without the pedestal. World Atlas ranks the 110-foot-high Pegasus and the Dragon in Hallandale Beach, Florida, at No. 2.
But why a statue of Hanuman, often called Monkey God in the Western world? That too at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, which enshrines eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi, true to its Sanskrit name. In Indian mythology, Hanuman is the original Superman, who preceded Marvel’s masked men by many millennia. Also called Bajrang Bali, he has the superpowers to fly, grow his body sky-high, and lift a mountain. He employs these powers in the service of his Lord, Shri Rama. In the popular epic Ramayana, he plays a key role in Rama defeating demon king Ravana in a war, and liberating his wife, Sita. Shri Rama has emerged as the most popular Hindu deity, especially in north India. At the same time, Hanuman, the epitome of valor, devotion and selfless service, is a god in his right with numerous devotees and temples in his name.
Statue of Union
Why call the 90-foot, 90-ton bronze Hanuman statue the Statue of Union? The Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple’s official website explains a bit facilely that Hanuman helped unite Shri Rama with Sita, hence the name. The project was envisioned by Chinna Jeeyar Swami, a prominent Indian religious guru and ascetic. He has a penchant for building massive statues. In 2023, he consecrated the 216-foot statue in the sitting position of Ramanujacharya, the founder of his lineage. It is called the Statue of Equality. It was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who hailed the 11th century saint’s message of equality of all. The same year, Chinna Jeeyar Swami was honored with Padma Shri, India’s state award.
But why bring Hanuman to Texas? You can notice the mammoth figure from miles around Sugar Land’s flat area. A statue is as public as you can get. What will the locals make of this figure of a human body with a monkey face and coiled tail that creates the impression of a halo?
Well, speakers at the inauguration on August 18 described the Hanuman statue as a symbol of Indian culture and heritage and a call to unite communities and nations.
Maybe a temple can better serve that purpose, engaging and enlightening visitors. The new BAPS Akshardham temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, is a case in point. It is the second largest temple in the world (Angkor Wat in Cambodia is the largest), attracting attention and visitors from near and far. Eager BAPS volunteers acquaint you with the architecture, art, and masonry traditions of India. Visitors of any religion or ethnicity to this new landmark are welcomed and can get an immersive experience of Hindu beliefs and Indian culture.
We should welcome a religion introducing itself in a new country with a landmark. When I lived in New Delhi, India, I would love to visit the Lotus Temple, dedicated in 1986 by the Baha’is. Many Indians can name that religion now because of this lotus-shaped temple. Once inside the temple, visitors are surprised when they find no idol or symbol of worship—just cavernous space and silence to meditate on whatever God you believe in.
I like that.
At the same time, I wouldn’t put down idol worship, practiced by a vast majority of the one billion plus Hindus, many Buddhists and Jains. I won’t quote the book and verse extolling the path of devotion centered on the worship of deities. Most people would struggle to visualize or mediate on a formless, attributeless, omnipresent God. Praying to an idol or an image holds your attention and is simple. The devotee develops a personal and intimate bond with her deity. Then, can you bring yourself to worship the 90-foot Hanuman, no matter that it was consecrated over four days of requisite rituals starting on August 15, India’s Independence Day?
Protest against the Hanuman statue
Thousands of people participated in those rituals, and many more witnessed the final dedication on August 18. A group of 20-25 far-right Christian protesters smuggled themselves in. They were led by their pastor, who had earlier released a video rubbishing Hanuman as a ‘demon god’. When they started to proselytize and harass others, the temple authorities told the interlopers to leave. They left when threatened the police would be called.
The backlash, however, moved online. Sample one post:
“I rebuke this demonic filth in the mighty name of Jesus Christ,” @itsmorganariel, a self-described ‘Christian activist’, wrote while sharing a video on X.
Trying to cash in on the controversy, Newsweek opened a report with the alarming words: “Conservatives are raging over the arrival of a 90-foot-tall statue…”
Calling it mainstream media’s wont to exaggerate, one SKSJedi wrote on Reddit that there was NO public backlash, only a few protestors showing up.
“Live in Sugar Land and know that street, it’s full of temples, masjids, and other places of worship from all over Asia and South Asia. There is (a) female Buddha statue literally 1,000 feet down the road that is 72 feet tall.”
A counter-reaction to this minor episode of Hinduphobia followed.
“Christians & Catholics etc…. getting offended by the Hanuman Monkey Bronze statue built on private lands in Southwest Houston but not getting ticked off about their churn numbers….? huh?” @datarade wrote on X.
Fear not, America
The Ashtalakshmi Temple’s officials have taken pains to reiterate their credo: ‘Worship your Own, Respect All’ and ‘Serve all Beings as Service to God’, slogans coined by their founder, Chinna Jeeyar Swami.
Sreenarasimhaiah, the temple vice president, told Houston Public Media, “There’s nothing in this (statue) that puts somebody else’s religion down. In fact, the folks who worked on the project locally and supported it have come from all sorts of faiths, and they’ve all appreciated it.”
Moreover, the specially sculpted image is of Abhaya Hanuman. ‘Abhaya’ in Hindi means fear not. Both Hanuman’s hands are raised palm forward in Abhaya Mudra. A double Abhaya Mudra is uncommon, though. Avatars, founders, and saints of Indic religions – Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, besides Hinduism – are almost always depicted with one hand raised in benevolence.
Note also that Abhaya Hanuman has placed his weapon of choice, the mace, on the ground. Americans need not fear this new arrival assuring benevolence and fearlessness.
Note: Dear readers, this is my first column for Patheos under the title ‘Lotus Pond’. I welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you.
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