SUGAR LAND, Texas — The Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land inaugurated a 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman on Aug 15.
The "Statue of Union" is now the third tallest in the continental United States, beat only by the Statue of Liberty (151 feet) and the Pegasus and Dragon (110 feet) in Hallandale Beach, Florida. "Continental" because the US territory of Puerto Rico has a statue called "Birth of the New World", which stands at 350 feet tall.
The Statue of Union project is credited to Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, an Indian guru and yogi. He's also responsible for the "Statue of Equality", a 216 ft statue that sits atop a temple in Venkannaguda, India. It's the second-tallest sitting statue in the world.
The Statue of Union depicts Lord Hanuman, an Indian deity that is half monkey, half human. He's a main character in the Indian epic "Ramayana", the story of the Indian Prince Rama rescuing his wife Sita. Hanuman symbolizes selflessness to the Hindu community.