BENGALURU: The Hanuman Janmabhoomi Trust at Hampi is planning the ‘world’s’ tallest statue of Hanuman, which will stand at 215 feet at his birthplace of Kishkinda, which is believed to be Hampi. This trust has been closely following in the footsteps of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, which has been formed to construct Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.
When the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust was formed on February 5, 2020, following a Supreme Court direction, the same day Karnataka Hanuman Janmabhoomi Teerthakshetra Trust too was constituted for the overall development of Kishkinda Pampakshetra at Hampi. The trust, headed by Govindananda Saraswathi Swamy, will hold several processions in and around Kishkinda on Shivarathri day (Friday).
Trust sources said that Hampi, which is already a tourist centre, will also be turned into a pilgrimage centre. “It will equal the grandeur of Ayodhya after the Ram temple is built. At Ayodhya, the world’s tallest Rama statue will be built at 225 feet and since Rama and Hanuman were inseparable, we also decided to put up the tallest statue of Hanuman but 10 feet shorter than Rama’s. The Hanuman statue will be made out of copper,” they said.
Starting this year, a Hanumantha Ratha, which has been designed at Rs 45 lakh, will travel across the country. “It will pass through every district centre and taluk centre in the country, where money will be collected for the statue and other expenses. The Ratha yatra will terminate at Ayodhya,” the sources said.
The trust members said that it will take at least three years for the Ratha to complete the journey, while at the same time, the work at Kishkinda too will start. The trust is planning to purchase 10 acres of land for the statue and temple, and also invite 101 saints from Ayodhya for this year’s Hanuma Jayanathi.
The central tourism department is planning to include Hampi in the Ramayana circuit, while the state government too is keen on developing Kishkinda, they said. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is likely to allocate funds for the project in the upcoming budget, they added.