Statue of Equality

On 5^th February, 2022, Prime Minister unveiled a 216-foot statue of Ramanujacharya, an 11th century saint and social reformer, in Hyderabad, Telangana.

• The statue, described as the 'Statue of Equality', is made of 'panchaloha', a mix of five metals - gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc.
• The complex has identical recreations of 108 Divya Desams, the 108 ornately carved Vishnu temples mentioned in the works of the Alwars, mystic Tamil saint.

About Sri Ramanujacharya: Born in 1017 in Sri Perumbudur, Tamil Nadu, he was an Indian philosopher, Hindu theologian, social reformer, and one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.

• His philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement.
• He is famous as the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita subschool of Vedanta.
• He wrote nine works that came to be known as the Navratnas including three major commentaries, the Vedartha-Sangraha, the Sribhasya and the Bhagavadgita-bhasya aimed at providing a philosophical foundation for devotional worship.