Work is going apace on the 216-ft tall ‘Statue of Equality’ of the 11th century reformer and Vaishnavite saint, Sri Ramanuja, to be unveiled by PM Modi next month in Hyderabad.

Statue of Equality

• The ‘Statue of Equality’, as it is called, is being installed to mark the 1,000th birth anniversary of Sri Ramanuja.
• It was built of panchaloha, a combination of gold, silver, copper, brass and zinc, by the Aerospun Corporation in China and shipped to India.
• It is the second largest in the world in sitting position of the saint.
• The monument will be surrounded by 108 “Divya Desams” of Sri Vaishnavite tradition (model temples) like Tirumala, Srirangam, Kanchi, Ahobhilam, Badrinath, Muktinath, Ayodhya, Brindavan, Kumbakonam and others.
• The idols of deities and structures were constructed in the shape at the existing temples.

Who was Sri Ramanuja?

Ramanuja or Ramanujacharya (1017–1137 CE) was a philosopher, Hindu theologian, social reformer, and one of the most important exponents of Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.

• His philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement.

His works

• Ramanuja’s philosophical foundation was qualified monism and is called Vishishtadvaita in the Hindu tradition.
• His ideas are one of three subschools in Vedanta, the other two are known as Adi Shankara’s Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvacharya’s Dvaita (dualism)
• Important writings include:

1. Vedarthasangraha (literally, “Summary of the Vedas meaning”),
2. Sri Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Brahma Sutras),
3. Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita), and

• The minor works titled Vedantapida, Vedantasara, Gadya Trayam (which is a compilation of three texts called the Saranagati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and the Srivaikunta Gadyam), and Nitya Grantham.

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