Samatha Murthy Temple

Introduction to the Samatha Murthy Temple

The Statue of Equality, or the Samatha Murthy Temple, is an imposing masterpiece built in memory of Saint Ramanujacharya. This great saint was born in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential leaders in Indian philosophy and religious history. The Samatha Murthy Temple is in Sriram Nagar, Hyderabad. It is an outstanding example of modern engineering and artistry.

History of the Samatha Murthy Temple

The great saint Sri Ramanujacharya was a philosopher and theologian of the 11th century. He founded the Sri Vaishnavism movement, which emphasizes the worship of Vishnu and his consort, Sri Devi. He emphasized the importance of self-surrender, devotion, and the attainment of salvation through the grace of the Almighty in his teachings. Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram planned to build the Statue of Equality In 2014. He proposed his idea to the Muchintal temple.

Aerosun Corporation, a Chinese company, a master in creating large-scale sculptures, worked on this project.

The team faced several challenges during the construction process of the Samantha Murthy statue, including its massive weight. It required careful planning and proper execution to ensure its stability. The team worked with a fixed budget and strict deadlines to complete this project within time and budget.

Chief Architects Prasad Sthapati and Anand Sai led the team. They created 14 clay statues to replicate the statue's appearance. Jeeyar Swami and his advisors chose four of these clay statues. It took nine months to complete the assembly process. An inner core of 850 tonnes of steel supports the Statue of Equality, which gives the statue essential stability and strength to withstand challenging weather.

The Samatha Murthy Temple is dedicated to Sri Ramanujacharya. It is 216 feet high from the ground level and weighs approximately 1000 tonnes. Under the supervision of Saint Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami, over 1400 crores were spent on this entire project. Across the world, donations were collected to build the Samatha Murthy Temple.

It is the second largest sitting statue in the world, following the Great Buddha Statue in Thailand. The Samatha Murthy Temple performed special Poojas and Yagnas from February 2 to February 14. The temple performed 1035 Kund Lakshmi Narayan Yagnas, using 1.5 kg of ghee. India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Samatha Murthy Temple in February 2022.

The Architecture of the Samatha Murthy Temple

The Samatha Murthy Temple spreads over 40 acres of land within a 200-acre ashram. Visitors can notice statues of Hanuman and Garuda, each standing at an 18-foot height. The 108 Vaishnava temples, known as Divya Desams, are around the main statue of Ramanujacharya. They are built of black stone. It resembles the original temple in its architecture.

The 108-foot-tall Saint Ramanujacharya statue comprises five metals: copper (82 %), zinc, tin, gold, and silver. Bhadra Devi stands 54 feet high, Tridandam is 135 feet, and Padmapitham is 27- feet. The width of his eyes is 6.5 feet.

The Samatha Murthy Temple brought pink stones from Bansi Pahadpur, Rajasthan; black stones from Tamil Nadu; black marble from Bheslana; and unique black marble from China.

A small statue of Ramanujacharya made of 120 kg gold lies directly beneath the main sculpture inside Bhadra Peeta. 54 Lotus petals, 36 elephants below the petals, 18 shells, and 18 chakras are embossed on the small statue of the saint. Priests perform Poojas to the golden statue.

The temple complex has a 42-foot-tall musical fountain called Leela Jala-Neeranjanam (Dynamic Fountain). It depicts Ramanujacharya's life beautifully. There is also an Omni-max theatre where visitors can see various shows of Ramanujacharya's contributions.

There is a Mukha Mandap, a common corridor for all 108 Divya Desams in the Samatha Murthy Temple. Visitors can see an auditorium for seminars. The library has all the Vedic scriptures.

There are entry tickets available to visit the Samatha Murthy Temple. The charges are Rs.200/- for adults and Rs. 125/- for children. The dynamic dancing fountain has charges of Rs. 50/- per head.

Festivals in the Samatha Murthy Temple

The Samatha Murthy Temple grandly celebrated the 1006th Ramanuja Jayanti between April 25 and May 1, 2023, at the temple complex,