Monumental tribute to faith
Kanwarjit Singh Kang on how one man's vision led to the construction of the largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world

Statues have been erected all over the world for various reasons, and in all sizes. Some were built for religious reasons, others to commemorate historical events, or to celebrate the glory of the ruler, while others have an artistic origin.

The largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world, known as ‘Christ the Redeemer’, stands at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in South America. In 2007, it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World by a Swiss organisation, the New Open World Corporation, along with other wonders: the Great Wall of China; the Hellenistic temple of Petra in Jordon; Machu Picchu in Peru; the Colosseum in Rome, Italy; Taj Mahal in India and the temple of the Mayan civilisation at Chichen Itza, Mexico.

In the middle of the 19th century, Pedro Maria Boss, a Catholic priest, laid eyes upon the Corcovado Mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Inspired by the towering peak rising up imposingly over the city, he imagined a monument to his faith placed upon it for all to see.

In order to realise his vision, he sought the approval and funds from Isabel, the Princess Imperial of Brazil, who was not enthusiastic and the plan was shelved. The idea was completely dismissed in 1889 when Brazil became a republic, with laws mandating the separation of the church and the state.

The second proposal for a large landmark statue on the mountain was made in 1921 by the Catholic circle of Rio de Janeiro. This group organised an event Semanado Monumento (Monument Week) to attract donations and collect signatures to carry out the project. The response was tremendous and money flowed like a river.

The design considered for the statue included a representation of the Christian cross; a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands and a pedestal symbolising the world. Another suggested design was Christ on top of a pedestal with his arms outstretched. After deliberations, this design was selected as a model to execute the monumental project.

Heitor da Silva Costa, a Brazilian civil engineer, was the chief manager of the project, and had designed the model of the statue. He enlisted the help of Paul Maximilien Landowski, a French monument sculptor of Polish origin. A group of engineers and technicians studied Landowaki’s submissions and a decision was taken to built the structure with reinforced concrete, instead of steel, considered most suitable for the cross-shaped statue. Soapstone, despite its softness, was chosen to cover the upper surface of the statue. High-quality soapstone was imported from Limhamn, Sweden. The construction took nine years from 1922 to 1931.

Our Lady of Aparecida is the patron saint of Brazil, venerated in the Catholic Church and her feast day is celebrated on October 12, which is a public holiday there. On October 12, 1931, the statue of Christ was formally inaugurated by the then President of Brazil.

Standing with outstretched, welcoming arms, Christ the Redeemer, stands atop the 700- metres-high Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park, embracing the stunning cityscape of Rio de Janeiro below. It is 39.6 metres tall, including its 9.5 metres pedestal, and 30 metres wide from fingertip to fingertip. It weighs 675 tonne.

Since its completion in 1931, it has undergone scaffold-required restorations because of the damage caused due to wind and rain exposure as well as lightning strike and graffiti vandalism.