Incredible Statues । Khadiza Binte Mostafiz

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “STATUE”? If you think that this word defines something ordinary, made of clay or cement, then you are so wrong.” A Statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full length figures of persons or animals or non- representational forms are carved in durable material (like wood, metal or stone etc) ” is what Mr. Wikipedia told me when I searched the word in Google. And believe me when I say this, people of this planet are taking STATUES to a whole new level.
Did you know, large statues have been constructed since ancient times. The Great Sphinx, built by the ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom, is 20 meter high and is still one of the biggest statues in the world. And that my friend is a #Wow_fact!! Over the past 30 years the world has seen the construction of ever taller and bigger statues. This list of mine features some of the largest statues in the world.

The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone says New York? The Statue of Liberty, right? And I won’t blame you for thinking like that. Because this humongous statue on Liberty Island in the Upper New York Bay, U.S is one of the tallest status of the world. It was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. It represents a woman holding a torch in her raised right hand. At the feet of the Statue lie broken shackles of oppression and tyranny. The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents of the world, indicating the universal concept of liberty. And another mind-blowing fact is, The Statue of Liberty resembles the Roman goddess “Libertas” who represents freedom from oppression and tyranny. Fire is considered a symbol of enlightenment. So, the Statue of Liberty carries enlightenment to the world through its torch. And do you want to know about the masterminds behind the design of this statue? For your information, it was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel. No doubt the world will forever remember their name.

The Statue of Unity

The Statue of Unity
After more than three years of construction the world’s largest statue was introduced by India, which is two times bigger than The Statue of Liberty. This is built on Sadhu Island, in the western state of Gujarat. Costing £226.9 million and built in just 33 months. Amazing, right? The Statue of Unity website, which has given the structure the tagline, “the statue as grand as the stature”, says: “Built in less than five years, it is the world’s tallest, grandest and giant statue. It is a tribute to the man who united India, Sardar Patel.”  And who is Sarder Patel? Well, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, popularly known as ‘the Iron Man of India’, was a great freedom activist and leader of the Indian National Congress. The Statue of Unity is a memorial to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, it will not only remind every individual of India’s freedom struggle but will also inspire the people of their country to inculcate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s visionary ideologies of unity, patriotism, inclusive growth and good governance.

The Spring Temple Buddha

The Spring Temple Buddha
The previous record holder was the Spring Temple Buddha in China. This statue was built between 1997 and 2008, the massive copper Buddha stands atop a 66 feet tall lotus-shaped pedestal which houses a monastery, giving it a total height of 502 feet. This was built after the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan.

Ushiku Daibutsu

Ushiku Daibutsu
Have no doubt, this is a Japanese word. And in Japanese the word “Daibutsu” means “Giant Buddha”!! And It is the name of the third tallest statue of the world, which is located in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Towering a full 120 meters into the sky and weighing 4 tonnes. And the fun part about this statue is, the lovely gardens surrounding the statue are full of flowers in season, which visitors can pick and take home. There is also a small petting zoo with squirrels, rabbits and some other small animals. So, if you ever have the opportunity to visit it, you can enjoy that huge statue and also you can pat some cute bunnies, nice deal, right?

Christ The Redeemer

Christ The Redeemer
The hype grows bigger when The Football World Cup starts. And Brazil maniacs stop their breathing and cheer for their favorite team. If you are a true fan of the Brazilian Football team and love their country, then you must have heard about Christ the Redeemer. And if you’ve been watching the Olympics, you’ve no doubt seen sweeping shots of the iconic Christ the Redeemer monument overlooking Rio de Janeiro. It is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cristo Redentor is the local name for Rio’s statue of Jesus Christ, although English-speakers call it the Christ Redeemer statue or Christ, the Redeemer. No matter the name, it is a striking architectural design and construction.
There are also other Amazing statues, for example, The Motherland Calls in Russia, Angel of The North in England, Peter The Great Statue in Russia, Emperors Yan and Huang in China etc.
Enough talk about the tallest and largest statues of the world. Now, I will tell you about a city which is known as the city of the speaking statues.

Rome, the city of the speaking statues

Rome, the city of the speaking statues
Rome is not only one of the most fascinating cities of the world, for its history, its cultural events, monuments and history: it is also famous as the city of the speaking statues, since the XVI century, when the Romans began to post up anonymous messages on the statues. These messages contained ferocious critics against the power, the governors and public men, as it still happens nowadays. The statues are six: Pasquino, Madama Lucrezia, Marforio, the Babuino, the Facchino, and the Abate Luigi. The best known is Pasquino. If you love historical legends, the speaking statues have lots of things to talk about. 
Many statues are built on commission to commemorate a historical event, or the life of an influential person. Many statues are intended as public art, exhibited outdoors or in public buildings. And “Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.” said George Bernard Shaw.