100-foot statue of Swami Vivekananda coming up in Udupi

UDUPI: Swami Vivekananda, already standing tall in the annals of Indian history, is about to stand taller – at about 100 feet to be precise. Coming up at Bailur village near Udupi, the statue will be the tallest monolith in India. The monument will be erected adjacent to the Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, (Bailur Math) at Yerlapadi in Bailur village between Udupi and Karkala – about 23 km from either ends. “This project is neither to break earlier records nor to create a sightseeing spot or tourist attraction. It is solely for human transformation – both at global and individual levels. We have selected a place of exquisite natural beauty which radiates a divine atmosphere and where absolute calm prevails — a hilly forest with a beautiful river,” said Bramhachari Deepu Maharaj, in-charge of the work at the quarry. The statue of Swami Vivekananda in standing pose will be 100ft high (86ft from head to toe), 30ft wide and 18ft deep and will weigh 2,500 tonnes. The main pedestal will be lotus-shaped and placed on a 70ft by 70ft platform which will be 5ft high. Encircling it will be a 110ft by 110ft pavement. The sculpture is estimated to cost Rs 49.5 crore. Coaxing a life-like figure out of a massive stone weighing approximately 2,500 tonnes will be the chief sculptor – national and state award winner Ashok Gudigar from Bangalore. He is being assisted by Gunavantheshwar Bhat of Karkala, principal of Canara Bank Shilpa Shala. A team of 150 sculptors, specialised in fine carving, will be put on the job. The model making began on Jan 12 this year. After an extensive search, the required 110ft X 30ft X 18ft stone was finally located at quarry in Jarkal, about 14km from the ashram. The process of removing the stone is on in full swing. Transportation and erection will be challenging tasks, though. It will be the largest cargo to be moved by road – 2,500 tonnes, 30ft wide, 22ft high and 14km long, said Bramhachari Deepu Maharaj. He added that that a 40-ft wide plane level road with slow gradient, free from sudden undulations, will be constructed. The German-based Goldhofer Co has designed a trailer with 720 wheels and 90 axles. An Italian company is likely to erect the monument by a modular jacking tower system. The tower height needs to be nearly 120ft with a capacity to lift 3,000 tonnes. Though the initial plan was to complete the statue by 2015, it is likely to be delayed by a year because stone extraction was a tough and time-consuming process.