# Statue of Union
**Statue of Union** is a 90-foot (27 m) bronze statue of the Hindu deity Hanuman at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in [Sugar Land, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/sugar-land-texas).[3](https://www.statueofunion.org/about/) Weighing 90 tons, it is the third-largest statue in the United States and the tallest statue of Hanuman in North America.[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1) • [2](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/) It was unveiled in August 2024 following a three-day ceremony.[2](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/) The statue was envisioned by the Indian spiritual leader Chinna Jeeyar Swami and was designed in India, with its parts manufactured in China and assembled at the temple.[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Height and weight | 90 feet (27 m); 90 tons[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1) |
| Ranking | Third-largest statue in the United States; tallest Hanuman statue in North America[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1) • [2](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/) |
| Location | Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, 10098 Synoot Road, Sugar Land, Texas[3](https://www.statueofunion.org/about/) |
| Material | Bronze[2](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/) |
| Unveiled | August 2024, after a three-day ceremony[2](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/) |
## Design and construction
The statue was envisioned by Chinna Jeeyar Swami, an Indian spiritual leader who also conceived the [Statue of Equality](https://www.edgepedia.org/statue-of-equality-ramanuja) in [Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyderabad), India. The statue was designed in India by Sri Chinnajeeyar Swamiji; its parts were manufactured in China, shipped to the United States, and assembled at the temple.[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1)
**The figure** is cast in bronze, stands 90 feet tall, and weighs 90 tons.[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1) • [2](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/) Hanuman is depicted upright with both palms facing forward, a gesture presented as a sign of benevolence.[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1) A squirrel appears at his feet, an animal regarded in Hindu tradition as a symbol of resourcefulness.[2](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/) The statue stands on a platform over a small pond, accessible from a parking lot on its north side.[2](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/)
**The site** carries a Sugar Land postal address, but the temple lies within Houston's extraterritorial jurisdiction, so the city of Houston was responsible for issuing the temple's permits.[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1) Temple vice president Vijay Sreenarasimhaiah said that people of "all sorts of faiths" worked on the project locally.[1](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1)
## Unveiling
The unveiling followed a three-day ceremony held between August 15 and 18, 2024, beginning on August 15 in overlap with India's Independence Day. The ceremony included flower showering from a helicopter, a sacred water sprinkling, and a 72-foot garland draped around the statue's neck.
## Reception
Soon after the inauguration, the statue drew protests from some Christian conservatives, who gathered outside the temple, prayed against it, and described it as a "demon god" or idolatrous.
**In September 2025**, Texas Republican leader Alexander Duncan called the statue "a false statue of a false Hindu God," claiming that the United States is a "Christian nation" and must not allow such a construction, and quoted Bible verses against idolatry, such as Exodus 20:3-4. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) described the remarks as "anti-Hindu hate," inflammatory, and a violation of religious freedom and First Amendment principles, and urged the Texas GOP to discipline him. Critics connected the remarks to rising anti-Indian and anti-Hindu sentiment amid debates over H-1B visas, immigration, and cultural change in Texas, where areas such as Sugar Land, Frisco, and Irving have large Indian populations.
## References
1. [Sugar Land-area Hindu temple now home to third largest statue in the U.S. - Houston Public Media](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2024/08/26/497628/sugar-land-area-hindu-temple-now-home-to-third-largest-statue-in-the-u-s/?amp=1)
2. [Day Trips: Statue of Union, Sugar Land - Austin Chronicle](https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/day-trips-statue-of-union-sugar-land-13285000/)
3. [About - Statue of Union (official website)](https://www.statueofunion.org/about/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Visual arts and design › Individual sculptures and public art › Modern and public art works*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license