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Located within the Gurita Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park in the popular tourist destination of Bali, Indonesia, the colossal Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is the result of the hard work and pride of the Indonesian people. Including its massive base, this statue ranks fourth in height in the world, about 30 meters taller than the Statue of Liberty in the United States.
The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is 121 meters tall, equivalent to a 21-story building.
The history of the creation of the giant statue.
In 1990, Indonesian artist and sculptor Nyoman Nuarta presented a design for an ambitious project: to build a statue of the Hindu god Vishnu riding on the eagle Garuda. The statue was planned to be built in the south of Bali, known as the island of the gods.
Indonesian legend tells that the eagle Garuda agreed to let the god Vishnu ride on its back in exchange for an elixir to save its mother, who had been captured and enslaved. Afterward, Garuda became a loyal animal always by Vishnu's side. The statue depicts this image.
Nyoman's project quickly gained support from influential figures. However, opposition was inevitable. Local residents protested the statue's construction, feeling that such a massive object would cause spiritual imbalance. They worried that all the profits from the statue would not benefit Bali but would ultimately flow to Jakarta.
Tourists visit the giant statue.
It took nearly three decades to complete the world's fourth tallest statue.
In 1997, construction of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue officially began. However, subsequent financial crises halted construction. In 2013, after a 16-year hiatus, a real estate company agreed to finance the resumption of the statue's construction. The idea of building the statue was controversial, with religious authorities on the island complaining that its enormous size could disrupt the island's spirit. However, many others supported the project, believing the statue would be a new tourist attraction.
It wasn't until September 2018 that the statue was finally completed, 28 years after it began, at a total cost of approximately $100 million (about 2.301 billion VND).
Garuda Wisnu Kencana has become the tallest statue in Indonesia and the tallest Hindu deity statue in the world. It depicts Vishnu, one of the principal gods of Hinduism, riding on the back of the mythical creature Garuda.
This statue took 28 years to complete and cost $100 million (approximately 2.301 trillion VND) to build.
The entire structure is built from 754 parts that are joined together to form a gigantic statue weighing over 3,000 tons, with a steel frame covered in a layer of copper and brass.
The statue has a stainless steel frame as well as a steel and concrete core column, fitted with a specialized lighting system for beautiful illumination at night. Atop the head of the god Vishnu sits a 3.5-ton crown inlaid with gold. The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is designed to be sturdy and resistant to storms and earthquakes.
