Come 2028, Indians in America will get to see a new Indian attraction in their second home. It would be a sort of pilgrimage, especially, for South Indian immigrants and those fond of devotional music. A giant 112-foot-tall statue of a mystic saint composer from the 15th-century India would be standing tall at the Indian Cultural Center and Temple (ICCT) in USA. The saint is none other than Tallapaka Annamacharya whose songs and verses are still studied at some institutes in America.
Tallapaka Annamacharya Statue in USA
The Indian Cultural Center and Temple, Memphis has undertaken the $50cr memorial project to install America’s first statue of Annamacharya. The massive statue is taking shape on the Godavari River banks in Andhra Pradesh, India, and it would tentatively be unveiled on Annamacharya Jayanti, 9 May 2028. Tallapaka Annamacharya is the second Indian saint to get his tallest statue installed as a towering monument in the US after Swami Vivekananda’s brand new statue in Seattle.
Interestingly, the upcoming statue is part of ICCT Memphis’ Kotilinga Kshetram, a cosmic energy center with 10 million Bana Lingams. The Kotilinga Kshetram is a $100M project in progress.
Who is Tallapaka Annamacharya?
Tallapaka Annamacharya, born in 1408, was a saint, poet, and reformer in the erstwhile Vijayanagar Empire, which included the present-day Andhra Pradesh. He dedicated his life to Sri Venkateswara Swamy and composed 32,000 devotional songs eulogizing the Balaji of Tirupati. His compositions were lost into oblivion for over three centuries until they were found as engravings on copper plates hidden in the Tirumala temple complex. Since then, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has been striving to preserve his compositions as part of the spiritual heritage.
Annamacharya statue and memorial at ICCT
The upcoming memorial is remarkable not only because of the 15th-century saint but also its sheer scale. The statue itself will rise 108 feet, and an ornate pedestal will add another four feet, taking the total height to 112 feet. The Annamacharya statue is being crafted in parts using nearly 75 tons of Panchaloha, a traditional alloy of five metals revered in the Hindu temple sculpture. The modular parts will be shipped to the US from Andhra Pradesh and assembled there.
“The Indian Cultural Center and Temple, Memphis is planning an Annamacharya museum to showcase the saint’s life, journey, devotion to Tirupati Balaji, and spiritual legacy. Reportedly, a 900-foot lane will connect the main temple with the statue, and the lane will be dotted with life-like sculptures of prominent figures in the field of spiritual art and music. A 2000-seat auditorium is also part of the project,” said Sourav Agarwal, Senior Editor of Travel Beats.
Project timeline:
- 2024: ICCT finalized the design of the Annamacharya statue and museum.
- 2025: Fabrication of the Panchaloha statue began in Andhra Pradesh.
- 2026: Large-scale sculpting and modular fabrication are underway.
- 2027: Statue is expected to be transported to Memphis.
- 2028: Statue to be installed and unveiled on Annamacharya Jayanti (May 9).
Meet the sculptor of Annamacharya statue
Every monumental statue has a creative artist whose vision brings history or a bygone era to life. Penugonda Karunakar Vudayar from Andhra Pradesh, one of the noted sculptors in India, is shaping up the world’s tallest Tallapaka Annamacharya statue for America. Hailing from a third-generation family of sculptors, Karunakar blends age-old craftmanship with cutting-edge technology. Over the years, he has sculpted hundreds of statues of Hindu deities, saints, and eminent leaders like Dr. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and N. T. Rama Rao.
Brought to you Travel Beats, the Indian Eagle blog for diaspora stories and travel news; this article is part of our continued series on new attractions for Indian immigrants in North America. Subscribe to Travel Beats for travel hacks, airfare discounts, best Indian Eagle flight deals, US visa updates, and airport guides.
