Samatha Murthy temple is called the Statue of Equality, an imposing masterpiece developed in memory of Saint Ramanujacharya. He was a great saint born in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. His Indian philosophy gave him a great personality, and he was one of the most influential leaders in religious history.
The Samatha Murthy temple is located in Sriram Nagar, Hyderabad. It is the best example of modern engineering and craftsmanship.
Want to know more details about the temple? Let’s discuss this in detail. Continue to read the article.
Overview of Samatha Murthy Temple
The temple in Hyderabad, Ramanuja statue, is a statue of 11th-century Vaishnavite Ramanuja, located on the site of Chinna Jeeyar Trust at Muchintal. This is considered the second tallest sitting statue in the world. The trust included the project of creating the statue to mark 1000 years from Ramanuja’s birth, which cost around Rs. 1,000 crore. The project was paid for in part by the donations of devotees.
Ascetic Chinna Jeeyar had the idea to create a statue in 2014 to mark the 1000th anniversary of Ramanuja’s teachings. The ground level will showcase Ramanuja’s life and ideas and span 6,000 square meters. The temple will occupy 27,870 square meters on the second floor and be used for daily devotion. A Vedic digital library and research center will be located on the third floor, which is 1,365 square meters. Ramanuja’s life stories were to be presented in an Omnimax theatre shaped like a planetarium. The trust called it the “Statue of Equality.”
Architecture of Samatha Murthy Temple
The temple premise has spread over 40 acres of land within a 200-acre ashram. Followers witness the statues of Hanuman and Garuda, and every statue is 18 feet high. The 108 Vaishno temples are called Divya Desams around the main statue of Ramanujacharya. These were constructed from black stone. It partakes from the original temple architecture.
The 108-foot height of Saint Ramanujacharya comprises five metals: copper (82%), zinc, tin, silver, and gold. Along with it is a 54-foot-high Bhadra Devi statue, Tridanam is 135 feet, and Padmapitham is 27 feet. The width of his eyes is 6.5 feet.
The marbles for the temples are pink stones from Bansi Pahadpur, Rajasthan, black stone from Tamil Nadu, black marble from Bheslana, and unique black marble from China. The small statue is made from 120 kg of Ramanujacharya gold, which lies directly beneath the main statue in the Bhadra peeta.
The small statue of the saint is engraved with 54 lotus petals, 36 elephants under the petals, 18 shells and 18 chakras. Pandit conducted the puja on the golden statue. The temple premise has a 42-foot-tall musical fountain, Leela Jala-Neeranjanam (Dynamic Fountain), which beautifully illustrates Ramanujacharya’s life. There is also an Omni-max theatre where pilgrims can witness many shows about Ramanujacharya’s contributions.
The Samatha Murthy Temple has a Mukha Mandap, a common corridor for all 108 Divya Desams. Tourists can also see an auditorium for seminars. The library has all the Vedic scriptures.
Entry tickets are available to visit the Samatha Murthy Temple. The charges are Rs.200/—for adults and Rs. 125/—for children. The dynamic dancing fountain charges Rs. 50/—per head.
Who Was Ramanujacharya?
Ramanujacharya was born in 1017 in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. He was a Vedic philosopher and social reformer who toured around India, promoting equality and social justice. He restored the bhakti movement and its preachings and motivated other Bhakti schools of thought. According to the ancient scriptures, he lived for 120 years. He fought against social, as per his followers, and took a stand against cultural, gender, educational, and economic discrimination.
Many pupils followed his path and drew inspiration from the works of multiple ancient poets, including Bhakt Ramdas, Annamacharya, Thyagaraja, Kabir, and Meerabai. He made education available to the most constrained in those days and created the practice of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
People believe that Ramanujacharya taught about the safety of nature and its resources, like air, water, and soil. He uncovered the way of temples to all people, including those subjected to extreme discrimination.
Timing of Samatha Murthy Temple
The timing to visit Samatha Murthy temple are:
- Sunday is Open 24 hours
- Monday 6–11:30 am, 4–5:30 pm
- Tuesday 6–11:30 am, 4–5:30 pm
- Wednesday 6–11:30 am, 4–5:30 pm
- Thursday 6–11:30 am, 4–5:30 pm
- Friday 6–11:30 am, 4–5:30 pm
- Saturday 6–11:30 am, 4–5:30 pm
Teachings of Ramanujacharya
Ramanujacharya attains inspiration from multiple sources. Hence, this motivation was powerful, so he could deliver it to society when such thoughts were unheard of. Naturally, the absence of pseudo-democratic and pseudo-secularist ideologies at the time was advantageous. He succeeded in taking a position and persuading everyone to adhere to his philosophy in both letter and spirit, despite early opposition and attempts on his life.
Last but not least, everyone in Bharat has adhered to Ramanujacharya’s philosophy for about 600 years. During that time, he advocated against caste inequality by teaching, preaching, and speaking out. He held the opinion that a strong devotion to Vishnu was the greatest way to achieve salvation. By His grace, Vishnu assists the devotee in achieving the joy of connection with Him.
Why is Samatha Murthy Temple Called the Statue of Equality?
People call the popular figure, Ramanujacharya, an icon of equality, including equality for religion, caste, social status, and gender. He is that gigantic reservoir from which every present-day learning of thoughts that show equality has steamed as creeks, rivulets, and tributaries. Such a historical fact. The divine image sanctified the earth by existence over 1000 years ago. The world promotes his ideology without acknowledging him. The name remains in the shadows. Hence, the magical significance is missing, and values can not be seen in society.
Society has developed walls that are invisible but invincible for a divided community. People have given him the name “equality.” His learnings motivate his followers. What better time to experience encouragement than the millennium of his birth?
Presently, the caste system remains in our modern society, hence the term educated society. Nowadays, no one likes to discuss the caste system in our country. So Ramanuja freed millions of people through his voice, taking a stand against all wrong thinking in those days just for the sake of ‘Equality.’
Hence, the statue of equality has been constructed. Let the statue resonate within you, echoes of equality. Allow these to become a yearning for equality and translated into actions leading to equality. Over the 75 years of independence, casteism became a cancerous growth in Indian society. The Statue of Equality aims to inspire penance so that it can motivate the country and society.
What is the Statue of Equality?
- The statue is composed of “Panchaloha,” a mixture of five metals: copper, brass, zinc, silver, and gold.
- In a sitting position, it is the second-tallest statue in the world. The tallest statue in the world in a sitting position is reportedly the Buddha statue in Thailand.
- The statue is situated atop the “Bhadra Vedi,” a base building that is 54 feet high. The structure contains floors designated for a theatre, an educational gallery showcasing Sri Ramanujacharya’s creations, an old Indian text library, and a Vedic digital library and research center.
- They have also created a temple of Ramanujacharya in the complex, covering roughly 300,000 square feet, where they will install a 120 kg gold idol for daily worship.
- Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram designed the statue. He laid the foundation stone for the architecture in 2014.
- They completed this at the 45-acre scenic Jeeyar Integrated Vedic Academy at Munchintal, near Shamdhabad, on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
- There are 108 sacred shrines encircling the different parts of the country like Tirumala, Sriranganam, Muktinath, Ayodhya, Kumbhakonam, and others.
Conclusion
The Samatha Murthy temple significantly celebrates the Ramanuja Jayanti 2ndon on Friday, May 2025. The temple will be decorated to celebrate the birth anniversary of the saint. Hence, he motivates society with what he learns. His powerful thoughts inspired followers who were unheard of. He taught, preached, and raised his voice for all actions against caste prejudice. He said the people achieve salvation through intense devotion to Vishnu.
So, if you’re planning to explore the beauty of this temple, pack your bags and book a travel agency to witness it. You will see many amazing sculptures of saints and others. Get set, go!
Frequently Asked Questions
Ramanujacharya was born in 1017 in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. He was a Vedic philosopher and social reformer who toured around India, promoting equality and social justice.
The Samatha Murthy temple premise has spread over 40 acres of land within a 200-acre ashram with the statues of Hanuman and Garuda, and every statue is 18 feet high. It partakes from the original temple architecture.
The 108-foot height of Saint Ramanujacharya comprises five metals: copper (82%), zinc, tin, silver, and gold.
Ramanujacharya fought against socialism, as per his followers, and took a stand against cultural, gender, educational, and economic discrimination.
Ramanuja freed millions through his voice, taking a stand against all wrong thinking in those days just for ‘Equality.’Hence, the statue of equality has been constructed.