Poland set to unveil world’s tallest Jesus statue

Moscow, Nov 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The construction of the world’s tallest Jesus Christ statue that rises to 167 feet in a Polish town has been completed.

The statue’s torso, head and crown were installed Saturday, marking an end to the five-year construction, the PAP news agency reported.

The works were initially scheduled for Friday, but were delayed due to strong winds.

A similar attempt failed two weeks ago as the 400-tonne crane on site proved inadequate to lift the head and arms into position, and a 700-tonne crane was brought in to complete the construction.

The Swiebodzin town near the German border, hopes its gigantic Jesus will become a tourist attraction as famous as the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

The monument is expected to overshadow not only Christ the Redeemer, which stands at 130 feet, but also the Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia, which rises to almost 133 feet.

The Polish statue is about 108 feet, but its overall height, including the 52.5 feet mound and a 6.6 feet crown, exceeds 167 feet. Its total weight is about 440 tonnes.

The date of the official ceremony to unveil the monument is yet to be announced, but media reports said it would take place Nov 21.

The construction costs are estimated at about $1.5 million, raised through private donations.

The plans to build the statue have divided society in Poland. The supporters of the project say the statue would attract pilgrims to the city, while their opponents accused the church of megalomania and said the costly project has nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

–IANS/RIA Novosti