Thiruvananthapuram gets India's tallest Christ

The state capital is all set to sport the tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the country. The three-tonne, marble-white statue of Christ, to be unveiled soon at the Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology on Bethany Hills, Nalanchira, is 33.5 feet tall and pips the current record by 4.5 feet, its designers said.

With his arms spread high in blessing, Christ stands atop a porch which is 22.5 feet high, taking the total height to 56 feet. All set to gain an iconic status, the giant statue made of highly-durable fibreglass was erected over the porch near the college basketball court on Wednesday.

Renowned art director Premachandran and his 30-member team took only 35 days to complete the work. “Three sections of the statue were erected using cranes on Wednesday. The statue weighs around three tonnes,” he said. Expert sculptors from Chennai assisted Premachandran in the work. “The statue is dedicated to the memory of a former student of Mar Baselios College, Midhun Marcose, who died in an accident. His father Marcose donated money for the statue,” Premachandran said. “The inauguration date will be fixed after two Bishops arrive from the UK,” he added.

At night, the eyes of Jesus will glow. ‘’Imported radium was used to give a greenish glowing effect in the dark. Marble white automotive paint was used on the statue,” Premachandran said.

Currently, Bengaluru has the tallest statue of Christ. It is 29 feet tall and was unveiled in January this year.

Art director Premachandran has around 300 films to his credit, in a career spanning three decades. His latest work was in ‘Ritu’ directed by Shyamaprasad. A native of Gowreesapattom, Premachandran credits the  Christ statue as his major work.